The term flexitarian ('flexible vegetarian') was first coined in 1992, but it has grown in popularity in recent years. If you sometimes actively choose not to eat meat or animal products, you might be a flexitarian yourself – even if you don’t realize it!
Read full article on Food Unfolded by Dr Anna Ogrodowczyk.
On 27th of November we will celebrate the European Researchers’ Night for the 15th time! On this occasion, researchers from the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn will conduct a series of 15 online lectures for schoolchildren. The lectures prepared within the EIT Food #AnnualFoodAgenda project will address the most interesting topics in the area of food, nutrition and health. (więcej…)
Food systems are complex, and we can all play a part in ensuring that they are resilient and sustainable. The many pieces that form the food system jigsaw puzzle can fit together as easily as they can break apart, and it is up to us to ensure they remain connected. This video illustrates this complexity and suggests way that people can cooperate to ensure that growing populations are fed in harmony with the environment.
1.3 billion tons worldwide, 88 million tons in the European Union, 9 million tons in Poland – this is the amount of food that goes to the garbage every year. We waste food en masse and thoughtlessly. We the consumers have the most on our conscience, but we can change it! Let’s start from the kitchen! On October 17 and 18, the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Food Bank in Olsztyn invite you to an intergenerational culinary workshops, during which we will learn how to cook healthy and in accordance with the zero waste movement. (więcej…)
EIT Food #AnnualFoodAgenda presents „Too good to wast” short movie featuring the topics of food waste in the supply chain, its ecological imprint, and the urgency for sustainable diets and conscious consumer behaviours. With this video we wish to inspire all generations, regardless whether you are a pupil, adult or senior, to reflect on your everyday shopping, cooking and eating habits, and become local agents of change towards reduced food waste around the world.
Food safety is a highly controlled in the European Union. One aspect that is often underestimated is the migration of chemicals from food contact materials and packaging into food and drinks that we consume daily. In particular, the chemicals that – at low doses and for extended time – may impact our vulnerable endocrine system. The effects become evident when we think about the reduced male fertility, the anticipated female puberty and the thyroid and metabolic disturbances on the rise in our societies. (więcej…)
We are pleased to present the #SweetTemptation video by which we would like to guide the general public into responsible consumption of sugar, and raise their awareness about the link between excess sugar consumption and health. Why the sweet taste is so attractive to us? What happens when we have too much sugar in our diet? What is the difference between simple carbohydrates and complex ones? Watch the video and find out for yourself!
What is the science behind food? What are the researchers and industry experts doing to produce healthy and sustainable food that could be trusted by all? These are the questions we discussed during „Trust your Food” #AnnualFoodAgenda workshops engaging 279 pupils and teachers from Polish schools.
Over the last three weekends of February (15th, 22th, 29th) nearly 40 researchers, science communicatiors and experts from Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research PAS and MASPEX, invited young consumers (aged 7-13) to the food research laboratories located in the Food Sciences division of IARFR PAS in Olsztyn, Poland. Our guests had a chance to discover myths and facts surrounding diet supplements, design smart food packaging and get familiarised with food allergens. They found out how to interpret nutrition labels and the information available at public food venues. Under the eye of scientists and using high-tech research equipment, students tried their hands at experiments held in the laboratories of biological functions of food, microbiology, biosensors, metabolomics and other facilities located in the Institute’s Food Sciences division. Young consumers could perform tests on the quality of milk, examine the antioxidant properties of natural preservatives and check what fatty acids are found in commercially available oils. The workshop programme also included the topics of microorganisms used in food processing as well as Maillard reaction products formed during thermal treatment of food. Finally, in the computerised laboratory of sensory analysis, the students had a unique chance to professionally evaluate the sensitivity of their sense of smell. At the end of their “Trust your Food” journey around the labs, the students were asked to verify their knowledge in a quizz and to indicate their one favourite food. All their preferences were reviewed and gathered in a TOP 10 list, revealing ‘apple’ being the most liked food.
About EIT Food
The initiative is made up of an innovation community of key industry players across Europe, consisting of over 90 partner organisations and over 50 startups from 16 EU member states. It is one of the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KIC) established by the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT), an independent EU body set up in 2008 to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe.
You can follow EIT Food via www.eitfood.eu or via social media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube or Instagram.
In a food system where produce travels thousands of miles to supermarkets and hypermarkets, many consumers are losing their connection to food—they don’t often know where it comes from or who grew, harvested, or processed the products they eat every day.
A recent FoodThink study has found that almost half of consumers who frequently buy food for their households do not trust the food industry to do the right thing, and nearly a quarter actively distrust it.
Engaging young consumers in dialogue via a series of interactive events which provide a space to explore the science behind food is vital to delivering an innovative agrifood sector that produces both healthy and sustainable food that is trusted by all. The second edition of the European AnnualFoodAgenda brings a series of laboratory workshops prepared by scientists from the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research and MASPEX to the general public.
For 3 weekends in February, students from the Warmian-Masurian region will discover the myths and facts surrounding diet supplements, will create smart food packages and get familiarised with food allergens. The students will also find out how to interpret nutrition labels as well as the information available at public food venues. Under the eye of scientists and using high-tech research equipment, students will try their hands at experiments held in the laboratories of biological functions of food, microbiology, biosensors, metabolomics and other facilities located in the Institute’s Food Sciences division. Young consumers will be able to perform tests on the quality of milk, examine the antioxidant properties of natural preservatives and check what fatty acids are found in commonly available oils. The workshop programme will also include the topics of microorganisms used in food processing of food as well as Maillard reaction products formed during thermal processing. Finally, in the computerised laboratory of sensory analysis, the students will have a unique chance to professionally evaluate the sensitivity of their sense of smell.
This event is part of the #AnnualFoodAgenda (www.annualfoodagenda.com) project financed by EIT Food (eitfood.eu). #AnnualFoodAgenda offers a unique series of workshops, lectures and shows which raise awareness around healthy eating, food safety, innovation in the agri-food sector and last but not least, food waste. To this day, actions lead by the scientists of the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research PAS and experts from Maspex have engaged almost 5,000 people across Poland. More information regarding the #AnnualFoodAgenda events will be published on www.pan.olsztyn.pl.
About EIT Food
The initiative is made up of an innovation community of key industry players across Europe, consisting of over 90 partner organisations and over 50 startups from 16 EU member states. It is one of the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KIC) established by the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT), an independent EU body set up in 2008 to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe.
You can follow EIT Food via www.eitfood.eu or via social media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube or Instagram.
