Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Understanding the role of sensory determinants and perception in healt...
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).
Identification and mapping of specific target groups (M12)
Definition of personalised/precision sustainable dietary patterns based on measurable factors (M24)
Poor nutrition, foodborne disease, and lack of secure access to good food make an important contribution to the burden of disease and mortality in the WHO European Region. All countries are fighting nutrition-related diseases by issuing recommendations and developing action plans on health and nutrition, which include educational processes for healthier eating habits and dietary behaviors, as well as a better understanding of different factors (e.g., sensory perception) that can contribute to the development of healthy eating. Nevertheless, the study of individual fingerprints and determinants of healthy and sustainable eating, such as sensory system functionality and eating attitudes may aid in understanding consumers’ preferences and choices, since altered sensory perception plays an important role in driving individuals’ present and future eating habits.
1) Analysis of the association between inter-Individual variability in taste perception profiles (e.g. in terms of taste, odor and tactile acuity) and adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle using existing databases on Italian population and eventually assess sensory functionality in volunteers selected within the ONFOODS cohort (in connection with spokes 5 and 6).
2) Analysis of the effects of taste-phenotypes on food habits, nutritional status and healthy eating using existing databases on Italian population and eventually assess sensory functionality in volunteers selected within the ONFOODS cohort (in connection with spokes 5 and 6).
The collaboration with other research groups/companies interested in listing the existing genotypes and phenotypes that might be linked to individual responses to food intake are wished.
1. Better understanding of sensory functionality system related to taste, odor and chemestetic acuity in the development of healthy eating in the Italian population and eventually in ONFOODS cohorts (in connection with Spoke 5)
2. Better understanding of consumers' determinants of healthy eating including individual characteristics (e.g. gender, age, sensory functioning) and attitudes towards food (e.g. eating behavior, personality traits and psychosocial factors) in the Italian population and eventually in ONFOODS cohorts (in connection with Spoke 5)
