Carolyn Lister: raising the profile of positive foods

“There’s increasing interest from consumers about what’s in their food, they not only want to know if it’s nutritious, but they’re also interested in whether it is ethically and sustainably produced... and answering these questions requires robust science and research.”

Carolyn’s team manages the New Zealand Food Composition Database, which is jointly owned by Plant & Food Research and the Ministry of Health. The massive database currently covers more than 2,700 foods commonly consumed in Aotearoa New Zealand, making it the most comprehensive collection of high-quality, food nutrient data in the country. As well as expanding that catalogue by analysing the nutritional and phytochemical composition of new foods, the team monitors foods for changes over time, work that Carolyn knows can provide valuable insights.

“We can also pick up changes to help understand if climate change is impacting the nutritional quality of foods, and also if different farming practices result in nutritionally significant differences in composition.”

Collaborating with companies to develop nutrition and health claims for foods and to promote greater consumption of plant-based foods is also important. Carolyn says sustainable nutrition is a growing area of focus for researchers, with farmers, growers and other food producers.

“We are trying to find ways to deliver food that provide the nutrients consumers need but also being mindful of other important considerations like how they taste, are they ethically produced and what is the impact on the planet. It’s all very well producing something that is environmentally sustainable, but if it is not delivering the same nutrition, how do you balance that? We are focused on supporting the sector to find that sweet spot.”

While both her parents were English teachers, Carolyn has always been passionate about plants and science. She has memories of tending to the plants at her family home as a three-year-old and later, at school, gardening competitions and science fairs sparked her interest. “As soon as I started high school I knew I wanted to be a scientist and so while I was at school I was busy doing things like scraping lichen off bridges for a science fair project.”

That love for plants and science led Carolyn to study plant biochemistry at Canterbury University, with her PhD focusing on apple colour and its importance in the Japanese market, where rosy, red fruit are highly prized. A fellowship at the University of Glasgow in 1997 then saw her dive deeper into plant pigments, especially those in red wine, and the role they can play in human health.

“What excites me is uncovering new information and data that allows people to make meaningful choices and better understand food composition.”

Carloyn is passionate about communicating science to the community and giving New Zealanders the tools to make positive food choices, noting that “there's all sorts of misconceptions out there.” She is on the board of Trustees of the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust and often speaks to media about what produce is in season, what the health benefits are and how it could be prepared. Given her comprehensive understanding of nutrition it’s not surprising Carolyn generally doesn’t shy away from eating the skins on fruit. She is also not one to let her home-grown fruit and vegetables go to waste, and has plans to make feijoa nachos with the next harvest from her garden.