The Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals

This morning, on CBC, the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals was featured. This is an important initiative which builds upon Manitoba's agricultural expertise and recognizes that people are increasingly buying foods based on health benefits.

Canola has been a tremendous success on the Canadian prairies, not only because it grows well in our climate, but also because Canola oil is one of the best oils from a nutritional perspective.

For many years, I have pushed for increased attention to functional foods and nutraceuticals. When I was at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba, one of my research interests was the development of healthier foods. When I was a Member of Parliament from 1993-1997, I pushed for attention on functional foods and nutraceuticals and managed to start more and more people in Manitoba thinking about the importance of this area to our province.

Congratulations to the Richardsons and all who have made this centre possible. I met recently with Dr. Peter Jones who is leading the way in moving this institute forward, and I wish him all possible success in his endeavours.

For those who want more information on this centre, you can visit the following site:
http://www.umanitoba.ca/afs/fiw/030508.html