The Hormel Institute is an independent research branch of the University of Minnesota that has made a mission of identifying and characterizing natural non-toxic anti-cancer agents. The Hormel Foundation pledged $10m and Austin, Minnesota-based Hormel Foods Corporation gave an additional $5m.
The donations will allow the Institute to triple site capacity and add 100 researchers to its current staff of 70 - an overwhelming pat on the back for the endeavors of a team that have so far resulted in filing a patent on the use of ginger compounds as a cancer therapeutic agent.
And a glance at the grim facts indicates the potential market for dietary supplements and functional foods targeting cancer can only grow.
Cancer was the second leading cause of death in the US in 2003, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The disease was to blame for almost a quarter of all deaths that year, with 556,902 Americans succumbing to the disease.
The Institute says it has been researching how foods modulate cellular pathways in cancer development and prevention. Its past cancer-related discoveries include showing how green tea targets an important cancer gene, as well as how feeding ginger to mice with human colon cancer implants delays tumor growth. The Institute has filed its patent for ginger use in the US, Canada and Europe.
Another discovery the Institute claims to have made surrounds omega-3 fatty acids' effectively inhibiting the development of several cancers.
The Hormel Institute was founded in 1942 as part of the Graduate School at the University of Minnesota. The Hormel Foundation is a non-profit organization established by the founder of Hormel Foods, a multinational manufacturer and marketer of meat and food products.
Hormel Foods' donation is the largest single donation ever given by the company.
A new three-story research building is being constructed and is set to encompass 89,954 square feet and to house new equipment.