ILSI Newsletter | December 2019

Volume 37, Number 6

ILSI2020

2020 ILSI Annual Meeting & Science Symposium

17-21 January | San Jose, Costa Rica
Registration and Abstracts are Now Open! View session information and register today. We look forward to seeing you in Costa Rica! More information.

Seminar on Food Fortification in Southeast Asia: Current Challenges, Strategies for the Future

Baby hands that hold uncooked rice. Useful food for children. Porridge with vitamins

ILSI Southeast Asia Region

Organized by ILSI SEA Region and its Vietnam Country Committee and co-organized with the National Institute of Nutrition, Vietnam, the 1.5-day Seminar on Food Fortification in Southeast Asia: Current Challenges, Strategies for the Future was held on 26-27 November in Hanoi, Vietnam. The seminar had reviewed the role, effectiveness and strategies of food fortification to ensure effective progress towards reducing or eliminating micronutrient deficiencies. More information.

Videos Now Available: ILSI North America Scientific Sessions at IAFP

Blur of business Conference and Presentation in the conference hall.

ILSI North America

Each year, the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) hosts an annual meeting to provide attendees with information on current and emerging food safety issues, the latest science, innovative solutions to new and recurring problems, and the opportunity to network with thousands of food safety professionals from around the globe. ILSI North America supported three sessions, a round table event and three posters at the 2019 IAFP Annual Meeting in July. Videos of these events are now available on ILSI’s YouTube channel.

20 Years of Biotech Work at ILSI Argentina

REDBIO

ILSI Argentina

Since 1999, ILSI Argentina’s Biotechnology Working Group has been addressing issues regarding problem formulation, safety of GMOs, risk assessment of GMOs, new breeding techniques, and familiarity, among other topics. Over the last 20 years, this group has organized over 60 activities, including workshops, seminars, capacity building sessions, at the regional, national, and international level. They have published 11 articles and books, collaborated with almost 50 organizations, and trained over 1500 professionals from Argentina and other countries in the region. 12-15 November, ILSI Argentina participated at the Biotechnology Labs Network for Latin America and the Caribbean (REDBIO) Congress, held in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Biotechnology Working Group presented a poster about their 20 year journey.

ILSI Europe Joins the EU Transparency Register

White geometric honeycomb hexagon background. 3d rendering, 3d illustration.

ILSI Europe

8 November, ILSI Europe has been accepted in the Transparency Register of the European Union (EU). After succeeding the official audit, ILSI Europe joins the registry under the Non-Governmental Organizations section. From November 2019, the ILSI Europe official Transparency number is 241834336293-06. This number constitutes a step forward to the New ILSI Europe. It is another move to invest in trust, crystalized in this EU official recognition for Transparency. More information.

Evidence Map: Lutein/Zeaxanthin and Eye Health Visual Function

Green salad with spinach, avocado, egg, flax and pumpkin seed. Food background. Detox Vegetarian Healthy Food Concept. Top view, copy space.

ILSI North America

Lutein/zeaxanthin, found in egg yolks and a variety of fruits and vegetables, is associated with healthy ocular tissue, but an amount recommended per day has not been established. 4 November an evidence map was developed to summarize the extent and distribution of evidence to provide investigators with information about the type and amount of research available, and the topics where a sufficient amount of evidence has accumulated for synthesis of a systematic review. This work was supported by the ILSI North America Bioactives Committee.

Whole Genome Sequencing in Public Health and Food Safety Practice

Whole Genome Sequencing

ILSI Southeast Asia Region

ILSI SEA Region Australasia Country Committee, the New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre and CSIRO collaborated to showcase the latest in WGS and NGS science and implementation practice in the 1-day conference on Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) in Public Health and Food Safety Practice – The 21st century is Now, which was held on 31 October in Wellington, New Zealand. The conference had considered the key question of ‘How can these powerful technologies further protect public health and address food safety concerns in the 21st century?’. More information.

ILSI North America Earns the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency

guidestar

ILSI North America

29 October, GuideStar issued ILSI North America their Platinum Seal of Transparency. GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. ILSI North America’s GuideStar profile provides information about their goals, strategies, capabilities and vision, highlighting the difference they make in the world while telling real stories about the work they do. By adding quantitative information related to their scientific network and programs, their profile now features metrics that showcase progress and results they're making towards their mission. View ILSI North America’s GuideStar profile.

