HDHL at the 14th European Nutrition Congress hosted by FENS

Calder's commendation highlights the conference's achievement in seamlessly integrating established and contemporary facets of nutritional science. With its main theme focused on "Food, Nutrition, and Health: Translating Science into Practice. Notably, HDHL, with its pronounced emphasis on health and nutrition and growing relevance to the science-to-policy interface, was prominently represented throughout the conference, further underscoring its significance in these critical domains.

Several HDHL Scientific Advisory Board and HDHL Stakholder Advisory Board members were involved in one of the plenary, special and award lectures, and scientific symposia. There were also ample opportunities for early career researchers to present their findings through oral and poster communications with excellent and well-attended training and networking opportunities.

Specifically, there was a symposium within the track “Nutrition across the life course” on the “Prevention of age-related malnutrition and functional decline” organized by projects funded through HDHL. The projects FORTIPHY, APPETITE, and PROMED-EX Trial share a common focus on addressing the nutritional needs of older adults to prevent undernutrition and promote overall health. 

• FORTIPHY aims to enhance the caloric and protein intake of older small eaters by developing solutions to fortify regular meals and implementing an easy-to-follow physical activity program.
• APPETITE focuses on older adults with poor appetite, recognizing its role as a key driver of food intake, and proposes innovative solutions involving plant protein, fiber, and physical activity to prevent undernutrition.
• The PROMED-EX Trial seeks to understand the relationship between the Mediterranean diet, physical activity, and healthy neurocognitive aging in older adults.

All three projects emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration, involving scientists from various disciplines such as food science, technology, nutrition, sensory science, and consumer behavior. Furthermore, user involvement, particularly of older individuals and caregivers, is prioritized in the innovation process to ensure the practicality and relevance of the proposed solutions. Sulmot-Rossé highlights: "The key to success is involving older people in product development through a co-creation approach."