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H2020Doctoral network2018–2022

Edulia · BRINGING DOWN BARRIERS TO CHILDREN’S HEALTHY EATING

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2018-02-01 → 2022-07-31
EU contribution
€2,933,057
Participants
18
Scheme
MSCA-ITN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

BRINGING DOWN BARRIERS TO CHILDREN’S HEALTHY EATING

Edulia responded to the urgent need to find new ways to tackle the escalating issue of obesity, through promoting healthier eating from childhood. Based on the relations between sensory perception, pleasure, food choice and food behaviour, the project looked for new approaches to drive children to like and actively choose healthy foods, developing healthier dietary habits. Edulia has been a multi-disciplinary and inter-sectorial European Training and Research Network with a global reach. Our network trained 11 innovative and adaptable researchers in high-level skills across complementary fields through studying children’s food choices, 9 of them obtained a PhD degree during the project duration, the other two are on their way. The training program included multidisciplinary scientific training, secondments in academic and non-academic organisations, and courses in transferable skills, promoting science communication and outreach. The overall aim of the research programme was to better understand how multiple factors act as barriers for children’s healthy eating and how to tackle them, bringing together leading scientists in the Food Choice arena in a collaborative network that will transcend the limits of this project and strengthen European research. Edulia will develop social marketing and nudging strategies, study peer and family social interactions and social media marketing, identify sensory and non-sensory parameters that influence what is eaten (food choice) and how much is eaten (intake), and develop products which can drive healthy eating through sensory pleasure. We will explore children’s food choices in real settings, observing eating behaviour and social interaction, in parallel to food preferences and food intake. We will ultimately propose innovative approaches to support children’s healthier eating, providing a strong knowledge base and clear guidance to the general public, the food industry and EU policy makers.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Edulia responds to the urgent need of EU society to find new ways to tackle the escalating issue of obesity, through promoting healthier eating from childhood. Based on the relations of sensory perception, pleasure, food choice and food behaviour, the project will look for new approaches to drive children to like and actively choose healthy foods, developing healthier habits. Edulia is a multi-disciplinary and inter-sectorial European Training and Research Network with a global reach. Our network will train a new generation of innovative and adaptable researchers, with highly specialised skills across complementary fields studying children’s food choice, while exposing them to cross-sector experiences, in order to build strong career development paths. The training program includes multidisciplinary scientific training within natural and social sciences, secondments in academic and non-academic organisations, and courses in transferable skills, promoting science communication and outreach. The overall aim of the research programme is to better understand how multiple factors act as barriers for children’s healthy eating and how to tackle them, bringing together leading scientists in the Food Choice arena in a collaborative network that will transcend the limits of this project and strengthen European research. Edulia will go further than the classical approach of “teaching children what is healthy”, by exploring approaches such as positive marketing, nudging strategies, focusing on peer and family social interactions, studying sensory and non-sensory parameters that influence what is eaten (food choice) and how much is eaten (intake), and exploiting the positive food sensory characteristics which can drive healthy eating through enhancing pleasure. We will ultimately propose innovative approaches to support children’s healthier eating, providing a strong knowledge base and clear guidance for children, the general public, the food industry and EU policy makers.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • NOFIMA AS · TromsoCoordinatorNorway
  • AARHUS UNIVERSITET · Aarhus CDenmark
  • ARLA FOODS AMBA · Viby JDenmark
  • CENTRE DE RECHERCHE DE L'INSTITUT LYFE · ECULLYFrance
  • CORNELL UNIVERSITY · IthacaUnited States
  • Diana Naturals S.A.S. · AntrainFrance
  • Elior · ParisUnknown Region
  • FOLKEHELSEINSTITUTTET · OsloNorway
  • INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT · ParisFrance
  • Instituto Nacional de Alimentación · MontevideoUruguay
  • Kidvertising · AarhusUnknown Region
  • Netherlands Nutrition Centre Foundation · DEN HAAGUnknown Region
  • STICHTING WAGENINGEN RESEARCH · WageningenNetherlands
  • Sammontana SpA · EmpoliItaly
  • TINE BA · OsloNorway
  • UNIVERSIDAD DE LA REPUBLICA · MontevideoUruguay
  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI FIRENZE · FlorenceItaly
  • WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY · WageningenNetherlands

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union