Dietary guidelines under scrutiny: Updated editions must factor in sustainability, say EUFIC experts

22 Oct 2019 --- The consumer landscape is shifting, and societal themes such as sustainability and technology must be taken into account when developing food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs). This can make them more efficient tools for nutrition policies and driving public health, especially as the amount of available nutrition information increases. This is according to experts at the recent first-time symposium on FBDGs, at the 13th European Nutrition Conference, organized by the Federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS) in Dublin, Ireland.

FBDGs are simple messages on healthy eating, aimed at the general public. Visualized as “food pyramids,” “eat-well plates,” or “food wheels,” they can be an essential tool in the communication of nutrition guidelines. 

Dr. Milka Sokolović speaking at the conference.FBDGS tend to avoid the use of numerical recommended intakes of nutrients (such as recommended daily allowances – RDA) or population targets, but provide a practical way of interpreting these into dietary advice for individuals within a population.

Recently, the concept, status and prospects of FBDGs have come under scrutiny by the scientific community. At the symposium, experts discussed their efficiency, particularly in light of a rapidly changing society. 

Now, updates are expected to include aspects such as changing lifestyles, personalized health and sustainability concerns. However, experts also highlighted a crucial but often overlooked factor: the way people consume information and how science communicators can help reach people more effectively. 

Changing consumer landscapes
Increased levels and understanding of personalization when it comes to eating and diets, as well as a growing role of technology in the everyday lives of consumers, feed into how audiences react to dietary guidelines. A further defining theme of our time is sustainability and how to feed a growing population within planetary boundaries. 

Dr. Milka Sokolović, Head of Food and Health Science at European Food Information Council (EUFIC) and chair of the symposium, tells NutritionInsight that the major points of debate and contention among experts at the symposium were “around the areas of sustainability and of ultra-processed foods. While there is an increasing body of evidence on both topics and on both sides, there is still no clear scientific consensus that could be easily communicated to the general public.”The food pyramid FBDG from Belgium.

Despite this, sustainability is now being reflected in updated guidelines as the awareness of the impact of food systems on the health of the planet grows. Compared to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) 2010 guidance document, the manuscript currently in preparation by the FENS FBDG taskforce will add whole new sections. 

These will include points on the sustainability aspect of our diets, but also sections with cultural, ethical and economic considerations. Importantly, there will be more emphasis on effective communication of nutrition science than ever before, as FENS identified it as a “missing link” between science and the general public.

“All the topics that have become societally relevant – from sustainability to cultural, economic or emotional aspects of eating – are now actually being taken into account,” she adds.

The environmental aspect is also being reflected in the updated Swedish guidelines, for example, and is gaining traction across Europe. Indeed, in January, Dr. Mary Flynn, Chief Specialist Public Health Nutrition at the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) reported that reports such as the EAT-Lancet planetary diet could well inform future works. 

The missing link
The eat well plate FBDG from the UK.The scientific community has also identified a clear gap between the scientific recommendations and the uptake of messages. Yet, there seems to be a will and determination to bridge that gap through effective communication, Sokolović says. “The current recommendation is to team up with science communicators and with scientists in the area of behavior and consumer research.” 

Scientists need to be more present where discussions happen, to talk “with rather than at people,” Sokolović explains. In this way, nutrition science needs to be communicated clearly to persuade people that healthy foods can also taste good, for example. One way would be a stronger collaboration with nudging scientists, as well as utilizing digital and social media platforms.

This could be particularly important as social media platforms are becoming flooded with self-professed nutrition gurus. Such individuals often pump out advice that medical professionals and qualified nutritionists may not agree with, and can further confuse consumers on adequate healthy eating and nutrition.

The theme of this year’s European Nutrition Conference at large was “Malnutrition in an Obese World.” Hundreds of leading researchers, organizations and institutions from across the world presented and discussed research in more than 90 sessions. It was held on October 16.

By Laxmi Haigh