Health and wellness in the West

by Terry McConnell
Freelance Writer, Edmonton

The pioneer spirit that spurred European settlement in Western Canada over 100 years ago remains alive and well—“well” being the key word—in pioneering efforts of a different kind.

Today, the West is blazing trails in the field of wellness and good health. Nowhere is that more evident than with Wellness West, in which the federal government, the governments of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as a host of private companies collaborate to promote the functional food and nutraceutical industry.

Simply put, the purpose of Wellness West is “to promote wellness,” says Vivian Sullivan, regional director for the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. She is also the point person for the Wellness West initiative. “People are increasingly interested in looking at a natural approach to maintaining good health. Wellness West is at the heart of it.”

At the heart of Wellness West is the explosive growth of the functional food and nutraceutical industry in Western Canada.

What are functional foods? “They have properties and advantages for health that go beyond their nutrient content,” says Sullivan. “For example, flax contains certain fatty acids that are deemed to help cardiovascular health.”

She cites Omega-3 eggs as a functional food that shoppers see in supermarkets. “They are eggs where the poultry has been fed feed that contains ingredients rich in fatty acids such as flax meal.” The eggs contain fat and protein, as well as specific compounds that can help maintain health. And it’s all natural.

Similarly, nutraceuticals are substances found in food that have medicinal properties. An Edmonton company, CV Technologies, has found commercial success with Cold FX, a product that’s been proven through clinical trials to prevent and lessen the severity of cold symptoms. Sullivan says one of the key ingredients in Cold FX is an extract of ginseng, a natural herbal remedy.

To grow the functional food and nutraceutical industry in Western Canada makes sense, says Sullivan, because it plays to the natural strengths of the region: initiative, co-operation and, of course, a sophisticated food production system.

“This is a strong opportunity in Western Canada because we grow a lot of crops that have much higher value because of these properties,” says Sullivan.

Moreover, she considers Wellness West “a wonderful story,” one that involves federal and provincial governments doing their part to grow the functional food and nutraceutical industry by “working together to leverage each other’s resources and capabilities.”

NRC-IRAP supports innovative research, development and commercialization of new products and services. Its role with Wellness West is to help form and develop a western partnership on functional food and nutraceuticals. At the federal level, that includes Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

“NRC-IRAP is always very keen to have the right expertise in the right place, at the right time,” says Sullivan of the involvement of WD and others.

Brant Popp, director general of corporate policy for WD, agrees this type of partnership-building enhances the Wellness West initiative. “WD and NRC-IRAP act as investors and catalysts promoting individuals, firms and communities to be more innovative and entrepreneurial,” he says.

These efforts appear to be paying dividends. Dr. Jerzy Zawistowski, vice-president for functional foods and nutraceuticals at Vancouver-based Forbes Medi-Tech Inc., says Wellness West is a great way for private industry to learn the ropes in a field of commerce still very much in its infancy.

“Canadian developers try to position themselves to keep up with worldwide trends [in the functional food industry],” says Zawistowski. Wellness West is an important tool “to promote functional foods and nutraceuticals, to help private industry, and to teach them how to communicate with Health Canada about the regulatory process.”

NRC-IRAP’s industrial technology advisors (ITAs) work through mechanisms such as Wellness West to help their clients.

“We could have sent the ITAs travelling around the province, but that would be a waste of time,” says Bill Smith, executive director for NRC-IRAP in Western Canada. “That’s why we invest in things like Wellness West; we reach more people.” These people, in turn, learn what it takes to be competitive and to overcome challenges to be successful.

ITAs have helped their clients become involved in other organizations as well. Zawistowski cites as an example the British Columbia Functional Foods Network, a non-profit organization that was brought to his attention by Maureen Hatanaka, his company’s ITA. “She started my involvement in functional foods outside my company,” he says, calling the experience invaluable.

Jerome Konecsni, vice-president of corporate development for Bioriginal Food & Science Corp. in Saskatoon has also found his involvement with Wellness West to be a rewarding experience. “The meetings I’ve been at have been very worthwhile,” he says. “It’s a mechanism for government programs and funding to maintain their relevance to companies and the markets they serve."