Lyngby, Denmark
27/11/2024
Denmark Technical University

About the event
Welcome to the 2024 ILSI Europe Annual Symposium (IEAS): "Nourishing Resilience: Adapting to Global Changes and Future Food Landscape." IEAS is a gathering of experts from around the world who meet to shed light on the current and future challenges in food safety, nutrition and sustainability. It is also an opportunity for experts from academia, industry and public sector to take part in the debate around those topics and create connections.
Join us on 27 November in Lyngby as we explore global changes challenges faced by the food system, nutrition solutions for healthy ageing, innovations for sustainability and resilience, and our future food landscape. Take part in an interactive panel discussion on food safety, expand your knowledge and forge collaborations during this unique networking opportunity.
This year, we organise our Annual Symposium jointly with our Early Career Scientists event, in collaboration with DTU Skylab from Denmark Technical University. Registration gives you access to both days.
Registration
Registration for the Annual Symposium is also valid for the Early Career Scientists Event.
Super early bird registration rates are valid until 1 June 2024.
Early bird registration rates are valid until 30 Septembre 2024.
If you have any questions regarding registration, please contact Hugo Costa (hcosta@ilsieurope.be).
Programme
Below, you will find the detailed programme for ILSI Europe Annual Symposium.
To find the detailed programme for the Early Career Scientists Event, click here.
To download the full prgramme, click here.
8:45 - 9:15
9:15 - 9:30
Registration
Welcome
Welcome note by Christine Nellemann, Dean of of Sustainability, Diversity, Inclusion and International Collaboration at Technical University of Denmark (DK)
Introduction to the Symposium by Isabelle Guelinckx, Executive and Scientific Director of ILSI Europe (BE)
09:30 - 10:20
Session 5 - Intelligent Manufacturing in the Food and Drink Sector: Opportunities and Challenges of Applied AI
Keynote Speaker: Alex Shenfield, Professor of Machine Learning, Sheffield Hallam University (UK)
10:20 - 11:00
Networking Break & Poster Session
11:00 - 12:30
Session 6a - Forever Young: Exploring Solutions for Healthy Aging and Nutrition
The pace of population ageing is accelerating. The proportion of the world's population over 60 years will continue to grow in the upcoming years. This prolonged lifespan is accompanied by an upsurge in chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, cancer, sarcopenia, and degenerative conditions. Could ageing processes be delayed by intervention earlier in life? Research has revealed the connections between dietary quality and life expectancy, as well as the potential benefits of interventions such as caloric restriction, micronutrient supplementation, and consumption of antioxidants and functional foods. Additionally, incorporating sustainability in the pursuit of understanding ageing mechanisms and developing nutritional strategies aligns with a holistic vision of human and planetary health. This session proposes to explore how nutrition emerges as a natural arsenal in the fight against age-related ailments, as well as solutions that can be both effective for individuals and sustainable for generations to come.
Chair: Bruno Pot, Science Director Europe at Yakult (NL) and Chair of ILSI Europe
Speakers:
- Appetite and malnutrition in older adults. A geroscience perspective
Juan Luis Sánchez-Sánchez, Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Institute of Aging of the Gerontopole of Toulouse, CHU Toulouse-Paul Sabatier University (FR) - Vitality capacity: the cornerstone of healthy ageing
Ivan Bautmans, Head Gerontology (GERO) & Frailty in Ageing research (FRIA) departments, Vrije Universiteit Brussels (BE) - Mixed nut comsumption and brain health in older adultes
Peter J. Joris, member of the Physiology of the Human Nutrition (PHuN) Research Group at Maastricht University (NL). He is Associate Professor within the Research Institute of Nutrition and Transnational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM) - Nutrition to mitigate age-related immune decline
Philip Calder, Professor of Nutritional Immunology and Head of the School of Human Development & Health at Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton (UK
Session 6b - Panel: Innovations in Food Safety
Food safety is under pressure from climate change, emerging raw materials, circular economy, and dietary changes. An adaption of food safety management systems is needed to make them more robust towards changes and hazards. Additionally, EU Member States aim to maintain the highest levels of food safety. In order to reach these highest standards and adapt to changing environment, there is a need for greater synergy among industry, regulators and researchers to 1) discuss and identify food safety priorities, 2) develop innovative solutions and 3) implement them by all players in the food chain into practice. This session will start with a presentation of 2 EU-funded projects, called CATALYSE and FoodSafeR. Then a tripartite panel will be discuss priorities, needs and barriers in the area of food safety. The audience is of course invited to actively participate in the discussion.
Chairs: Michele Suman, Food Safety & Authenticity Research Manager at Barilla G.R. F.lli SpA (IT) & Ruchi Shah, Scientific Project Manager at ILSI Europe (BE)
Speakers:
- Presentation of the FoodSafeR Project
Michele Suman, Food Safety & Authenticity Research Manager at Barilla G.R. F.lli SpA (IT) - Presentation of the CATALYSE Project
Augustina Sarquis, Postdoctoral Researcher at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (IT) - Presentation of CATALYSE stakeholder engagement results
Ruchi Shah, Scientific Project Manager at ILSI Europe (BE)
Panelists:
- Oonagh Mc Nerney, Cofounder and CEO of IRIS Technology Solutions (ES)
- Michele Suman, Food Safety & Authenticity Research Manager at Barilla G.R. F.lli SpA (IT)
- Hermann Broll, Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung - German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (DE)
12:45 - 14:00
Lunch Break & Poster Session
14:00 - 15:30
Session 7a - Redefining Resilience: Innovations for a Sustainable Food Future
There is an urgent need for food system change to improve both health and environmental outcomes in fairer and more equitable ways. Food needs to be healthy, accessible, and affordable for all citizens. No country is completely food secure, and we all rely upon food imports and exports. Pandemics, conflict and climate change have shown that our food system is vulnerable to environmental and geo-political shocks. There is a clear need to enhance food system resilience to further crises and stresses. Many argue that food should be more expensive, that we are not paying the true cost of the food we put on our plates. Yet, at the same time, we see a rise in the use of food banks and other charitable food provision because many people in our society cannot afford to feed themselves due to the cost of living crisis. This is a dilemma which faces the food industry, policy makers and consumers. A variety of solutions are proposed though it is clear that one size does not fit all. We need to address the whole food system to ensure access to safe, nutritious food for all. Where do we start?
Chair: Sara Monteiro Pires, Senior researcher at Denmark Technical University (DTU) and Head of PhD School at DTU Food (DK)
Speakers:
- Trajectories towards healthy and sustainable food systems
Olivier Jolliet, Professor at Denmark Technical University (DK) - Navigating Volatility and Shocks: Insights and recommendations for strengthening resilience in Europe’s Food and Drink Industry
Louis Hinzen, Senior Manager for Economic Affairs, Trade & Market Access Lead at FoodDrinkEurope (BE) - Towards absolute sustainability in food production and consumption systems
Daniela C. A. Pigosso, Professor at Denmark Technical University (DK)
Session 7b - Panel: To enable effective risk analysis, is it time to update our understanding of social expectations of food safety?
This session explores the definitions of food safety in relation to societal expectations. Building on insights from recent papers developed by expert groups of the ILSI Europe "Food Allergy" and "Food Contaminants" Task Forces, we will discuss how contaminants are defined, perceived and controlled based on public concern, and how stakeholder input can shape the understanding of acceptable risk levels. The discussion will focus on the role of risk perception in determining what society deems safe, highlighting the importance of aligning food safety practices with public expectations.
Chair: Bas Blaauboer, Emeritus professor of toxicology at Utrecht University (NL)
Speakers:
- Introduction: Where have we come from, where are we now?
Dr Neil Buck, Corporate toxicologist, General Mills (UK)
- The definition of chemical contaminants in food: ambiguity and consequences
Dr Neil Buck, Corporate toxicologist, General Mills (UK) - Can we define a level of protection for allergic consumers that everyone can accept?
Charlotte Madsen, Senior Researcher Emerita at DTU (DK)
Panelists:
- Hans Verhagen, Food Safety & Nutrition Consultant (NL)
- Pernille Madsen, Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DK)
- Hermann Broll, Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung - German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (DE)
- Charlotte Madsen, Senior Researcher Emerita at DTU (DK)
- Dr Neil Buck, Corporate toxicologist, General Mills (UK)
15:30 - 16:10
Networking Break & Poster Session
16:10 - 17:50
Session 8 - Taste the Future: A Journey into Tomorrow's Food Landscape
A growing number of food tech companies are using precision fermentation to create animal-free proteins, fats, and oligosaccharides in pursuit of a more sustainable future. New yeast and bacteria fermentation technologies turn simple inputs into a variety of high-quality nutritious fats and functional proteins with a far lower environmental impact than traditional agriculture can deliver. Moreover, the first large-scale robotic vertical farms produce spinach and berries. These urban farms aim to provide essential daily-life vegetables in a more operationally cost-efficient way than traditional farms. These developments show that our future food will likely come also from food grade controlled laboratories and controlled indoor vertical farms. How will our food look and taste in the future? Are consumers ready to consume these differently produced food products? How much should we inform or educate consumers about the origin of the nutrients they consume? Will there be resistance depending on the form of the foods? Let’s delve into the questions that define the future of our food.
Chair: Carolien Van Loo-Bouwman, Senior Manager Nutrition & Innovation at Yili Innovation Center Europe (NL)
Speakers:
- Sustainable Innovations: Are Consumers Ready for Tomorrow’s Food?
Marija Banovic, Associate Professor of Consumer Behaviour and Food Marketing at MAPP Centre, Department of Management, Aarhus University (DK) - Examples of Sustainable Innovations for Tomorrow’s Food
Mette Lübeck, Associate Professor and Head of Section of Bioresources and Process Engineering, Aalborg University and Co-founder of ProteinFrontiers Aps (DK) - Transforming Food Systems: A Place-Based Approach
Roberta Sonnino, Professor of Sustainable Food Systems at the University of Surrey (UK)
Call for abstracts
[Abstracts submission closed]
We accept abstracts for the following sessions:
- Session 6 - Forever Young: Exploring Solutions for Healthy Aging and Nutrition
- Session 7a - Redefining Resilience: Innovations for a Sustainable Food Future
- Session 8 - Taste the Future: A Journey into Tomorrow's Food Landscape
The sessions' descriptions can be found in the programme below
Abstracts will be selected on the basis of scientific excellence and relevance to the sessions.
Submissions will be accepted until 15 June 2024 1st of July 2024. Authors will be notified at the end of August.
Travel and accommodation for the selected speakers will be covered by ILSI Europe (oral presentations only).
[Abstracts submission closed]