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National | Business

Māori entrepreneurs use Māori ingredients to prevent diabetes

NUKU ki te Puku a collaboration of Māori Entrepreneurs scientists, investors, marketers, and horticulturalists are developing innovative nutrition solutions to improve health through nutrition including battling Type 2 Diabetes in Asia where the disease is prevalent.

Fourteen organisations have collaborated in an effort to change health statistics throughout Asia with good quality Māori ingredients. NUKU ki te Puku chairperson, Wayne Mulligan says, “We're taking the best of Aotearoa’s sustenance from the earth and marine and putting it into really big quality food that is proven with clinical data. When it comes to new nutrition from Aotearoa, NUKU ki te Puku wants Asia to know that we are key players in high-value nutrition going forward.”

About half a billion people have Type 2 Diabetes and a large number of those who have contracted the disease don't even know they have it.

Growing revenue for their people is a key principle for NUKU ki te Puku.

Mark Ngata, CEO, Ngāti Porou Seafood Group says, “ In terms of looking after them, in terms of growing them. We're growing our people into the future so we've taken on that philosophy.  It is about food but good quality food for our people to improve health and wealth going forward.”

Mulligan says, “Obviously if we can make this work than our people Māori, and our Pacific people are going to benefit a lot because we are going to drive that and we are going to set up a foundation to support more Māori getting into this area.”

Mulligan also says they also aren't aiming to be the biggest global leader but being the best is on the priority list. Twenty members will head to Singapore in April to further extend into the Asian Market.