Year of Establishment: 2019
The Coordination Centre for Research and Services on Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods for Health – NutriFun4Health – was established within the Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine (DMMT) at the University of Brescia, with its administrative headquarters located in the same Department.
The Centre promotes scientific research in the agri-food and nutraceutical sectors, with the aim of maintaining health and preventing and treating major chronic diseases associated with lifestyle and dietary habits. Its objectives are to:
- foster innovation and competitiveness in the agri-food and nutraceutical sectors to support community well-being through a systematic and multidisciplinary scientific approach;
- support the development and/or validation of new nutraceutical products whose properties are substantiated by studies conducted to high methodological standards, in compliance with current regulations and the guidelines issued by leading institutions operating in the field of nutraceutical products and quality certification;
- provide services to companies operating in the health-oriented food sector (including nutraceuticals, foods for special medical purposes, fortified foods and, more generally, functional foods); these services aim to support the development of new products, improve product quality, and ensure their safety and efficacy on the basis of robust scientific evidence; the Centre also assists companies in preparing applications for nutritional and/or health claims in accordance with the applicable legislation;
- promote training and public engagement activities on topics related to the Centre’s areas of expertise.
The key strength of the NutriFun4Health Research Centre lies in its multidisciplinary approach, drawing on expertise in agri-food sciences, botany, chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutical technology, pharmacology and clinical research.
NutriFun4Health aims to be an inclusive and dynamic organisation dedicated to conducting high-level research and providing state-of-the-art services in collaboration with Italian and international research institutions, local businesses, and public and private organisations.