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The University of Copenhagen, Denmark, is leading a comprehensive new EU project, CLEVERFOOD, that will facilitate a society-wide mobilisation of European citizens to transform the European food system to benefit climate, sustainability, biodiversity and public health. The project officially began 1 January 2023 and has €8.1 million in funding.

CLEVERFOOD will facilitate a society-wide mobilisation of European citizens, including children and youth, farmers, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, educators, knowledge brokers and policy makers to transform the European food system in alignment with the EU Food 2030 Policy Framework, Farm to Fork Strategy and Fit for 55 Package. By providing targeted support for ongoing and emerging projects, partnerships and networks, implementing a pan-European Food 2030 multi-actor and public engagement mechanism and operationalizing an interlinked multi-level structure of connected Policy Labs and Living Labs, CLEVERFOOD will pave the way for a more regenerative, resilient and plant-based food system.

To read the article: CLEVERFOOD: New project to transform the EU food system and here Connected Labs for Empowering Versatile Engagement in Radical Food system transformation

Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods may be linked to an increased risk of developing and dying from cancer, an Imperial-led study suggests.

Researchers from Imperial’s School of Public Health have produced the most comprehensive assessment to date of the association between ultra-processed foods and the risk of developing cancers. Ultra-processed foods are food items which have been heavily processed during their production, such as fizzy drinks, mass-produced packaged breads, many ready meals and most breakfast cereals.

Ultra-processed foods are often relatively cheap, convenient, and heavily marketed, often as healthy options. But these foods are also generally higher in salt, fat, sugar, and contain artificial additives. It is now well documented that they are linked with a range of poor health outcomes including obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

To read the article: Ultra-processed foods may be linked to increased risk of cancer

The heads of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank Group (WBG), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) called for rescuing “hunger hotspots” and facilitating trade, among other measures.  They advised countries to balance short-term urgent interventions with longer-term resilience efforts.   

Food inflation remains high in the wake of shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate emergency, Russia’s war in Ukraine, supply chain disruptions and rising interest rates, they said in a statement – their third since July. 

Nearly 350 million people across 79 countries are acutely food insecure, and undernourishment is on the rise. 

The situation is expected to worsen, with global food supplies projected to drop to a three-year low. 

The need is especially dire in 24 countries identified as hunger hotspots, 16 of which are in Africa. 

To read the post: Continued urgent action needed to prevent food and nutrition crisis from worsening

Successful Recipe book launch in Santhal Parganas, India. This was the culmination of a series of workshops and fieldwork in Jharkhand led by @nityarao63 (@developmentuea) and NGO colleagues in India (@CAFIndia_tweets @PRADAN_India ) in collaboration on nutrition and health aspects with @profsumantraray, @nnedpro and its India and MTK teams leading to a nutritionally reformulated Santhal cookbook.

Nutrition is a fundamental tenet of good health, and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the need for urgent attention to ensuring sustainable food systems and access to nutrition care.¹ This perspective article presents critical actions required for the legitimate incorporation of evidence-based nutrition concepts in medical education programs, including:

• to cultivate a shift in medical education principles to embrace health promotion and disease prevention, including nutrition;
• to identify the essential nutrition knowledge and skills required in medical education programs; and
• to revise accreditation standards to include a mandated framework of minimum nutrition standards to underpin preventive care and treatment of disease.

To read the paper: Now is the time to act on nutrition in medical education

Behaviour change science is a component of health psychology and behavioural medicine that focuses on the mechanisms and processes that explain how individuals and groups deliberately change their behaviours.

The application of behaviour change science is fundamental to the role of dieticians. There is room for improvement in the dietetics curiccula for the topic throughout AUS and NZ.

Read the paper here: Is there enough behaviour change science in nutritionand dietetics curricula in Australia and New Zealand?A descriptive study

“You are what your mother ate” is the concise summary Roseboom, Director of Amsterdam Reproduction & Development and Professor of Early Development and Health at the Amsterdam UMC, gave when she presented her PhD research in 2000.³ The study she worked on was one of the first inklings of the importance of prenatal nutrition, and the lasting effects maternal malnutrition has on the child. 

