The much-awaited release of the ORAFTI Active Food Ingredients 2006 Research Conference schedule reveals an exciting line-up that will provide the scientific community with a unique opportunity to learn about the latest research on the health benefits of inulin and oligofructose.

 

The two-day event held at Harvard Medical School will feature six informative and interactive sessions concerning the nutritional and health benefits of inulin and oligofructose presented by internationally recognized scientists. At the event, delegates will not only have the opportunity to hear  some of the science world’s most respected names speak on their areas of specialty, but also be able to engage in discussion and debate.

 

Each session at the conference will focus on a specific health benefit of inulin and oligofructose giving speakers the opportunity to share some of their most recent research findings.

 

 

Anne Franck, Executive Vice President of Science and Technology at ORAFTI, comments,”Nutritional studies on the prebiotic ingredients inulin and oligofructose continue to expand and demonstrate their benefits for intestinal as well as general health and well-being.

 

 

What we know less is that prebiotics have been part of the human diet for thousands of years. At the Conference evidence for prebiotic use in the archaeological record from different regions in the world will be presented by Jeff Leach from the Paleobiotics Lab. It is exciting to learn that mankind probably had the opportunity to include prebiotic-containing plants in its diet as early as 2 million years ago and that significant dietary intake took place later on with the advent of technological advances already 400,000 years ago. It is therefore hypothesised that populations that included plants rich in prebiotic components in their diet would have had a selective competitive advantage over competitors! Leach’s fascinating finding put prebiotic use and benefits in a new perspective.”

 

For further information and/or to register for the 5 ^th ORAFTI Research Conference, please go to www.ORAFTI.com

 

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ORAFTI Group is a subsidiary of the Belgian agro-food group Raffinerie Tirlemontoise/ Tiense Suikerraffinaderij and is part of the ORAFTI/ PALATINIT Ingredients business unit of Südzucker Group (Germany).

 

ORAFTI Group produces Beneo™ inulin and oligofructose for human and animal nutrition, as well as Raftisweet ^® (fructose syrups), from chicory roots. The ORAFTI Group also includes REMY INDUSTRIES, world leading producer of rice starches (Remy ^®/Remyline ^®/Remygel ^®), rice flours (Remyflo ^®) and rice proteins (Remypro ^®).

ORAFTI Group's head office is in Tienen, Belgium and the company operates in more than 75 countries world wide, with production units in Oreye (Belgium), Pemuco (Chile), Wijchen (Netherlands) and Wijgmaal (Belgium).

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTESTINAL HEALTH                                                               Chair: A. Walker

 

Role of functional ingredients towards current health issues                   J. Dwyer

Inulin & Oligofructose as functional food ingredients                              M. Roberfroid

Prebiotic concept and review of scientific evidence                                G. Gibson

Use of Inulin & Oligofructose in food products: Consumer aspects          E. Currie

Keynote lecture: Prebiotic archaeology                                                J. Leach

 

BONE HEALTH                                                                          Chair: C. Weaver

 

Diet, nutrition and bone health                                                               K. Cashman    

Overview of experimental data with Inulin & Oligofructose                         K. Scholz- Ahrens

Role of Inulin & Oligofructose in adolescents                                          S. Abrams

Current data with Inulin & Oligofructose in adults                                     V. Coxam

 

GUT PEPTIDES AND ENERGY METABOLISM                           Chair: M. Roberfroid

 

Role of intestinal peptides                                                                    R. Burcelin

Carbohydrate digestibility and metabolic effects                                     D. Jenkins

Experimental data with Inulin & Oligofructose                                        N. Delzenne

Overview of effects in humans (lipids, satiety)                                        F. Brighenti

 

 

 

IMMUNITY AND INFLAMMATION                                              Chair: G. Gibson

 

Dietary modulation of GALT                                                                 I. Sanderson

Review of experimental data on immune modulation                              B. Watzl

Intestinal infections, permeability and inflammation                                F. Guarner       

Inulin & Oligofructose in IBD                                                                L. Dieleman

 

 

 

COLON CANCER RISK                                                         Chair: G. Pascal

 

Dietary modulation of colon cancer risk                                             K. Young

Overview of experimental data with Inulin & Oligofructose                    B. Pool-Zobel

Human data from the SYNCAN project                                              K. Collins

Future perspectives with prebiotics in human studies                          A. Umar

 

BENEFITS FOR SPECIFIC TARGET GROUPS                          Chair: N. Delzenne

 

Maturation and aging of the gut                                                            N. Nanthakumar

Pediatric applications of Inulin & Oligofructose                                      G. Veereman

Inulin & Oligofructose in healthy aging                                                  K. Tuohy

Importance of Inulin products in animal nutrition                                     J. Van Loo

Summary and conclusions                                                                  A. Walker and G. Gibson