Scope

This year the AGEV Conference is internationally oriented and has an applied, nutrition policy related topic. The conference consists of 5 sections. There are invited speakers in each section but we also invite colleagues to submit posters for each section.

(1) Despite the availability of good quality food and of sound nutrition information, our society faces lifestyle-related health problems. In order to tackle these problems, appropriate nutrition policies have to be formulated which are based on a nutrition monitoring system. In Germany, the National Nutrition Survey will start in 2005. The conference will emphasise the questions: Who needs such information and how will it be used and implemented?

The well-informed consumer, whose behaviour is formed by rational choices is a leading overall concept in our societies. Decisions should be based on objective, evidence-based information. But often, there is no lack of information, there rather is an information overload. This is also true in the field of food and nutrition.

The first section of the conference addresses the problem of information management in the current society from an individual point of view. The decisions of the relevant government, administration and stakeholder groups of the nation's food and nutrition system should also be based on proper information. National nutrition surveys are crucial in such nutrition information systems (surveillance and monitoring systems). Experiences about that are reported in the opening session.

(2) The AGEV conference presents an overview of nutrition surveys which are currently carried out in Europe. Experiences based on the Finn-Balt-Survey and other European surveys are reported.

(3) The information on food habit and nutrition surveys is used by different sciences, e.g. in nutrition epidemiology.

(4) The information on food habit and nutrition surveys is also used by the market partners. Therefore, the views of European consumer organisations, food suppliers and public health institutions are presented.

(5) The results of food habit and nutrition surveys are interesting topics for the Information Society. This is exemplarily regarded from the perspective of mass media and educators.

The results of the congress (lectures and posters) will be published.
 

Coordinating Commitee

Prof. Dr. Georg Karg, Ph.D.
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Oltersdorf
Prof. Dr. Angelika Meier-Ploeger
Dr. Kurt Gedrich
Dr. Brigitte Klamt
Dr. Christine Brombach