Food Glorious Food

Food Glorious Food - Make Food Great Again

Make Australia Healthy and the World's Premier Food Producer

Food regulation till now has focused on whether food additives may cause cancer. Only recently has the whole dimension of harm to the microbiome been understood, but there is no methodology to screen food additives for their microbiome-harming potential, and no regulatory framework to apply to food additives. Establishing food additives safety is urgently needed.

Our group of scientists has developed a methodology to efficiently test the effects of a food additive on the microbiome.

Going forward

Our scientists will:

apply our methodology to examine a wide range of food additives, to determine their “biological” safety.
identify why some people are susceptible to the effects of food additives
determine whether the harmful effects of food additives can be reversed.

We will provide industry and the public guidance on healthy and safe food.

We aim to enhance Australia’s position and reputation as a high-quality food producer and exporter.

There is an epidemic of “modern” diseases, over the last two generations since the Second World War in the West, and over the last generation or 25 years in the East and developing nations. Type 2 diabetes, metabolic liver disease, obesity, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and gut cancer have become the commonest global causes of ill health, disability, and increased health care costs.

What has changed in recent years to produce these dramatic changes in disease? Food, the way it is processed, and the chemicals added to it in ultra-processed food. Emulsifiers, colourings, and preservatives enable long-distance transport, prolong shelf life, diminish deterioration, enhance flavour, and enhance appearance.

Australia is amongst countries with the highest proportion of its food being ultra-processed. Sixty percent of our consumed food is ultra-processed. In your local supermarket a third of floor space is devoted to fresh produce, the remainder is processed and packaged.

Work from our own laboratory and our own scientists has shown that some food additives have dramatic effects on the gut bacterial ecosystem – the gut microbiome. Some chemical additives limit the growth of bacteria that are protective and enhance health, while enhancing the growth and effects of harmful bacteria that promote inflammation and cause ill health. Modern diseases result from an imbalance of our microbiome, mediated by the effects of these chemicals in ultra-processed food.