For her PhD, she assessed the effect of prenatal exposure to maternal malnutrition on coronary heart disease in people born around the Dutch famine, 1944-45. This famine, known in the Netherlands as the Hongerwinter (literal translation: hunger winter), took place in the German-occupied Netherlands, especially in the densely populated western provinces, during the winter and spring of 1944-45, near the end of World War II.⁴

Roseboom studied over 700 babies born between November 1943 and February 1947.⁵ Their birth records were preserved for decades in the attic of a hospital and were so surprisingly accurate that fifty years later, she could trace almost all babies from them. Nowhere in the world is hunger so well documented as in those records.⁶

To read the article visit: Are we what our mothers eat?

Food safety beliefs are not always science based.

The results show that a large share of the population believe in food safety myths, in the worst cases more than 70% report to believe myths to be facts and believing in many of these myths correlates positively with gastroenteritis incidences and prevalence. The largest correlations are observed for unscientific beliefs about eggs (such as storing eggs at room temperature and eating raw eggs to cure hangover), bacteria inactivation (that a wooden cutting board, and chili, wasabi and marinades kills bacteria), that vegetarians don't get food poisoning, and that eating dirt and having a diarrhea is good since it cleans up the stomach. In the discussion, we explain the negative consequences by linking the food safety myths to science-based food safety knowledge.

This is the first study linking unscientific beliefs to gastroenteritis. Future studies need to investigate the mechanisms explaining why beliefs in food safety myths correlate with gastroenteritis incidences and prevalence. Studies investigating behavior change methods, including but not limited to correcting false beliefs are also needed.

To read the paper, go to Food safety myths consequences for health: A study of reported gastroenteritis incidence and prevalence in UK, Norway and Germany

Healthier, more nutritious foods tend to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly than those with low nutritional value, finds an analysis of more than 57,000 food items sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The mammoth study, published on 8 August in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences1, is among the first to estimate the environmental impact of products made of multiple ingredients, rather than only individual foods. This information could help consumers to understand how items compare in terms of both nutrition and sustainability, says co-author Michael Clark, an environmental scientist at the University of Oxford, UK.

“What’s good for one is generally good for the other,” says Clark. “You don’t have to make a choice that’s good for the environment but might negatively impact your health.”

To read the article, go to: Healthier foods are better for the planet, mammoth study finds

A modest cut of just 1 g in daily salt intake could ward off nearly 9 million cases of heart disease and strokes and save 4 million lives by 2030, suggest the estimates of a modelling study published in the open access journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.

Salt intake in China is one of the highest in the world, averaging 11 g/day—over twice the maximum recommended amount. High salt intake drives up blood pressure and therefore the risk of cardiovascular disease, which accounts for 40% of all deaths in China every year.

The researchers set out to estimate the health gains that could be achieved by reducing salt intake across the nation, with the aim of helping to inform the development of a doable salt reduction programme.

They compiled the latest and most reliable figures for population size, salt intake, blood pressure and disease rates by region and age and then estimated the impact on cardiovascular health for 3 different approaches.

The first of these was a 1 g/day reduction in salt intake to be achieved within 1 year. The second was the WHO’s interim target of a 30% reduction by 2025—equivalent to a gradual reduction of 3.2 g/day.

The third was reducing salt intake to less than 5 g/day by 2030, the target set by the Chinese government in its action plan for health and development, ‘Healthy China 2030’.

