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Educational meeting „Ketogenic diet and health” [video and photo]

What is the ketogenic diet and is it worth following it? We were looking for an answer to this question during the first educational meeting carried out as part of the ERA Chairs WELCOME2 project. Scientists from our Institute invited to a joint discussion representatives of the academic community, education, local politics, innovation, health care, as well as private individuals interested in the ketogenic diet in the context of health benefits.

Dr. Natalia Drabińska from the Department of Food Chemistry and Biodynamics of the IRZiBŻ PAS explained all the key aspects of this currently very popular diet and presented the NCN project she runs: „KETO-MINOX: The impact of an isocaloric, reducing ketogenic diet on metabolism, inflammation, selected nutritional parameters and stress of overweight and obese women. View the presentation

Dr. Piotr Kaczyński from the Department of Hormonal Action Mechanisms of the IAR&FR PAS presented facts and the latest research on the effect of ketogenic diet on human reproductive processes, especially in relation to fertility problems. View the presentation

Dr. Aleksandra Kocot from the University of Gdańsk gave a lecture on the impact of the ketogenic diet on sports performance.

Oliwia Czerniewska from BeKeto company talked about the products developed to diversify the keto diet, and explained in detail how (if necessary and recommended) to supplement while using the ketogenic menu. View the presentation

Dr. Marianna Raczyk from the WELCOME2 team introduced us to the concept of nutrigenomics and spoke about how our diet may affect various processes in the body. View the presentation

The meeting ended with a discussion panel, during which the participants of the meeting could share their questions and doubts. The experts were joined by dr hab. n. med. Elżbieta Jarocka-Cyrta, prof. UWM.

Institute at the 26th science picnic in Warsaw

At the end of May, the nutrigenomics team joined the 26th Science Picnic – Europe’s largest outdoor science-popularization event organized jointly by Polish Radio and the Copernicus Science Centre. It has been held every year since 1997.

Our team presented two original demonstrations:

Our team presented two original demonstrations?

Vitamin d and its importance in our diet

We taught our youngest attendees about the impact of food on gene expression and explained that genetic differences play a role in how we respond to food. We also prepared our participants for the coming months by showing them how different barriers, such as clothing or UV filter creams, affect vitamin D synthesis during sun exposure. The Science Picnic was commended by the European Commission in 2005 as one of 10 model European projects in the “Science and Society” field.

Scientists visit the Olsztyn Planetarium

Another extraordinary meeting with the Olsztyn Children’s Academy is behind us. This time the young students were met by Dr. Anna Szóstek-Mioduchowska, who talked about an issue of particular importance in the autumn-winter season – the immune system. Dr. Szóstek-Mioduchowska drew attention to the human body’s 'tools’ for defending itself against harmful external and internal factors. What immune cells do we find in the human body and how many are there in one drop of blood? What is the difference between innate and acquired immunity? What does the body tell us when we are affected by ailments characterised by inflammation? Answers to these and many other questions were sought during the meeting.

The students were also treated to a workshop session where they could play young chemists’ roles. Under the supervision of Kamila Penkacik, M.Sc., the children studied magical antioxidants and created molecular pearls.

The third meeting of the Academy took place on 11 February at Olsztyn’s Planetarium. The next is planned for 15 April. More information about the Olsztyn Children’s Academy can be found on the Planetarium website under the Education tab.

Mealtless Monday #AnnualFoodAgenda – photo and video

„Meatless Monday” stands for an international campaign that encourages people to reduce meat in their diet for their health and the health of the planet. The production of animals has a significantly bigger environmental imprint than that of plants. It requires more energy and water, contributes to increased greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, habitat destruction and species extinction. The biggest changes are made with small, yet regular, steps, hence the idea to stop eating meat al least once a week. And since we love fresh starts when it comes to dietary resolutions, Monday couldn’t be a better choice for this. On December 13th EIT Food #AnnualFoodAgenda in Poland joined celebrations and promotion of a plant-based cuisine and invited consumers for a unique culinary experience where they could prepare traditional japanese dish in a slightly avant-garde, since plant-based, version.

