CHICAGO — The Quaker Oats Co., a division of PepsiCo, Inc., has created The Quaker Oats Center of Excellence. The center is a cross functional entity focused on elevating the relevance and benefits of oats through science, agriculture and innovation It is part of Quaker’s commitment to uncovering new benefits and applications of oats to help people optimize their health and inspire well-being.

“Oat science has already revealed important benefits such as heart health and satiety, but we’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to the power of the oat and all it can do,” said Marianne O'Shea, Ph.D., director of The Quaker Oats Center of Excellence. “As consumers are seeking easy, delicious and sustainable ways to achieve these benefits through their diets, it is more important than ever that we focus on complementary oat research and innovation.”

Quaker said researchers at the center will investigate the benefits of oats, while enabling product development partners to translate the benefits into solutions for consumers. The agricultural sustainability of the oat will be another area explored by the center.

The center will maintain an advisory board comprised of experts in nutrition science, agricultural science and sustainability, product innovation and consumer insights.