Guelph - Helping Canadians eat better for better health is the goal of a conference featuring University of Guelph researchers studying functional foods.

"Food Meets Function: The Science and Business of Functional Foods" includes more than 30 health professionals, producers, researchers and agri-business professionals discussing research and consumer trends in functional foods. The event, co-sponsored by U of G, will take place June 17 to 18 in London.

About 250 people are expected to attend, including dietitians and health professionals. "We're targeting people with a health influence on consumers," said conference co-organizer Tom Wright, a dairy cattle nutritionist with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and an adjunct professor in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science (APS).

Along with co-organizer Christoph Wand, a beef cattle and sheep nutritionist with OMAFRA, Wright was "embedded" this year in the U of G department to help bridge research and producers.

They expect delegates will learn more about functional foods, or foods providing a health benefit beyond their nutritional value. Examples include Guelph-derived DHA milk and Omega-3 eggs, as well as probiotic yogurts, and meat and dairy products enriched with conjugated linoleic acids or selenium.

Session chairs and speakers include Guelph professors Judy Sheeshka of the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition; Bill Bettger and Bruce Holub, Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences; John Cranfield, Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics; and Vern Osborne, APS.

Other speakers include Canadian food writer and "culinary activist" Anita Stewart; Ariel Fenster, Office for Science and Society, McGill University; Linda Tapsell, University of Wollongong, Australia; Gregor Reid, Lawson Health Research Institute, London; and Al Mussell, senior research associate at the George Morris Centre in Guelph.