SINGAPORE - The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) and New Zealand's Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) will invest $3.8 million in joint food and nutrition research projects.

Five research teams based in Singapore and New Zealand were selected to receive the funding, said A*Star in a statement on Monday.

They will study various aspects of food and nutritional science, including understanding Asian consumer insights and optimising diets for infant and maternal nutrition.

The collaboration is a result of an agreement signed between A*Star and MBIE in June 2013, and each side will provide half of the total funding. The research projects will commence this month.

"Food and biomedical science are coming closer together as researchers attempt to prove the relationships between food, health, and the risk of developing disease," said Dr Prue Williams, general manager of science investments at MBIE's Science, Skills and Innovation Group.

"New Zealand's world-class food and nutrition science capabilities combined with Singapore's excellent knowledge base and access to impressive science infrastructure creates an exciting opportunity for collaborative gains for Singapore and New Zealand."