5th Asian Conference for Frailty and Sarcopenia

Taiwan

ILSI Taiwan

23 October, ILSI Taiwan and ILSI Southeast Asia Region co-organized a scientific session on Diet, Lifestyle and Sarcopenia at the 5th Asian Conference for Frailty and Sarcopenia (5ACFS). Three presentations highlighted ILSI's nutrition research on frailty and sarcopenia from Taiwan and Thailand. It attracted hundreds of researchers and professionals from geriatric medicine and public health. ACFS has emerged as a leader in research of frailty and sarcopenia in Asia. Participants gather to network, share ideas, grow professionally, and discover practical solutions to improve the overall well-being of the elderly in Asia.

ILSI Europe Sessions Beat Records of Participation at FENS 2019

20191018_123401

ILSI Europe

With 6 scientific sessions and almost 18 speakers, ILSI Europe was one of the biggest contributors at the 13th European Nutrition Conference (FENS) held in Dublin, Ireland on 15-18 October. ILSI Europe sessions beat attendance records with 600 of the 1,700 conference delegates participating in their scientific symposiums. The congress, the premier European meeting within nutritional science, is held once every four years. Under this year’s theme, European Perspectives on Malnutrition in an Obese World, ILSI Europe contributed by addressing topics such as dietary fatty acids, consumer choices’ drivers and microbiome. More information.

ILSI India Launches Knowledge Center on Functional Foods, Gut Health and Immunity

Healthy food from organic shop, farm market concept. Realistic vegetables, vector fruits from paper shopping bag. Broccoli, pumpkin, apple slice strawberry and blueberry, celery and salad orange slice

ILSI India

4 October, ILSI India launched K-FFIG (Knowledge Center on Functional Foods, Gut Health and Immunity) in New Delhi. The Knowledge Center will act as a Think Tank, involving stakeholders from the public and private sectors. It will work towards sharing relevant research and technological developments in the area of human microbiome and functional foods. K-FFIG provides a knowledge sharing platform by organizing seminars, conferences, and workshops on recent advances in the science of human microbiome and functional foods including prebiotics, dietary fiber and probiotics, undertake studies, and examines challenges faced by this sector and encourages all stakeholders to adopt global best practices. More information.

8th International Conference on Nutrition & Aging

Japan

ILSI Japan

1-2 October ILSI Japan held the 8th International Conference on Nutrition and Aging in Tokyo, Japan. The theme of the conference was Realization of a Society where Healthy Life Expectancy Approximates Overall Life Expectancy. The conference included over 300 participants and 17 speakers from 9 countries. The program included A Review of the Past 30 Years of Nutrition and Aging Research, Current Activities of ILSI Japan, and the Future of Healthcare Approached by Precision Nutrition. More information.

 

11th BeSeTo Meeting

11th BeSeTo Meeting

ILSI Asian Entities

Hosted by ILSI SEA Region on 26-27 September Penang, Malaysia, the 11th BeSeTo Meeting included participants from the ILSI Asian Entities (ILSI Focal Point in China, ILSI Korea, ILSI Japan and ILSI Taiwan) to facilitate the sharing of information on emerging food and nutrition safety, risk assessment and regulatory updates, and to discuss possible collaboration in the Asian region. More information.

 

Seminar on Nutrition and Cognition

Seminar on Nutrition and Cognition

ILSI Southeast Asia Region

Organized by the ILSI SEA Region Philippines Country Committee, the Seminar on Nutrition and Cognition that was held on 26 September in Quezon City, Philippines discussed the key processes and stages of brain and cognitive development and the nutrition considerations, shared the potential of nutritional intervention in cognitive development, and presented different methodologies in the assessment of cognitive functioning. More information.

 

Seminar on Recycled Food Packaging

Seminar on Recycled Food Packaging

ILSI Southeast Asia Region

As part of a back-to-back event with the Seminar on Food Packaging in Penang, Malaysia, ILSI SEA Region and its Thailand Country Committee had also co-organized the Seminar on Recycled Food Packaging: Scientific Advances and Regulatory Development with Thailand Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA) and in collaboration with Food Science and Technology Association of Thailand (FoSTAT) and Department of Science Service (DSS), Ministry of Science and Technology, Thailand on 26 September in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting discussed the scientific advances and regulatory developments of recycled food packaging. More information.

