Enhancement of food quality and shelf life within the catering system (public canteens and fast-food chains) as well as the distribution system (e.g., retails) to improve products and consumption models offered also taking advantage from smart sensor-based procedures and new strategies targeting "inclusion and awareness” of the consumer (in connection with Spoke 2 and 7) and nutritional information. Activities start from analysis of overall food quality of mass food catering (e.g., public canteens), main fast-food chains and the large-scale distribution to redirect towards sustainable diet/menus/products and personalised/ precision nutrition (in connection with Spoke 1, 2 and 5).

Task 4.3.1.

Development and validation of sustainable models of personalised/precision nutrition based on anthropometric, demographic, nutritional status, lifestyle habits, perceptive characteristics, psychosocial, metabolic response, genetic and metagenetic characteristics, also developing predictive tools for the identification of specific phenotypes and appropriate intervention strategies. Tasks include the definition and validation of improved dietary patterns to cover individual nutritional needs through sustainable and affordable foods/preparations (in connection with Spoke 1, 5 and 7) and the development of tools for the prediction at individual level of the metabolic, psychosocial, and physiological response to food intake (in connection with Spoke 6).

Project deliverables

D4.1.3.1.

Systematic evaluation of existing catering system gaps and constraints in terms of impact on nutritional quality, safety, and sustainability in the national scenario (M12)

D4.1.3.2.

Implemented dietary programmes redirecting menus and dietary offers with lower environmental impact, implemented nutritional quality and safety, and increased affordability of national collective catering (M24)

D4.3.1.1.

Identification and mapping of specific target groups (M12)

D4.3.1.3.

Definition of personalised/precision sustainable dietary patterns based on measurable factors (M24)

Interaction with other spokes

Spoke 05

Lifelong nutrition

Spoke 07

Policy, behaviour and education

State of the art

There is a growing increase in the number of meals consumed outside, such as in public canteens and in fast-food chains. These meals may deeply influence the nutritional quality as well as the environmental impact of the total dietary pattern. Currently, there is a limited knowledge about the nutritional and environmental impact of menus/meals offered within the catering system, especially considering the actual food consumption (e.g., excluding food waste). However, in order to implement the proposal of meals with an improved nutritional quality while limiting the environmental impact, it is crucial to deeply investigate the numerous factors affecting the different catering system in Italy. This could allow to identify the main and/or specific gaps and possible solutions to implement optimized healthy and sustainable menus. The effectiveness of such menus needs to be investigated through intervention studies developed and performed in real-life settings.

Operation plan

The research will involve different activities as reported below.

An overall evaluation of the gaps and criticalities in the catering system (e.g. considering aspects related to nutritional quality, processing constraints, environmental impact, geographical characteristics, affordability, etc.) reducing the capacity to develop menus able to push towards healthy and sustainable diets for all target groups of the population (i.e. physiological condition) will be analysed. The activities will be performed in collaboration with CIR FOOD.
Analysis of the nutritional quality and environmental impact of menus provided by the catering system (from nursery to nursing homes) in different geographical areas (i.e. Milan and Lombardy area) (in collaboration with spoke 5 and 7) .
Optimization of menus to improve nutritional quality, acceptability and environmental impact targeting specific consumer group (from nursery to nursing homes) needs (in collaboration with spoke 5 and 7).
Development and management of intervention studies with the implemented menus in order to assess acceptability, adoption, actual food intake, food waste, eating behaviour (in collaboration with spoke 5 and 7).
Definition of education strategies to promote healthy and sustainable eating in the different target groups.
Study of the role of sustainable vegetable products grown in vertical farming as a mean to reduce environmental impact while assuring safety and nutritional quality in the catering system of the city areas.

Expected results

A list of gaps and criticalities in the catering food system in order to promote research and intervention actions at different levels (and different spokes) able to limit obstacles while promoting enabling policies at national level to implement optimized healthy and sustainable menus.
Contribution to the analysis of nutritional and environmental impact characteristics of the menus provided in the different geographical areas (in connection with spoke 7) also considering differences between metropolitan areas and rural/peripheral area.
Validation of new improved healthy and sustainable menus (personalized depending on the target group characteristics) in the real setting thanks to the results obtained in the dietary intervention studies developed (in collaboration with spoke 5, 7).
Definition of the potential exploitation of new sustainable commodities (e.g. vegetable from vertical farming) in the catering system of “metropolitan areas” in comparison with other solutions found in the case of “biodistrict” (in collaboration with spoke 7).
Promotion of shared communication strategies to push towards the transition to healthy and sustainable diets in the different life stages (in collaboration with spoke 7).