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RESEARCH PROJECTS

Louis Bolk Instituut, Department of Healthcare and Nutrition

The Louis Bolk Instituut in the Netherlands is an independent private research institute with departments specialising in organic agriculture, human nutrition and medicine. This unique combination enables a link between research on the production of organic food crops with research in human health and nutrition. Since its foundation the institute has been a pioneer in research areas like organic plant breeding, soil fertility management, crop and fruit production, animal husbandry, product quality, food related allergies, epidemiological and causitive studies on complementary health. The staff of 25 academically trained scientists has expertise in conventional research methods as well as in farmer participatory research, phenomenology, pictomorphological methods, sensory and medical research. LBI participates in several EU and national research projects.

Contact person: Machteld Huber, M.D.
E-mail: M.Huber@louisbolk.nl
Internet: www.louisbolk.nl
Hoofdstraat 24
NL-3972 LA Driebergen, The Netherlands
Tel.: 0031-343-523860
Fax: 0031-343-523860

Ongoing projects:

1. Programme to develop the foodquality concept of "Vital Quality" and a "Vital Quality Index", compatible with organic principles and compatible with human health benefit.
   2000-2005. Based on longterm research in organic agriculture at the Louis Bolk Instituut (LBI), a quality concept is developed, based on the lifeprocesses growth and differentiation, and the integration of these. This concept is on the one hand recognisable and manageable for farmers and on the other hand relates to basic processes in human physiology. The hypothesis is that well integrated products benefit hman health. Parameters need to be developed and the hypothesis needs to be tested.
   
   

A sliced carrot tells about growing conditions: a narrow cortex indicates heavy growth…

… and a wide cortex indicates differentiating conditions.
2. Parameters for Apple Quality 1 & 2, Parameters for Carrot Quality 1 & 2.
   2000-2004. Research on controlled crops of apples and carrots. To develop parameters for the Vital Quality concept and gain reference material of extreme growth- and differentiation-examples and of the integration of these. Performed are conventional analyses, sensory evaluation, biocrystallizations, biophotones, electrochemical methods. Cooperation of LBI with BRAD, Kwalis, Heilmann, a.o.
   
   
3. Validation of the biocrystallization method.
   2002-2004. The so-called Triangle project, in a cooperation with University of Kassel (coordinator) and BRAD. The project is aimed at introducing an ISO- certified methodology including crystallization chamber, lab procedures, visual evaluation and image analysis procedures for quantification of the pictures.
   
   
4. Parsifal-project.
   2001-2004. A retrospective study in 5 countries (EU-project), on the relation between lifestyle factors (a.o. eating organic food) and the development of allergies in children. LBI in cooperation with University of Utrecht.
   
   
5. KOALA-project.
   2001-2005. A prospective study in the Netherlands, on the relation between lifestyle factors (a.o. eating organic food) and the development of allergies in newborn children. LBI in cooperation with University of Maastricht.

Under development:

1. Antimutagenic, health restoring effects of organic plant juices on mutilated bacteria.
   2003-2004. Repetition of a Japanese study where organic plant juices related to statistically significant better DNA-repair in bacteria than conventional plant juices. LBI in cooperation with Rikilt.

Foodsafety research:

1. Monitoring of contaminants in organic and conventional primairy crops.
   2003-2004. LBI in cooperation with Rikilt.
   
   
2. Riskanalysis of pathogens with the use of animal manure in organic and conventional vegetable production.
   2003-2005. LBI in cooperation with Wageningen University.
   
   
3. Under development: Analyses of microbial concentration and diversity on organic and conventionale primary products.
   2003-2004. LBI in cooperation with Rikilt.

February, 2003