To read the article, click here: 1 g cut in daily salt intake could ward off nearly 9 million cases of stroke/heart disease in China

Connections between food security and nutrition (FSN) and mental health have been analytically investigated, but conclusions are difficult to draw given the breadth of literature. Furthermore, there is little guidance for continued research. We searched three databases for analytical studies linking FSN to mental health. Out of 30,896 records, we characterized and mapped 1945 studies onto an interactive Evidence and Gap Map (EGM). In these studies, anthropometry (especially BMI) and diets were most linked to mental health (predominantly depression). There were fewer studies on infant and young child feeding, birth outcomes, and nutrient biomarkers related to anxiety, stress, and mental well-being. Two-thirds of studies hypothesized FSN measures as the exposure influencing mental health outcomes. Most studies were observational, followed by systematic reviews as the next largest category of study. One-third of studies were carried out in low- and middle-income countries. This map visualizes the extent and nature of analytical studies relating FSN to mental health and may be useful in guiding future research.

To read the paper, click here: Systematic evidence and gap map of research linking food security and nutrition to mental health

 Research published by the Food Standards Agency indicates that the top three food-related concerns amongst consumers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are food waste, the amount of sugar in food, and animal welfare, with over half of respondents reporting that they are concerned about each of these issues.

Food and You 2, the FSA’s flagship consumer survey, also shows that two in five of us say we’ve eaten less processed food in the past year, and are trying to cut down on food waste.

The survey is an official statistic and measures self-reported knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to food safety and other food issues amongst adults in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland twice a year.

This latest survey was conducted between October 2021 and January 2022 and provides rich and high quality data on what people think, feel and do when it comes to food.

Key findings 

Confidence in food safety, authenticity and the food supply chain  

• Most respondents (92%) reported that they were confident that the food they buy is safe to eat and more than 8 in 10 (86%) respondents were confident that the information on food labels is accurate 
• Around three quarters of respondents (76%) reported that they had confidence in the food supply chain 
• Respondents were more likely to report confidence in farmers (88%) and shops and supermarkets (85%) than in takeaways (61%), and food delivery services (45%) 

Concerns about food  

• Most respondents (86%) had no concerns about the food they eat 
• When prompted, the most common concerns amongst all respondents were food waste (63%), the amount of sugar in food (59%) and animal welfare (56%)

Food security  

• Across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, 82% of respondents were classified as food secure (70% high, 12% marginal) and 18% of respondents were classified as food insecure (10% low, 7% very low) 

Eating out and takeaways 

• Around half of respondents had eaten food in a restaurant (53%), from a café, coffee shop or sandwich shop (either to eat in or to take out) (52%) or ordered a takeaway directly from a takeaway shop or restaurant (50%) in the previous 4 weeks 
• Over a third of respondents had eaten food from a fast-food outlet (either to eat in or take out) (38%) or ordered a takeaway from an online food delivery company (for example, Just Eat, Deliveroo, Uber Eats) (35%) in the previous 4 weeks  
• Most respondents (89%) had heard of the FHRS and around 4 in 10 (41%) respondents reported checking the food hygiene rating of a business in the previous 12 months  

Food allergies, intolerances and other hypersensitivities  

• Just over 1 in 10 (12%) respondents reported that they had a food intolerance, 4% reported having a food allergy, and 1% reported having coeliac disease 
• Of the respondents who reported having a food allergy, the most common foods reported as causing a reaction were peanuts (26%) and fruit (24%) 
• Of the respondents who reported having a food intolerance, the most common foods reported as causing a reaction were cow’s milk and products made with cow’s milk (41%) and cereals containing gluten (19%) 

Eating at home 

• Over two thirds (69%) of respondents identified the use-by date as the information which shows that food is no longer safe to eat 
• Around two-thirds (67%) of respondents reported that they always check use-by dates before they cook or prepare food 
• Over half of respondents (56%) reported that they never wash raw chicken, whilst 40% of respondents wash raw chicken at least occasionally 

Food shopping: sustainability and environmental impact  

• Half (50%) of respondents thought that eating less processed food and 47% thought that minimising food waste contributed most to someone having a sustainable diet  
• Most (59%) respondents thought that buying locally produced food or food that is in season contributed most to someone making sustainable food shopping choices  

