Estimating glycemic impact of cooking recipes via online crowdsourcing and machine learning

National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore under its International Research Centres in Singapore Funding Initiativ

7th International ISEKI-Food Conference: next-generation of food research, education and industry. Book of abstracts

As part of its mission, ISEKI-Food Association establishes and maintains a network among universities, research institutions, and companies in the food chain in addition to working to ensure that food studies are of high quality. However, we must also begin planning how to gear science, education, and the food industry to meet the needs of future generations as well as how to contribute to the sustainability of our planet by these food actors. In light of this, the 7th International ISEKI-Food Conference, which had as main theme “NEXT-GENERATION OF FOOD RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY”, focused on future challenges in education on food science and technology, in research activities related to processing, quality and safety, packaging of foods and in societal engagements in the field divided in three main sections: EDUCATION: CHALLENGES OF EDUCATION IN A CHANGING WORLD; RESEARCH: NEXT GENERATION OF FOODS; and SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT: SOCIETY AND FOOD INDUSTRY. The conference was dedicated to all food actors, creating bridges among them. The delegates had the opportunity to exchange new ideas and experiences face to face, to establish business or research relations, and find global partners for future collaborations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Advancing Dietetic Practice through the Implementation and Integration of Smartphone Apps

As the burden of obesity and its related chronic diseases grows, dietitians have integral roles in providing individualised medical nutrition therapy. Smartphone mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) have potential to support and extend reach of dietetic services. This thesis examines how mHealth apps could be implemented and integrated by dietitians to advance nutrition care. Based on a narrative review of current evidence, the novel mobile Nutrition Care Process grid was developed, providing dietitians with best-practice guidance for using mHealth apps across the nutrition care process. Surveying dietitians internationally revealed that 62% used mHealth apps in their practice, although primarily as an information resource and for patient self-monitoring rather than as an integral part of the nutrition care process. Similarly, the public used commercial health and fitness apps, such as MyFitnessPal, to track health behaviours. However, individuals performed suboptimally when using MyFitnessPal to track dietary intake, with the app underestimating mean energy intake by -1863kJ (SD=2952kJ, P=0.0002) compared to 24-hour recalls. Qualitative feedback from dietitians, the public and patients are presented to guide app developers in designing quality mHealth apps. A behavioural analysis was conducted using the COM-B model and intervention recommendations were formulated to facilitate uptake of mHealth apps into dietetic practice. These recommendations were incorporated into a two-phase intervention comprising of an educational and training workshop and a 12-week phase where dietitians used an integrated commercial app platform with their patients. The intervention was found to be feasible to deliver and improved dietitians’ mHealth app self-efficacy. There is translational potential for this intervention to equip the profession with greater capability, opportunity, motivation and self-efficacy to use mHealth apps in dietetic practice and in patient nutrition care

Data collection and analysis tools for food security and nutrition. Towards enhancing effective, inclusive, evidence-informed, decision making

Throughout the world, high-quality, timely and relevant data are key to inform actions that promote better access to food and improved nutrition. • Despite the abundant and growing availability of data and information relevant to food security and nutrition, often policymakers are not aware of the existence and relevance of such data or do not use them appropriately, due to challenges at each step of the data cycle, which includes: defining priorities and data needs; reviewing, consolidating, collecting and curating data; analyzing the data using appropriate tools; translating data into relevant insights to be disseminated and discussed; and, finally, using data for decision-making. • Fundamental data gaps still exist to correctly guide action and inform policymaking, especially in terms of timely and sufficiently granular data on people’s ability to locally produce and access food, on their actual food and nutrient consumption, and on their nutritional status. Increased and sustained financial investment is needed to overcome these gaps. • Several other constraints limit the effectiveness of data-informed policy action, especially in low-resource countries. Key among them is the low level of data literacy and analysis skills (for both qualitative and quantitative data) on the part of data and information users at all levels – from data collectors and analysts, to decision-makers, and to the people, as the ultimate beneficiaries of food security and nutrition policies. • The complexity of the system of public and private actors and institutions involved in food security and nutrition data, coupled with the rapidly changing characteristics of today’s data ecosystems due to the digital revolution and the pervasiveness of the internet, brings to centre stage the need for global coordination to improve data governance. Particularly urgent is the need to reach agreement on the nature of FSN data and information as a public good, and, on that basis, to establish a global legal framework that allows for the broadest possible circulation of relevant information, while preserving the rights of the people to whom the data ultimately belongs

Innovations in the Food System: Exploring the Future of Food

Innovations in Food Systems should be: Inclusive: ensuring economic and social inclusion for all food system actors, especially smallholders, women, and youth; Sustainable: minimizing negative environmental impacts, conserving scarce natural resources, and strengthening resiliency against future shocks; Efficient: producing adequate quantities of food for global needs while minimizing postharvest loss and consumer waste; Nutritious and healthy: enabling the consumption of a diverse range of healthy, nutritious, and safe foods. These are ambitious goals that will require multidisciplinary effort—from engineering to life sciences, biotechnology, medical sciences, social sciences, and economic sciences. New technologies and scientific discoveries are the solutions to the increasing demand for sufficient, safe, healthy, and sustainable foods influenced by the increased public awareness of their importance