How can we adopt sustainable foods in the consumer population, with respect to vulnerable groups, cultural differences, data science, and behaviour? The Health Hub wants to explore the barriers and possibilities related to microbiological, nutritional and consumer quality aspects, and use this knowledge to create a multilevel strategy for dietary behaviour changes.

What are we interested in?

To define, what we expect from a transition. Should/could meat e.g., be cut out completely?
How do we define the ideal composition of a "transition" diet considering proteins, micronutrients etc. with due attention to health, circularity, climate, biodiversity, resource efficiency, etc.?
Which nutrition elements will be missing when changing diets?
Can we predict the absorption of different/alternative/new nutrients in different populations when changing diets?
The advantages and disadvantages of using new protein resources, such as insects and artificial meat

What are the main challenges?

Considering new risks, e.g., allergies, and food safety implications
How to conceptualize the “ideal” or “good enough” diet
How to ensure that the ideal diet and modifications of this are in line with the diversity of food cultures
How to ensure that “vulnerable” groups are not ignored
How consumers can be empowered to accept and utilise 'health' opportunities within the transition to plant-based diets

Key characteristics of the Hub

Related to the theme of the Hub, participants represented competencies and interests ranging from, e.g. chemical food safety, protein processing from animal and plant sources, chemical composition and safety of “future foods”, health/sustainability lifecycle assessments, circularity and livestock production, dietary guidelines and health promotion, consumer and sensory sciences, including consumer motivation and values, the pleasure of eating and behavioural change from meat-based to more plant-based diets.

Who are we?

The Health Hub welcomes everybody who are interested in how we can change our dietary behaviour, to support a sustainable green transistion within the agrifood systems. The Hub is especially looking for people who can give perspectives from humanities, data sciences, logistics, as well as people from the primary production that are looking into sustainable production. We need to include perspectives on societal structures, to help map out barriers to adoption of sustainable foods in the consumer population, including vulnerable groups, and to integrate sociological perspectives to be able to explore TRL and SRL.