This week we are profiling some of our HVN-funded Māori-owned businesses as part of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori | Māori Language Week. Today’s profile is about our research with kawakawa (Piper excelsum).


Earlier this year HVN awarded $1,297,299 in funding for research which, in collaboration with industry partners Wakatū Incorporation and Chia Sisters, will explore the potential health benefits of incorporating the Aotearoa New Zealand native species kawakawa (Piper excelsum) as part of a functional beverage for markets in Japan and South East Asia. The main objective of the project is to explore whether such a beverage can impact metabolic and immune health in human intervention studies, with secondary objectives related to regulatory considerations and consumer studies.

The research is led by Dr Chris Pook at the Liggins Institute, along with collaborators from the University of Auckland’s Human Nutrition Unit, the Riddet Institute, the Food Experience and Sensory Testing (FEAST) Laboratory at Massey University, Smart Regulatory Solutions, and Edible Research. Read more.