A sample of IFN's frequently asked questions on foods

About IFN

Founded in 1974, the “Institut Français pour la Nutrition” or IFN (French Nutrition Institute, www.ifn.asso.fr) is a non profit organisation. The IFN helps to bring together public-sector researchers, private institutions and the main French agri-food businesses.

Founded in 1974, the “Institut Français pour la Nutrition” or IFN (French Nutrition Institute, ) is a non profit organisation. The IFN helps to bring together public-sector researchers, private institutions and the main French agri-food businesses.

MAIN FIELDS OF ACTIVITY

The IFN organises each month a conference on a different topic (e.g. nutrition and physical activity, French National Programme on Health and Nutrition, nutrition and the ageing of the brain). Members and partners of the IFN are invited to participate, as well as the media and any person eager to learn about the topic. The talks are given by high-level specialists and create the ideal forum to discuss industry issues and publicly funded research.

They also support the award “Prix de la Recherche en Nutrition” (Nutrition Research Award).

The IFN organises yearly, a number of lectures, round tables, workshops about key nutrition and food-related topics with the aim of disseminating the information, confronting different view points, and letting new approaches emerge (in the scientific field, legal sphere, etc). Those events are done by the IFN on its own or in partnership and their results are summarised in a publication.

The institute organises Working Groups for members who wish to address topical subjects more in-depth. The conclusions reached in those groups are disseminated in various forms: "Dossiers Scientifiques”, which are scientific files created on topics such as health claims; "Charte", a charter for the development and dissemination of educational material in the fields of food and nutrition; “Conferences”, for example on food allergies, etc.

All the activities and publications carried out throughout the year, are summarised in the “Réalisations” annual booklet of the IFN. This publication is both an annual overview and a communication tool. The IFN also publishes a monthly newsletter “Bulletin d’Information” describing the IFN activities and nutrition highlights.

Recently, in order to help consumers learn about food composition, their health effects and our needs, the IFN gathered 200 questions on the different food categories from consumers. The answers were prepared by a multidisciplinary team of specialists and validated by the IFN scientists. Of the 200 IFN questions and answers, EUFIC has selected 50 and translated them into different languages for a broader European audience.