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FoodDrinkEurope sets research priorities

During its congress “Taste of Tomorrow”, held at Expo Milano, FoodDrinkEurope, which represents the European food and drink industry, launched its main strategic research priorities, supported by a set of Principles for Research Conduct, which aim at establishing common ground for objective conclusions in research and science. The food and drink industry is fully committed […]

During its congress “Taste of Tomorrow”, held at Expo Milano, FoodDrinkEurope, which represents the European food and drink industry, launched its main strategic research priorities, supported by a set of Principles for Research Conduct, which aim at establishing common ground for objective conclusions in research and science.

The food and drink industry is fully committed to continuous support to research in the sector with a view to finding innovative ways to tackle current societal challenges (sustainability, credibility, etc…).

In this respect, FoodDrinkEurope presented its main strategic research priorities, which focus on

• a sustainable food supply, including food processing, new technologies, and consumer acceptance through a food chain approach;
• the prevention of the rise in non-communicable diseases (obesity, diabetes, etc), focusing on nutrition and behaviour changes.

The reservations sometimes expressed about industry-funded research, however, make the hard work and investment in research almost pointless, FoodDrinkEurope said. By launching in parallel its Principles for Research Conduct, FoodDrinkEurope wishes to add an extra safeguard to existing universal requirements in terms of research and to stress that research based on solid standards is able to protect science against particular interests, whether industry-funded or not.

Following the underlying rule that “Good evidence-based policy-making depends – at least in part – on good evidence”, FoodDrinkEurope said it wishes to emphasise the need for sound, robust and transparent science and research, which it will continue to support.

With this in mind, the criteria on which FoodDrinkEurope’s Principles are based are: scientific robustness, governance, transparency and objectivity. With the adoption of these Principles, Europe’s food and drink industry reiterates its willingness to further develop its cooperation with the largest possible number of scientists.