Healthy, Safe Diets

Friut and tape measure

This is part of a major five-year programme of research funded by The Scottish Government  involving all the Scottish Research Institutes and SAC (Scottish Agricultural College).  The research links land, water, people, food and health and is designed to address a number of key Government policies at both the Scottish and UK level. ‘Healthy, Safe Diets’ is one of the eight themes that make-up the programme and it is coordinated from the Rowett Institute.

You can read The Scottish Government’s announcement of the funding here

The full documentation about the research programmes can be found  here


Researchers Working on this Theme

Dr Sandra Carlisle – Understanding Food Choice in Scotland

 

‘Healthy, Safe Diets’ is made up of three workpackages:


This workpackage will be delivered by scientists from the University of Aberdeen including The Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, Aberdeen Health Psychology Group and Health Economics Research Unit and the Scottish Agricultural College. It will address the key issues of

(i) food choice,

(ii) interaction with food across the life course, including hunger and satiety, and maternal and infant nutrition,

(iii) the relationship between energy consumed as food and energy expended in physical activity, and the environment in which these interactions take place, and

(iv) the role of dietary components in health and well-being. The research will be relevant to the Scottish Government’s obesity strategy, ‘Preventing Overweight and Obesity in Scotland: A Route Map Towards Healthy Weight’ and its associated Action Plan, the Scottish Government’s Maternal and Infant Nutrition Strategy, and Scotland’s National Food and Drink Policy, ‘Recipe for Success’. The programme will interact with the other workpackage with its focus on commodities, food components, and dietary health issues, and the Strategic Partnership on Food & Drink, as well as with the Scottish food and drink industry though initiatives such as the Scottish Food and Health Innovation Service and the Food and Drink Innovation Network. Here we will build on our successful track-record of translating research requirements and outcomes into commercial products through dialogue with industry.

This research programme is designed to improve understanding of the following inter-related issues central to diet and health:

  • The basis of consumer diet and food choice and how it can be influenced by attributes such as price, source etc
  • The barriers to healthy food choice and behaviour change and the relationship to exercise
  • Effect of maternal obesity on pregnancy outcome and infant growth, and the relationship between breast-feeding and post-pregnancy weight loss
  • Psychological and physiological responses to food across the life-course from childhood to old age and relationship to exercise
  • Effect of dietary macronutrients on satiety signalling and the potential to reformulate food for enhanced satiety and healthy weight loss
  • Influence of the workplace and working lives on food consumption and physical activity
  • Characterisation of the long-term health benefits of natural plant compounds (phytochemicals) and development of biomarkers of health status
  • Effects of iron deficiency and improved iron status on health and well-being
  • Effect of diet on health through effects on gene expression and interpretation of the genetic code
  • Effects of vitamin D on human health, the immune system and inflammatory processes

Contacts

Workpackage contacts:


This workpackage is designed in response to the National Food and Drink Policy ‘Recipe for Success’ and addresses several targets in the Scottish Government’s Economic Strategy (Wealthier and Fairer, Healthier, Smarter and Greener, Safer and Stronger). There are 5 core research activities in this programme (Technologies, Processing, Provenance, Health, Sustainability). These are designed to link with research activities across the Scottish Government Land and Food Programme, including the Climate Change Centre of Expertise and the Strategic Partnership on Food & Drink. The programme of research is of international importance whilst focusing on commodities, food components, and dietary health issues which are particularly relevant to Scotland and the Scottish population.

This research programme is designed to provide the evidence, knowledge, and tools to;

  • Develop a food supply chain which is sustainable, secure, and which produces affordable nutritious food.
  • Support wealth creation and international competitiveness through innovation in the Food & Drink sector and identification of the health benefits of Scottish produce.
  • Provide the evidence, tools and strategies to improve the Scottish diet and the health of all sectors of society, including the most disadvantaged.
  • Protect the reputation of Scottish produce for quality through improved authentication of provenance and traceability and safety through the development of innovative monitoring technologies.
  • Help the Food & Drink industry and consumers respond to the challenge of sustainability and climate change and exploit opportunities for innovation in this area.

We will work with the Food and Drink Industry though initiatives such as the Scottish Food and Health Innovation Service and the Food and Drink Innovation Network in addition to the relevant Trade Associations and Levy Boards. Key aims of this industry interface will be to:

  • Promote understanding within SMEs in the Food and Drink sector of the potential of this programme to improve the beneficial effects of foods and create wealth.
  • Engage in dialogue with the sector to identify the research needs of Scottish SMEs and the tools and technologies which could realistically be exploited.

Contacts

Workpackage contacts:


The third workpackage sets out a programme of engagement with key stakeholders.  The main target audiences are policy and Government stakeholders, food industry, community and schools and scientists.  This programme aims to ensure that the outcomes of the two research workpackages are communicated effectively to relevant stakeholders and that there is meaningful dialogue between the theme and its stakeholders.

KE Manager: Dr Sue Bird sue.bird@abdn.ac.uk

See also Knowledge exchange