What is in our food and how does it affect our health and life? Is what we are eating safe? Is it of good quality? That was the theme for the seminar MoniQA arranged together with eight other EU projects in CommNet during EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) in Turin in July.
Professor Adriana Maggi from the University of Milan spoke about European baby food, which is in general of a very high quality but questions remains concerning soy-based baby food: what will happen in long term when feeding babies with high oestrogen food?
Gabriella Morini, from University of Gastronomic Science, spoke about our preferences for fruits and vegetables, and how by exposing babies and toddlers to a wide range of tastes this can be achieved.
Professor Irene Cetin from University of Milan spoke about the timing of micronutrient intake during pregnancy and how this affects both the outcome of pregnancy and the nature of adult diseases.
Food concerns and affects us all, but few of us have a real understanding of its impact at each stage of life.
“We definitely have to dare ask the key questions - how safe is our food and how best to eat what and when to support improving our well-being,” says Rhonda Smith, CommNet member and communication expert who chaired the session.
More and better communication on the risks and benefits of certain food was also something asked for.
"That is why we are here,” says Jill Jönsson, chair of CommNet. “We are a network of communicators in food projects; we have a passion for food science and for spreading the latest food research results.”
Together with CommNet MoniQA also had a booth at ESOF2010, where participants had the opportunity to give their views on pasta - is it a quality, safe and healthy food? Scientists and communicators attended to answer questions of the visitors at the stand. ESOF participants also had the opportunity to give their view of healthy and safe food, via a questionnaire on pasta.
ESOF is Europe’s largest meeting place for researchers, stakeholders, students and science journalists. This year's event had more than 4000 participants. The next conference will take place in Dublin, Ireland in July 2012.
More information
CommNet website: www.commnet.eu
ESOF2010 website: http://www.esof2010.org/
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