The Horticulture and Food Research Institute (HortResearch)
HortResearch is the government owned research institute with the responsibility of undertaking research for NZ’s horticultural-based food industries. HortResearch has strong science capability in many areas including biosecurity, preserving soils, health and food. The latter topic includes human performance, foods for health and personalised foods. Across HortResearch, a strong consumer foresight programme has underpinned a "fork to farm" orientation to their research. Their Sensory and Consumer Science Team collaborates with the Marketing Department at the University of Auckland to help scientists, commercial partners, and industry stakeholders understand and predict consumer issues that are relevant to food research.
HortResearch's successes include research that underpinned commercialisation of NZ apple varieties that are now ranked in the top 10 cultivars world-wide in terms of global production. The NZ apple industry is ranked 2nd in overall efficiency and 1st in production efficiency. HortResearch's work with the kiwifruit industry has developed into a close partnership with ZESPRI to develop kiwifruit varieties for future consumers. The commercialisation of HortResearch-bred yellow fleshed kiwifruit (ZESPRI.GOLD) has led innovation in the kiwifruit sector.
