Developing tools, guidance and supporting materials to scientifically substantiate health benefits of foods
Background
The determination of health benefits need to be supported by scientific evidence before being communicated via health or nutrition claims or other means.
Background
The Task Force expects to develop guidance and tools to define the scientific substantiation of benefits of foods and food constituents for maintenance and improvement of health and wellness. It also aims at identifying factors and compounds to help ensure health claims can meet regulatory standards.
Finally, the result will help understand the role of the microbiome in metabolising food constituents and mediating health benefits of foods.
Objectives
- Develop guidance and tools to define the scientific substantiation of benefits of foods and food constituents for maintenance and improvement of health and wellness.
- Identify factors and compounds to help ensure health claims can meet regulatory standards.
- Help understand the role of the microbiome in metabolising food constituents and mediating health benefits of foods.
Impact
The Task Force, in conjunction with the recently completed Obesity & Diabetes Task Force, participated in the EUfunded project ‘Pivotal Assessment of the Effects of Bioactives on the Health and Wellbeing, from Human genome to Food Industry’.
The joint web-seminar ‘Microbial Metabolism Associated with Health’ was highlighted in the website of the EU’s joint Programming Initiative ‘A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life’.
The Task Force has a track record of scientific publication with a significant number of citations and publication of guidelines that help stakeholders to perform high quality human intervention studies relating to foods.
For more detailed information, please contact Michela Miani at mmiani@ilsieurope.be or Adam Coventry at acoventry@ilsieurope.be
Task Force Members
Dr Oliver Hasselwander– Chair | DuPont Nutrition Biosciences ApS | Business Development Director | UK |
Dr Matthias Sass – Vice-Chair | ADM | Director R&D | DE |
Prof. Kieran Tuohy – Co-Chair | Fondazione Edmund Mach | Group Leader Nutrition & Nutrigenomics Research Unit | IT |
Dr Andrea Bertocco | Herbalife | Director Scientific Affairs | UK |
Prof. Jelena Helene Cvejic* | University of Novi Sad | Professor | RS |
Dr Pascale Fança-Berthon | Naturex (Givaudan) | Category Technical Leader | FR |
Prof. Bryan Hanley* | Knowledge Transfer Network | Specialty AgriFood | UK |
Dr Frank Kirchner | Johnson & Johnson | Principal Scientist | US |
Mr Xavier Lavigne | Abbott Nutrition | Director, Regulatory Policy & Intelligence | BE |
Dr Lourdes Mata | PepsiCo International | R&D Life Sciences Senior Principal Scientist | UK |
Dr Alexandra Meynier | Mondelēz International | Nutrition Scientist | FR |
Ms Jessica Van Harsselaar | Südzucker Group | Manager Nutrition Science | DE |
Dr Michela Miani | ILSI Europe | Scientific Project Manager | BE |
*Scientific Advisor
Expert Groups
Health benefits of polyphenols mediated by gut microbiome modulation and/or activity of microbial polyphenol-derived metabolites – New
Background & Objectives
Polyphenol consumption (present in dark berries, cocoa, nuts and others) has been associated with several cardiometabolic and cognitive function benefits. However, the mechanism of action is often not fully understood.
The objective is to better understand this mechanism, investigating the effects of consumption of food related polyphenols and microbial polyphenol-derived metabolites on the gut microbiome and associated health benefits.
Output
The resulting systematic review will give a better understanding of the mechanism of action and characterisation of the food related polyphenols, as well as the required dose for health benefits. This review may help to design future human intervention studies.
Review of the Evidence Base for Population Targeted Protein Intake for Muscle Health
Background & Objectives
Evidence shows that there is a strong link between nutrition and muscle health, particularly with regards to protein intake.
However, there are still open questions regarding the optimum protein intake depending on both physical activity and age. The Expert Group aims to answer this question; clarifying whether existing data for muscle health of those population groups differ.
Moreover, it will verify the impacts depending on the protein source (animal vs vegetal), which will help to better understand the implications of shifting to more plant-based and environmentally friendly diets without compromising muscle health.
Output
The Expert Group expects to deliver a peer-reviewed publication that will give a better understanding of the optimum protein intake, especially across potentially vulnerable target groups for muscle health.
Specific Guidelines for the Design and Conduct of Human Gut Microbiome Intervention Studies Relating to Foods – Completed
Background & Objectives
This Expert Group was set up to help design and execute human intervention studies to evaluate health benefits for food, focusing specifically on elements relevant for human gut microbiome studies.