 

Symposium on Scientific Development of Food Packaging: Innovation, Safety and Sustainability

Symposium on Scientific Development of Food Packaging

ILSI Southeast Asia Region

LSI Southeast Asia Region and its Malaysia Country Committee had co-organized the Symposium on Scientific Development of Food Packaging: Innovation, Safety and Sustainability with Food Safety and Quality Division, Ministry of Health, Malaysia and in collaboration with School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Nutrition Society of Malaysia (NSM) and Malaysian Institute of Food Technology (MIFT). The 2-day meeting that was held in Penang, Malaysia on 24-25 September was very well received and provided insights into the different perspectives, science, and regulatory updates in the area of food packaging. It also highlighted priority research areas and discussed the benefits vs risk paradigm on food packaging and its communication. More information.

 

New Approach Methodologies for Tiered Risk Assessment Using the RISK21 Approach

Top view healthy apple juice drink and red apples fruits on wooden background.

ILSI North America

The ILSI North America Food and Chemical Safety Committee invests in the training and education of future scientists and leaders in the fields of food and chemical safety and food toxicology by supporting a Summer Fellowship Program for doctoral students. This study, Incorporating New Approach Methodologies in Toxicity Testing and Exposure Assessment for Tiered Risk Assessment Using the RISK21 Approach: Case Studies on Food Contact Chemicals, conducted by the 2016 Summer Fellow, highlights the potential utility of the RISK21 approach for interpretation of the ToxCast high-throughput screening (HTS) data, as well as the challenges involved in integrating in vitro HTS data into safety assessments. The study was published 20 September.

 

Status Paper on Probiotics

probiotics

ILSI India

In October, ILSI India released a paper on Role of Probiotics in Promoting Healthy Microbiome for Health and Immunity. The paper provides an overview of current research on probiotics by research organizations in India and highlights the importance of microbiome and the role of probiotics in promoting health, mode of action of probiotics, next generation probiotics, probiotics in Indian traditional diets, and national and international regulatory framework. More information.

 

ILSI Global: New Publications and Projects Manager

ILSI's James Cameron, MA

ILSI Global

ILSI announces Mr. James M. Cameron as Publications and Projects Manager, effective 2 December. Mr. Cameron has a strong background in a wide variety of publications, from large-scale print directories and databases to peer-reviewed journals. He previously worked for the Society for Technical Communication (STC), where he was Communications Manager and worked on STC's peer-reviewed journal and member-focused magazine. He earned his master’s degree in American Literature from Georgetown University in 2011.

 

Nutrition Reviews

NR-Dec

Upcoming Content in Nutrition Reviews
Did you know, Nutrition Reviews publishes many articles online ahead of print? To ensure you are the first to hear about all of the journal’s exciting content as soon as it publishes, sign up online to receive alerts via email. The process is easy, and with an option to set the frequency or unsubscribe at any time, you’ll never receive more alerts than you desire. Some of the upcoming content you won’t want to miss includes an entire supplement examining the connections between whole grains, dietary fiber, and health as well as articles on the benefits of quercetin supplementation for heart health and how mycoprotein may be a useful alternative protein source to benefit muscle and metabolic health.

Events

ILSI Southeast Asia Region

National Workshop on Issues on Nutrition and Food Safety in Myanmar
National Workshop on Issues on Nutrition and Food Safety in Myanmar
11 December | Yangon, Myanmar
Organized by ILSI SEA Region and co-organized with the Food and Drug Administration Myanmar, the 1-day closed door workshop will include status updates on Myanmar’s food regulation framework, progress and development of its Food Composition Database as well as fortification programs, share about analytical issues relevant to nutrition labeling and food safety risk assessment framework.

ILSI Europe

Mockup food takeaway packaging for cafe and restaurant - cardboard box for coffee, burger, noodles, sandwich, sushi on light white wood table.
7th International Symposium on Food Packaging – Scientific Developments Supporting Safety and Innovation
18-20 November| Barcelona, Spain
The ILSI Europe International Symposia on Food Packaging are held every four years and are internationally recognized as a scientific forum to discuss the science that ensures the safety and quality of food packaging. The 7th symposium will be held in November 2020 emphasizing the innovations in the area of food packaging. More information or email packaging.sympo@ilsieurope.be.