Novel Foods: Assessing their Role in the Future of Food in the EU

Christina-Ariadni Valagkouti, EuroFIR AISBL; 22/08/2024

As the global population continues to grow, the need for sustainable, affordable, and nutritious foods is more urgent. Novel foods, developed using advanced scientific methods, are designed to be more environmentally friendly and efficient. Nonetheless, there are concerns about their long-term sustainability, scalability, and safety as well as consumer acceptance. Read more

Reducing Food Waste: Strategies for a Sustainable Future

Christina-Ariadni Valagkouti, EuroFIR AISBL; 13/08/2024

Food waste is a critical issue that impacts not only the environment but also the global economy and food security. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that nearly one-third of all food produced worldwide is lost (in the field) or wasted subsequently at every stage from production and processing to retail and consumption. This has significant environmental consequences, including the unnecessary use of water and land resources. Read more

The need of Branded Food Composition Databases: Opportunities and challenges

Stephania Xanthopoulou, EuroFIR AISBL; 10/07/2024

Modern diets are increasingly rich in processed products. Almost two thirds of the food supply consist of packaged foods but, until now, most national food composition datasets have focused on generic foods that cannot reflect the unique characteristics of branded products. For instance, in the market, the term “Granola” can refer to a wide range of products with vastly different nutritional characteristics, as recipes and ingredients vary significantly across brands. Read more

Hidden Hunger: Micronutrient Deficiencies

Christina-Ariadni Valagkouti, EuroFIR AISBL

Hidden hunger is a term describing a deficiency in vitamins and minerals, rather than energy. This example of malnutrition affects millions worldwide including those in developed countries and are over-weight or obese. It easily goes unnoticed and has far-reaching consequences. Read more

The role of PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) certifications

Christina-Ariadni Valagkouti, EuroFIR AISBL

PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) certifications play crucial roles in preserving the European Union’s culinary heritage. These designations of regional identity ensure product authenticity and exceptional quality. Read more

How can research and innovation can support change towards a just, fair and inclusive food system? Event report of the Food2030 Network Conference

Dr. Sian Astley, Secrétaire Générale

Food2030 Network conference (5-7^th March 2024, Brussels) brought together representatives from the 2030 projects including Data4Food and WASTELESS. The aim was to promote more collaborative approaches towards food transformation, under the auspices of the Belgian EU Presidency, which started this month. Read more

Untangling Complexity – A Summer School Report. Thinking and modelling systems-oriented solutions for sustainability

Stefano Guzzo Bonifacio, EIT Food RIS Fellow 

During September, (12-16th), I attended a summer school, “Thinking and modelling systems-oriented solutions for sustainability”, organised by System Dynamics Italian Chapter with Fondazione Alessandro Volta (Villa del Grumello, Como – IT). Read more

EuroFIR’s European Commission Public Consultations

Through the initiative “Have your say”, the European Commission seeks the opinions of experts, those with lay knowledge, or an opinion about a range of topics. Their objective is to gather as much information as possible before formulating policy, which increases the likelihood of success. EuroFIR has many things to say about food, nutrition, and health, but we are also politically neutral. Read more

EU Chooses Safe Food

No matter what our food preferences are, one thing we have in common is that we all want our food to be safe. Talking about food safety, and the systems in place to achieve this, is important to reduce unfounded fears about food safety and help us to understand what we can do to contribute. Read more

Making plant-based an everyday choice

As suggested by the name, a plant-based diet focuses on foods primarily from plants, which includes not only fruits and vegetables but also nuts, seeds, oils, grains and legumes. Whether a plant-based diet is healthier than one including meat is still under discussion. However, reducing consumption of red meat and eating a diet rich in plant-based foods are associated with health benefits; plant-based diets also have the potential to help combat global warming by reducing the consumption of precious resources including water. Read more

World Diabetes Day!

On this day, 129 years ago, Sir Frederick Grant Banting was born. He would later co-discover insulin with Charles Bent. In 1991, World Diabetes Day was created by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and WHO. This year’s theme is The Nurse and Diabetes, but the aim remains the same- to raise awareness about the disease and those who live with it. Read more

Food label information

In past decades the numbers of food stuffs available in supermarkets have increased considerably. Purchasing groceries is a common activity, and yet understanding exactly what we buy can sometimes be tricky and information on food labels can feel overwhelming. While it is not always easy, there are reliable sources that can provide you with key information. Read more