Sustainable diets, meat alternatives and genetic technologies  

• The most common changes respondents reported making in the previous 12 months were eating less processed food (40%) and starting to minimise food waste (40%)
• Around a third (32%) of respondents reported that they currently eat meat alternatives, 21% of respondents reported that they used to eat meat alternatives but no longer do and 39% of respondents reported that they had never eaten meat alternatives 
• Respondents reported greater awareness and knowledge of genetically modified (GM) food (9% had never heard of GM food) than gene-edited or genome-edited food (GE) (42% had never heard of GE food) 

Awareness, trust and confidence in the FSA 

• Around three quarters (77%) of respondents who had at least some knowledge of the FSA reported that they trusted the FSA to make sure ‘food is safe and what it says it is’ 

Read full report.

• A new study finds that exercising to make up for eating poorly doesn’t really work in terms of lowering mortality risks.
• Similarly, eating well but remaining inactive may help lower your risk of dying from certain cancers to a degree, but does nothing for all-cause or cardiovascular disease mortality, the researchers found.
• Researchers also observed that those who exercised the most and consumed the healthiest food significantly reduced their risk of dying from all causes, from cardiovascular disease, or from certain cancers.

There has been a lot of conversation — and a great deal of research — attempting to determine whether exercise or a healthy diet is more important for longevity. A new study led by researchers from the University of Sydney in Australia analyzing UK Biobank data may provide the answer.

Researchers found that people who engaged in high levels of physical activity and also ate a high quality diet had lower mortality risks.

For anyone who believed that one can exercise away poor dietary choices, this study suggests otherwise.

People who engage in one or the other lowered the risk of mortality to a lesser degree. Study corresponding author, associate professor Dr. Melody Ding, told Medical News Today:

“These groups still do better (and statistically significant) than the group with poor diet and lowest physical activity, but the group with the best diet and moderate or high physical activity levels do the best!”

The study focused on deaths due to all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and adiposity-related (PDAR) cancersTrusted Source.

Cardiology dietician Michelle Routhenstein, who specializes in heart health, and was not involved in the study, told MNT:

“The study results are no surprise to me. Many people have come to see me in my private practice after suffering a heart attack when training for their fourth or fifth marathon, or right after doing a CrossFit exercise.”

To read the article: You can't exercise away poor dietary choices, study finds

What’s the difference between a ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ date on my food labels? Are there food hygiene rules I should stick to at home to keep my family safe? Should I be concerned about food additives? These are some of the questions asked by European consumers that the #EUChooseSafeFood campaign has been answering by translating the science behind EU food safety. Building on a successful first phase, a second year of the campaign has been launched to cover a range of new topics.   

Helping consumers to make informed decisions about everyday food choices is what the #EUChooseSafeFood campaign is all about. The EU-wide campaign offers practical and accessible information to consumers to use when they buy and consume food - from helping to read labels and understand additives, to providing advice on food preparation and storage. Launched on 16th May, the second year of the campaign builds on the first by expanding the range of topics consumers can learn about, with plant health, novel foods, and food supplements newly added to the mix.

EFSA’s Executive Director, Bernhard Url, welcomed the launch of the campaign: “Consumers in the EU can be fully confident that the food they put on their tables is safe. 

#EUChooseSafeFood is an important example of our partnership with national food safety authorities, and our cooperation with consumer organisations, food producers and civil society."

Primarily targeting 25 to 45-year-old European citizens, the campaign will also explain EFSA’s role in contributing to European legislation that protects consumers and the entire food chain.

An #EUChooseSafeFood toolkit including visuals, short films and social media posts in different languages is available on the campaign website, making it easy for national authorities and associations to get involved in the campaign.

For further information visit the #EUChooseSafeFood website.

Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. We maintain this deficit by liquidating stocks of ecological resources and accumulating waste, primarily carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Earth Overshoot Day is hosted and calculated by Global Footprint Network, an international research organization that provides decision-makers with a menu of tools to help the human economy operate within Earth’s ecological limits.

To determine the date of Earth Overshoot Day for each year, Global Footprint Network calculates the number of days of that year that Earth’s biocapacity suffices to provide for humanity’s Ecological Footprint. The remainder of the year corresponds to global overshoot. Earth Overshoot Day is computed by dividing the planet’s biocapacity (the amount of ecological resources Earth is able to generate that year), by humanity’s Ecological Footprint (humanity’s demand for that year), and multiplying by 365, the number of days in a year:

(Earth’s Biocapacity / Humanity’s Ecological Footprint) x 365 = Earth Overshoot Day

Earth Overshoot Day 2022 lands on July 28. Learn more about how the 2022 date was calculated.

“The consequences of our ecological overshoot include global deforestation, biodiversity loss, collapse of fish stocks, water scarcity, soil erosion, air pollution, and climate change leading to more frequent extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and wildfires. These threats in turn bring about tensions and conflicts, and exacerbate global inequalities,” WWF said.

The EU and its member states now have the opportunity to bring their Ecological Footprint in balance with the planet’s biological resources by setting the right priorities and implementing the right policies – such as fully protecting and restoring nature in Europe by 2030 and making the EU climate neutral by 2040, according to WWF.

Explore and download the data at KNOWLEDGE FOR POLICY Supporting policy with scientific evidence and  data.footprintnetwork.org.

Starting babies and toddlers on a lower protein Nordic-style diet with a greater focus on plant-based food may be the key to healthier eating habits, according to new research1 being presented today at the 54th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN).

Babies fed taster portions of the new Nordic diet of fruit, berries, roots, and vegetables, as well as breast or formula milk, from the age of 4-6 months of age, were eating almost double the number of vegetables (46% more), than those fed a conventional diet, by 18 months of age.

Researchers from the University of Umeå, Sweden, Stockholm County Council Centre for Epidemiology, and the University of California, USA, followed two groups of babies from 4-6 months through to 18 months, as part of the OTIS trial (see editor’s notes below). A total of 250 babies took part and 82% completed the trial.

To read the article: Nordic lower-protein diet could hold key to instilling healthier eating habits in babies, new study finds

 The number of people affected by hunger globally rose to as many as 828 million in 2021, an increase of about 46 million since 2020 and 150 million since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic ⁽¹⁾, according to a United Nations report that provides fresh evidence that the world is moving further away from its goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. 

The 2022 edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report presents updates on the food security and nutrition situation around the world, including the latest estimates of the cost and affordability of a healthy diet. The report also looks at ways in which governments can repurpose their current support to agriculture to reduce the cost of healthy diets, mindful of the limited public resources available in many parts of the world.

To read the article: UN Report: Global hunger numbers rose to as many as 828 million in 2021

Making smart food choices is an important part of healthy aging. Understanding the different food groups — and how much of each should make up your diet — can help you form a healthy eating pattern over time. This article describes the main food groups and other important nutrients recommended for older adults in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (PDF, 30.6M). We also provide suggestions for how to fit occasional treats into your healthy eating pattern.

It is important to get the recommended amount of each food group without going over your daily recommended calories. Keep in mind that the amount you should eat to maintain your weight depends on your age, sex, and level of physical activity.

To read the article please visit: Healthy Eating As You Age: Know Your Food Groups

Unhealthy diets represent a major risk for the pathogenesis of metabolic and chronic inflammatory diseases. Improving the quality of diet is important to prevent chronic diseases, and diet-induced modifications of the gut microbiota (GM) community likely play an important role. The EU-funded Stance4Health project aims at performing a randomized clinical trial based on a nutritional intervention program in the context of normal weight and overweight adults as well as children with obesity and gluten-related disorders or allergy/intolerance to cow’s milk. The trial will evaluate the efficacy of a Smart Personalised Nutrition (SPN) service in modifying GM composition and metabolic function and improving consumer empowerment through technology adoption.