The event started with morning sessions addressed to school students and their teachers. The participants, mentored by professional chefs, got their hands on preparing plant-based lunch versions they could easily replicate at homes and take to school. These included vegetable pastas, spinach dumplings and plant-based alternatives to American street food. The students discovered the value of ‘green’ products for their health and learnt how their little everday choices could actually influence the well-being of our planet.

The evening workshops „Meatless Monday: Vege Sushi” was a great opportunity to discover one of the most healthy cuisines in the world and gain some practical skills needed to prepare its flagship dishes. The partcipants had a chance to exchange experiences, learn about the value of plant-based alternatives, interact with food researchers and, most importantly, co-create healthy meals that could be a part of their daily menus. Every workshop session ended with the participants sharing the meals prepared together, talking about the value of this experience to them and making resolutions for their on „Meatless Mondays”.

#Annual FoodAgenda is a communication project under the support of EIT Food. EIT Food is Europe’s leading food innovation initiative, working to make the food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted. The initiative is made up of a consortium of key industry players, startups, research centres and universities from across Europe. It is one of eight Innovation Communities established by the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT), an independent EU body set up in 2008 to drive innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe.

The secret of a personalised diet plan

Precision considers the genes of each person to recommend the best diet plans and ensure optimal health. These genetic characteristics determine our eye or hair color, but they also provide us with information regarding the possible risk of develoing such diseases such as obesity. Thanks to that, our researchers have discovered the secret to personalized strategies that help create the right diet for you. Overcome the 5 challenges, get a code in each of them and complete the adventure to become the new ambassador of #AnnualFoodAgenda.

Let’s play

“Science SOS” finale

EIT Food #AnnualFoodAgenda action called “Science SOS – let’s talk about food” has just come to an end. Institute of Animal Reproduction an Food Research PAS invited teachers, tutors and organisers of food-related events to book online visits of food scientists and let their audience learn about healthy eating habits. We held 23 interactive visits with around 600 consumers – teachers, pupils, students and agri-food specialists. Thanks to an online format of the events we engaged with groups from various parts of Poland, including RIS regions.

Why is it worth to choose fish from controlled environments? How to handle food to avoid microbiological cross-contamination? What should we do when we have symptoms of gluten intolerance? #AnnualFoodAgenda “Science SOS” offered meetings with microbiologists, food technologists, biotechnologist, ichtiologist and experts in molecular biology. We talked about myths around the quality of fish from breeding tanks and took a closer look at sugars naturally present in fruits and vegetables. The consumers discovered why food producers reach for ancient crops, and why we should not eliminate gluten from our diet without medical consultation. We got an insight into the bacteria causing food poisoning and look at biofilm forming our e.g. our teeth. The topics available included also nutritional programming, the pro-health properties of raspberries and controversies around meat in our diet.

Each interactive meeting was concluded with a Kahoot-aided quiz testing participants’ understanding of the knowledge presented. Satisfaction surveys were also sent out.

As much as 58% and 27% of respondents rated the event as ‘I liked it very much’ and ‘I liked it’, respectively. 80% of the consumers questioned stated gaining new knowledge on heathy eating, with 63% declared efforts to use it in their daily lives. of them Around 64% of people engaged also claimed that initiatives like “Science SOS”, which entail meetings with food researchers, help to boost consumers’ trust in the food system.

>>>>> GO TO OUR RESEARCHERS <<<<<

Researchers’ Night with EIT Food

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…)

World Food Day with EIT Food

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…)

„Trust your food” workshops [photo and video]

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

#AnnualFoodAgenda is a project under the support of EIT Food. EIT Food is Europe’s leading food innovation initiative, working to make the food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted.

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.

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Trust in Your Food – Workshops in Food Research Labs

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.