Restoring resilience

WP 6.4 addressed malnutrition as the outcome of broader imbalances in dietary patterns, clinical conditions and social contexts. The objective was to develop sustainable nutritional strategies capable of preventing and treating both undernutrition and overnutrition, with particular attention to vulnerable groups such as older adults, children and individuals affected by diabetes or coeliac disease.

In close collaboration with Spoke 4, WP 6.4 combined nutritional research, food technology and clinical validation. Prototypes of functional foods, dietary supplements and nutraceuticals were designed and developed based on solid scientific evidence, aiming to improve nutritional profiles while ensuring sustainability and acceptability. These products were tested in preclinical and clinical settings to evaluate their safety, efficacy and potential scalability in malnutrition prevention and management.

A distinctive feature of WP 6.4 was the integration of product innovation with digital personalisation. A user-friendly, web-responsive application was developed to support remote monitoring of sustainable dietary protocols and to tailor recommendations to individual characteristics. The tool enables longitudinal tracking of dietary adherence, supports data collection and facilitates more targeted clinical decision-making, transforming nutritional intervention into a dynamic and monitorable process.

Methodologically, WP 6.4 established an integrated model linking food prototyping, experimental validation and digital support tools. This approach bridges the gap between research, clinical practice and implementation, offering scalable solutions adaptable to different healthcare and community contexts.

Dissemination activities, including peer-reviewed scientific publications and engagement with institutional stakeholders, contributed to transferring the project’s findings to the scientific community and public decision-makers.