The Human Nutrition Research Program

The Beef Information Centre (BIC) is a national organization responsible for education, public relations and beef's role in a healthy diet to a variety of consumers and health professionals. The BIC has allocated funds to award an annual grant for research in the area of diet and health.

The BIC's Human Nutrition Research Program conducts a periodic strategic planning process to identify the areas of focus. The following two key areas of study were identified as areas on which to focus in 2010-11:

  • Beef intake and health

    • Impact of beef consumption in adults
    • Role of beef's high quality protein in optimal health
    • Contribution/role of beef in vitamin and mineral status

  • Bioactive lipids

    • Role of conjugated linoleic acid
    • Role of trans vaccenic acid

BIC's Human Nutrition Research Program awards grants for a 12-month term but will consider a 24-month term.

The Beef Information Centre accepts Letters of Intent over the course of the year. If you have a research idea and are interested in submitting an LOI, the letter should include information on the following: principal investigator and co-investigators, background information with 3-5 key references, hypothesis and specific objectives, experimental approach, timelines, estimated cost (including any institutional overhead) and significance of proposed study. Submitted budgets must include all overhead costs including university administration fees.

If your research idea is selected, you will be required to submit a funding application.

Contributions from partners in the form of financial support or services in-kind are welcomed. Upon review of the proposals, researchers will be notified of grant success.

For further information or to forward you letter of intent, please contact:

Laura Pasut, M.Sc., RD
Nutridata Consulting Services
[email protected]




BIC Research – Highlights Present to Past

Over the past ten years the BIC has either funded or co-funded a number of research projects across North America. The following is a list of the current and past research projects funded by the Human Nutrition Research Program, along with some key results.

  1. Dose response of body and muscle protein turnover with beef and soy in elderly men – Stuart Phillips, McMaster University, 2009

    1. In progress

  2. Establishing the health benefits of ruminant trans fatty acids – Mechanisms of anti-atherogenesis – Spencer Proctor, Donna Vine, Michael Ganzle, Geoff Ball, University of Alberta, 2008

    1. In progress

  3. Can ground beef fatty acid composition alter HDL functionality? – Rosemary Walzem, Ronald MacFarlane, Texas A&M University, 2008

    1. In progress

  4. Analysis of Canadian Community Health Survey 2.2 Data on Foods and Nutrients – Katherine Gray-Donald, McGill University, 2006

    1. As the Canadian population ages, more vitamin D comes from the Meat and Alternatives food group and less from the Milk and Alternatives food group

  5. The effect of dietary trans vaccenic acid (TVA) on cardiovascular risk factors – Catherine Field, Spencer Proctor, Donna Vine, University of Alberta, 2006

  6. The nutritional significance of beef in the diet of adolescents from Ontario versus Alberta: A web-based survey – Rhona Hanning, University of Waterloo and Linda McCargar, University of Alberta, 2003

    1. Adolescents who consumed beef had an overall better nutrient intake
    2. No differences in BMI between those who ate beef and those who did not

  7. Anemia in disadvantaged women and their infants – Katherine Gray-Donald, McGill University, 2002

    1. Iron deficiency is not a problem in this group of women.

  8. Determination of the food and nutrient intake of Canadians 13-64 years of age (Food Habits of Canadians) – Katherine Gray-Donald, Linda Jacobs Starkey and Louise Johnson-Down, McGill University, 1997-2001

    1. A significant proportion of the Canadian population, and in many cases it is more than half, is not meeting the recommended minimum number of servings from Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating.
    2. "Other Foods" are providing a quarter of the energy and one third of the fat in the average diet, replacing foods from the four Food Groups.
    3. Canadians have reduced their total fat intake to 30% of energy, meeting the Nutrition Recommendations for Canadians.
    4. The micronutrients: calcium, folate, iron and zinc remain a potential problem as many Canadians are not achieving their recommendations of these nutrients;
    5. Contrary to popular assumption, the portion size of beef is not huge at any one meal with males consuming approximately two servings and females consuming approximately one serving (where 1 serving = 75 grams);
    6. People that consume beef are more likely to consume vegetables.

  9. Establishment of the biological activity of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) – Catherine Field and Tom Clandinin, University of Alberta, 1998

    1. Canadian beef contains primarily one isomer of conjugated linoleic acid, which is the active 'anti-carcinogenic' isomer.

  10. Impact of beef consumption on total and absorbable iron and zinc intake in an adult population in Quebec – John A. Zee, Huguette Turgeon-O'Brien, Thérèse Desrosier, Laval, 1998

    1. Beef is a major contributor of zinc, iron and absorbable iron intake.

  11. Beef protein in lipid lowering diet – Hélène Jacques and Pierre Julien, Laval, 1998

    1. Beef is an excellent source of protein and can be used effectively in the diets of normolipidemic and in a Step I diet of hyperlipidemic individuals.

  12. Nutrition attitudes and dietary intakes of premenopausal vegetarian and nonvegetarian women – Susan Barr and Gwen Chapman, University of British Columbia, 1998

    1. Intakes of energy, carbohydrate and fat are similar in vegetarians, non-vegetarians and past vegetarians.

  13. The importance of dietary intake of beef on the iron status of adolescents – Linda McCargar, University of Alberta, 1998

    1. 6% of females were iron deficient
    2. zinc intake was positively correlated to beef intake

  14. Dietary zinc intake of vegetarian and non-vegetarian patients with anorexia nervosa – Rita Bakan, Carl L. Brimingham, Laurel Aeberhardt, Elliot M. Goldner, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver

  15. Nutrient analysis of 4 classifications of Canadian ground beef – Diversified Research Laboratories, Markham, 1998-9

  16. Nutrient analysis of Canadian beef cuts – Silliker Laboratories Inc., Markham, 1999-2004 (Supported by a grant from Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development Program)