The developed guidelines aim at supporting dietary recommendations to be built on solid scientific evidence regarding diet-gut microbiota/microbiome interactions.
Output
The resulting peer-reviewed publication includes guidelines that serve as scientific support to set up human intervention trials more comparable and reproducible.
Oral and Systemic Health Resilience
Background & Objectives
Evidence suggests that oral microbiome is a key factor in the prevalence and progression of gingivitis and periodontitis.
The Expert Group aimed at identifying the knowledge gaps and main influences on oral health homeostasis.
It also aimed at describing mechanisms contributing to experimental gingivitis.
Output
The findings will be included in two peer-reviewed publications, providing new insights into evidence relating to oral and systemic health.
Joint Nutrition Cluster Activity on ‘Mechanistic Insights into the Gut-Brain Axis’ – In collaboration with Early Nutrition and Long-Term Health; Nutrition, Immunity & Inflammation; Nutrition & Brain Health; Prebiotics and Probiotics Task Forces – New
Background & Objectives
Currently, half of the literature available on the gut-brain axis is state-of-the-art reviews or correlative studies and comprehensive mechanistic insights underlining the bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain are lacking.
In this context, several Nutrition Task Forces decided to join forces to understand where we stand today regarding the mechanisms. Together the Task Forces will:
- focus on translational aspects from pre-clinical to clinical studies;
- focus on lifespan-related changes (but not diseaserelated) in gut structure and function which play a role in long-term immune and brain health;
- discuss the nutritional and lifestyle interventions with positive impact on the lifespan gut structure/function and thus on immune and brain health.
Output
A workshop held in December 2019 brought together key experts from different fields of expertise to debate and discuss on the current knowledge and data gaps.
A perspective paper on this gap analysis is under construction. This publication will be followed by a series of web-seminars to discuss the identified gaps in more details.
Identifying Preferred Approaches for Quantifying the Impact of Modifying Nutrient Intakes
Background & Objectives
Public health authorities are developing programs to reduce or increase the nutritional composition of foods.
These programs are supported by a wide variety of models used to estimate the public health and economic impact of some nutrition interventions. However, these models use different methodologies so results may differ.
In consequence, comparing the models and its results is difficult.
The Expert Group aims at reviewing and evaluating these existing models and at providing recommendations on how to apply selected models.
Output
The results of the Expert Group’s evaluation are contained in a systematic review. Moreover, the Health Benefits Assessment of Foods Task Force organised the workshop ‘Identifying Preferred Approaches for Quantifying the Health and Economic Impact of Modifying Nutrient Intakes’ (6-7 April 2017, Brussels, Belgium).
The outcome of both the systematic review and the workshop will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.
Expert Group Members
Health benefits of polyphenols mediated by gut microbiome modulation and/or activity of microbial polyphenol-derived metabolites – New
Prof. Kieran Tuohy | Fondazione Edmund Mach | Group Leader Nutrition & Nutrigenomics Research Unit | IT |
Ms Jessica Van Harsselaar | Südzucker Group | Manager Nutrition Science | DE |
Prof. Jelena Helene Cvejic | University of Novi Sad | Professor | RS |
Prof. Daniele Del Rio | University of Parma | Professor | IT |
Dr Pascale Fança-Berthon | Naturex (Givaudan) | Category Technical Leader | FR |
Dr Oliver Hasselwander | DuPont Nutrition Biosciences ApS | Business Development Director | UK |
Dr Frank Kirchner | Johnson & Johnson | Principal Scientist | UK |
Ms Qiqiong Li | University of Gent | PhD Student | BE |
Dr Claudine Manach | INRAE | Professor | FR |
Dr Alexandra Meynier | Mondelēz International | Nutrition Scientist | FR |
Dr Rebecca Replogle | PepsiCo International | Associate Principal Scientist | US |