To read the paper: Paper

Keywords: gut microbiota; personalized nutrition; Stance4Health; i-Diet Stance4Health; overweight;
obesity; coeliac disease; food allergies; adults; children

The March edition of the JRC's Anomaly Hotspots of Agricultural Production (ASAP) assessment is now available at: Anomaly Hotspots of Agricultural Production (ASAP) assessment

Main findings of the March global overview:

• In Southern Africa, a rainfall deficit that started in February in central and eastern parts of the region, continued to affect the eastern part of the region at the beginning of March. Rainfall improved in mid-March, however tropical storms Ana and Gombe and October-December drought impacts are lowering national cereal productions. On the contrary, an above-average output is forecast in South Africa, in Eswatini and Lesotho.
• In East Africa, there is increasing concern that the region will experience the fourth consecutive poor rainfall season during March-May 2022 rains. Cumulated Copernicus C3S multi-model rainfall forecasts for April-June show a high probability of a drier than average period for the Horn and wetter than average conditions for South Sudan, Western Kenya, Ethiopian Highlands and Uganda. The pressure on food security caused by the exceptionally prolonged drought appears even more threatening with the increase in food prices and the challenges of small-scale farmers to access fertiliser. A high number of people in the region (45-55 million) need humanitarian food and nutrition assistance to prevent Crisis or worse outcomes between January and May 2022 (FEWSNET).
• In North Africa, the winter cereal season is suffering from drought stress and rainfall in March came in most cases too late for crop recovery. In Morocco and in western Algeria reduced yields can be expected (see more on yield forecasts in the latest MARS bulletin). A low winter wheat production in one or more countries in North Africa is of particular concern with the expected food price inflation linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Similarly, in the Middle East, prospects for winter cereals are poor in the north of Syria and north and east of Iraq due to poor rainfall and poor socio-economic conditions since autumn 2021. In contrast, biomass of winter crops is still close to average in Iran and in Yemen land preparation is ongoing under favourable conditions.
• In West Africa, land preparation and sowing activities for the first maize season are starting in the southern bimodal parts of the region along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea with the onset of seasonal rains in March. Rainfall conditions were average over the past month; however slightly below-average vegetation conditions are observed in southern Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and parts of Cote d’Ivoire. The food security situation is very deteriorated in the region with about 38.3 million people forecast to be in crisis (CH Phase 3) and above by June-August 2022 if no action is taken according to the latest CH analyses in March 2022 (PREGEC communique-March 2022).
• In Central Asia, biomass of winter crops is close to or above-average, however with below-average rainfall forecast for the next 3 months, irrigation will be critical for crop production. In Afghanistan, biomass of winter cereals is close to average in most regions, however a very large part of the population (up to 95%) suffers from food insecurity. In South Asia, prospects are favourable for Rabi crops (winter cereals) and Boro rice in Pakistan and Bangladesh respectively. In Sri Lanka, harvest of main season (Maha) rice and maize has been finalised with close to average prospects; however, fertiliser and fuel shortages are likely to decrease production.
• In South-East Asia, dry season rice is growing under favourable conditions and prospects are positive. In Indonesia, wet season rice planted from November to March is in good condition thanks to favourable rainfall.
• In Central America, harvest of third season maize-beans (Apante-Postrera tardia) concluded with average production for the region (). The overall 2021 cereal production is close to the 5-year average, with Honduras and Nicaragua slightly below. Total cereal output is estimated below the 5-year average for Haiti. Land preparation has started for the main season in Guatemala and Honduras, whereas rice is in the growing stage in Nicaragua (irrigated-main) and in Honduras (second season). In the Caribbean, sowing of main season maize and rice has started under favourable conditions, except in parts of Cuba.

To visit the ASAP tool developed by the JRC visit ASAP - ANOMALY HOTSPOTS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION