Food chemistry, nutrition and health, circular economy and future food sustainability

This CIVIS online course will focus on food chemistry, nutrition and health. Participants will have the opportunity to hear about major food categories and how daily food intake can have a positive or negative impact on consumers’ health. Information on the efforts that have been made so far understanding the contribution of the genotype (G), environment (E), and genotype and environment interaction (G x E) effects on the nutritional quality of crops, bioactive compounds and artificial compounds, daily consumed beverages and their impact on health will be presented.

The course will also address aspects of human nutrition and in particular assessment of micronutrient status in health and disease and the interaction between food, diet, and nutritional therapies with the human gut microbiome. The preservation of foods by organic compounds will be presented along with future perspectives for improving biotechnological processes. Last but not least, the course will present how metabolomics are utilised in food and nutrition research.

Main topics addressed

• Study of food bioactivity: how to connect food chemistry with nutrition
• Gut microbiome and diet interactions in health and disease
• Organic alternatives for manufacturing and preserving food products
• Coffee and caffeine
• The environment and genotype as key factors determining the nutritional quality of crops
• Assessment of micronutrients in health and disease
• Aloe plant: health benefits or consumption risks
• Flavours in food chemistry, natural and synthetic compounds
• Metabolomics in food and nutrition research
• Plant anthocyanins & stroke

Learning outcomes

• How daily food intake can have a positive or negative impact on consumer’s health
• Understand the contribution of the genotype (G), environment (E), and genotype and environment interaction (G x E) effects on the nutritional quality of crops, bioactive compounds and artificial compounds
• Daily consumed beverages and their impact on health
• About the interaction between food, diet, and nutritional therapies with the human gut microbiome
• Preservation of foods by organic compounds
• Future perspectives for improving biotechnological processes
• Role of bioactive compounds in human health
• Utilization of metabolomics in Food and Nutrition Research