Dr Ana Rodriguez-Mateos | King's College London | Lecturer in Nutrition | UK |
Prof. Tom Van de Wiele | University of Gent | Professor | BE |
Dr Michela Miani | ILSI Europe | Scientific Project Manager | BE |
Review of the Evidence Base for Population Targeted Protein Intake for Muscle Health
Prof. Stuart Phillips – Chair | McMaster University | Professor | CA |
Dr Sandra Naranjo – Vice-Chair | Naturex (Givaudan) | Nutrition Scientist | FR |
Prof. Philip Atherton | Nottingham University | Professor | UK |
Dr Michelle Braun | DuPont Nutrition Biosciences | Research Scientist | US |
Dr Maria Camprubi | Abbott Nutrition | Senior Scientist | ES |
Prof. Claire Gaudichon | AgroParisTech | Research Lecturer | FR |
Prof. Francesco Landi | Catholic University of Rome | Associate Professor | IT |
Prof. Daniel Tomé | AgroParisTech | Professor | FR |
Dr Michela Miani | ILSI Europe | Scientific Project Manager | BE |
Specific Guidelines for the Design and Conduct of Human Gut Microbiome Intervention Studies Relating to Food – Completed
Prof. Jonathan Swann – Chair Imperial College London Associate Professor UK Dr Oliver Hasselwander – Vice-Chair DuPont Nutrition Biosciences ApS Scouting & Development Lead Microbiome and Technical Fellow UK Dr Pascale Fança-Berthon Naturex (Givaudan) Category Technical Leader FR Dr Alexandra Meynier Mondelēz Europe Nutrition Scientist FR Dr Mirjana Rajilić-Stojanović University of Belgrade Assistant Professor RS Prof. Anne Salonen University of Helsinki Senior Researcher FI Dr Nicola Segata University of Trento Associate Professor & Principal Investigator IT Prof. Colette Shortt Johnson & Johnson EMEA Global Regulatory Director UK Prof. Kieran Tuohy Fondazione Edmund Mach Group Leader Nutrition & Nutrigenomics Research Unit IT Dr Michela Miani ILSI Europe Scientific Project Manager BE
Oral and Systemic Health Resilience
Prof. Bryan Hanley – Chair | Knowledge Transfer Network | Specialist Agri Food | UK |
Prof. Wim Crielaard – Vice-Chair | University of Amsterdam | Professor | NL |
Dr Nick Jakubovics | University of Newcastle | Senior Lecturer | UK |
Prof. Bruno Loos | University of Amsterdam | Professor | NL |
Dr Lisa Rizzetto | Fondazione Edmund Mach | Technologist | IT |
Prof. Colette Shortt | Johnson & Johnson EMEA | Global Regulatory Director | UK |
Dr Egija Zaura | University of Amsterdam | Professor | NL |
Ms Charifa Zemouri | University of Amsterdam | PhD Candidate | NL |
Dr Michela Miani | ILSI Europe | Scientific Project Manager | BE |
Joint Nutrition Cluster Activity on ‘Mechanistic Insights into the Gut-Brain Axis’ – In collaboration with Early-Life and Long-Term Health; Health Benefits Assessment of Foods; Nutrition, Immunity & Inflammation; Nutrition & Mental Performance and Probiotics Task Forces – New
Dr Marisol Aguirre | Yakult Europe | Science Director | NL |
Dr Anirikh Chakrabarti | Cargill | Senior Scientist | BE |
Dr Lesley Hoyles | Nottingham Trent University | Associate Professor | UK |
Dr Patricia Iozzo | Italian National Research Council | Group Leader | IT |
Dr Frank Kirchner | Johnson & Johnson | Principal Scientist | US |
Dr Giorgio LaFata | DSM | R&D Scientist | CH |
Dr Elaine Patterson | DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences | Senior Scientist | FI |
Dr Machteld Tiemessen | Danone Nutricia Research | Team Leader Immunology | NL |
Dr David Vauzour | University of East Anglia | Senior Research Fellow | UK |
Dr Simeon Bourdoux | ILSI Europe | Scientific Project Manager | BE |
Dr Lucie Geurts | ILSI Europe | Scientific Project Manager | BE |
Dr Michela Miani | ILSI Europe | Scientific Project Manager | BE |
Identifying Preferred Approaches for Quantifying the Impact of Modifying Nutrient Intakes
Prof. Gülden Pekcan – Chair | University of Hasan Kalyoncu | TR |
Dr Patrick Detzel | Nestlé | CH |
Prof. Janne Martikainen | University of Eastern Finland | FI |
Dr Reyhan Nergiz-Unal | University of Hacettepe | TR |
Dr Annet Roodenburg | HAS University of Applied Sciences | NL |
Dr Michela Miani | ILSI Europe | BE |
Poster
ILSI Europe Marker Initiative: What Makes a Marker a Valid Marker?
Publications
Monographs
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Components of Foods
2015
ILSI Europe Concise Monograph. 2015:1-34. Commissioned by the Functional Foods Task Force.