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This report is based on the seminar “Human biomonitoring (HBM) as a tool in policy making towards consumer safety” directed towards professionals involved in HBM programs, legislators and other policy-makers, risk assessors as well as researchers from universities and other higher educational institutions. It was organized by the Swedish National Food Agency in collaboration with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the University of Iceland, and Karolinska Institute, Sweden. Experts from Europe, USA, and Canada within the field of HBM participated. It was agreed that HBM provides a powerful tool in policy making towards consumer safety. It was also concluded that there is interest to develop the Nordic collaborative efforts within the area of HBM and that there would, unquestionably, be benefits from this in terms of harmonization.
National dietary surveys have been completed in all five Nordic countries for purposes of nutritional assessment. The NORDIRA project started in 2009 with objectives of sharing experiences within collection of food consumption data and applications of it in food-based risk assessment. The NORDIRA-group consisted of experts working within dietary surveys as well within risk assessment. The project collected results and methodological aspects of national dietary surveys, the presentations of food consumption figures and data calculation processes of risk assessment. This TemaNord report is a summary of the presentations and experiences shared during the three year period of the NORDIRA project. The group emphasizes a flexible food aggregation system in reporting food consumption to enable different kind of matching of data from food consumption and occurence of chemical substances
In pregnancy, maternal nutrition sustains and nourishes the developing child. Imbalances in either the direction of nutritional excess or deficiency can have adverse consequences for child health. In addition, more research now suggests that good pregnancy nutrition influences child health beyond pregnancy and delivery. This includes modifying the risk of child health outcomes as they enter childhood and adulthood through influences on placental development, hormonal pathways, and organ structure and function. Poor pregnancy nutrition may also compromise maternal health during pregnancy, which may have long-term consequences for women’s health. Understanding the biological and social mecha...
Available online: https://pub.norden.org/nord2023-003/ The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR) constitute the scientific basis for national dietary guidelines and nutrient recommendations in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The NNR2023 is the result of five years of work of several hundred researchers and experts, in the Nordic cooperation’s biggest and most globally spread project. This sixth edition of the NNR gives, for the first time ever, recommendations not only about what food is good for our health, but also what is good for the environment. In addition, dietary reference values for nutrients have been updated, many nutrients have received reference values for the first time, and many more food groups have been analysed than in previous editions – turning NNR2023 into the most comprehensive NNR to date. In short, the NNR2023 recommends: A predominantly plant-based diet high in vegetables, fruits, berries, pulses, potatoes and whole grains. Ample intake of fish and nuts. Moderate intake of low-fat dairy products. Limited intake of red meat and poultry. Minimal intake of processed meat, alcohol, and processed foods containing high amounts of fats, salt and sugar.
The Nordic Food Analysis Network project (NFAN, 2013–2016) focused on creating a common, simple communicational platform to share history and plans on chemical food analyses. This report describes the activities that have taken place in the area of chemical food analysis, for the national food composition databases of the Nordic countries, at the national level, since 2000 and specific activities of this network between the years of 2013–2016. This network picked fibre, iodine and sodium as specific nutrients to focus on during this project, and comparative analyses of selected Nordic food items were carried out during this project with external funding. The results of the activities are summarized in this project report.
Human biomonitoring (HBM) can be defined as the systematic standardized measurement of a concentration of a substance or its metabolites in human tissues and is an important tool in evaluating exposure to chemicals. This report maps HBM studies performed at or initiated by food safety authorities in the Nordic countries and discuss problems and options for further work. The report shows that only few studies have been performed and it differs among the countries. Reasons for this could be that sampling blood and urine is demanding, there are ethical and privacy issues and analytical costs are high. More cooperation with researchers and between countries is needed. Food safety authorities have special responsibilities in cases of emergencies and disasters. In these cases HBM provides a good tool for exposure measurement but cooperation and infrastructure should be established beforehand.
Epidemiological and intervention studies have increased both public and expert awareness of the possible importance of blood sugar regulation and the varying glycemic index of foods in the etiology and treatment of chronic diseases. Generally a low glycemic index diet is considered beneficial due to less incremental increase in blood levels of glucose than with a high glycemic index diet. Nordic dietary habits include a large number of carbohydrate rich food items, many of which are likely to fall into the category of high glycemic index. Evaluation of the evidence and the practical implications of these studies on nutrition recommendations have to be clarified. The report sheds a light to the strengths and weaknesses of the glycemic index.
Not long ago, the future seemed predictable. Now, certainty about the course of civilization has given way to fear and doubt. Raging fires, ravaging storms, political upheavals, financial collapse, and deadly pandemics lie ahead—or are already here. The world feels less comprehensible and more dangerous, and no one, from individuals to businesses and governments, knows how to navigate the path forward. Ruth DeFries argues that a surprising set of time-tested strategies from the natural world can help humanity weather these crises. Through trial and error over the eons, life has evolved astonishing and counterintuitive tricks in order to survive. DeFries details how a handful of fundamental...
This book aims to provide an overview of the importance of communities to mitigate the threat of terrorism, drawing key lessons and experiences from countries adopting community-based approaches. There has been growing recognition among countries to understand the construct of radical ideology and the tools needed to counter its narrative through a more socially inclusive approach, using communities as key stakeholders that have the resolve to be resilient in the fight against terrorism. The chapters provide invaluable insights on the psychological aspects of radicalization, the centrality of counter-ideology and case studies of approaches to promoting moderation, religious harmony and community engagement in building the resilience and resolve against terrorism.
The Nordic countries have collaborated in setting guidelines for dietary composition and recommended intakes of nutrients for several decades through the joint publication of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR). This 5th edition, the NNR 2012, gives Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) for nutrients, and compared with earlier editions more emphasis has been put on evaluating the scientific evidence for the role of food and food patterns contributing to the prevention of the major diet-related chronic diseases. Recommendations on physical activity are included and interaction with physical activity has been taken into account for the individual nutrient recommendations wherever appropriate....