Food Matters live – What is next for nutrition and digestive health?

These post are rather late due to deadlines, exams and research projects giving me no extra time! But this is the first of a few about the seminars I went to at Food Matters Live a few weeks (months now) ago. (See previous post)

Digestive health is an extremely interesting topic. The gut microbiota is so complex and there are diet-microbiota interactions and also brain gut connections! Digestive illnesses are very common and it is an area that researchers are still learning about.

What is next for Nutrition and digestive health?

The first talk ‘Market insight and trends for gut health ingredients shaping the digestive health market’ was presented by Ewa Hudson, Global head of health and wellness, Nutrition and ethical labels, Euromonitor international. She dicussed the growth and innovation of the growing digestive health sector.

Here’s what I learnt: Digestive health is the 3rd largest health trend within the health and wellness industry! It has shown to be equally important across key regions of the world. The top products are FF bottled water, probiotic yoghurt, high fibre breakfast cereal and sour milk drinks. Others include noodles, bread, pasta and biscuits. The top digestive health brand in the world is Yakult and then Activia. In Western Europe sales of probiotic supplements outpase sour milk drinks currently. The gap between sales of probiotic yoghurt and supplements is narrowing – supplement sales are increasing. Probiotic supplements currently have a retail value of $4 billion (2015) and growth is expected. In 2016 there was £10.5 billion worth of digestive remedies sales – including indigestion and heartburn remedies, laxatives, diarroheal remedies and IBS remedy etc. This was highlighted to show a need for improved preventative approach. Digestive diseases in the UK cause 49 deaths per 100000 people – this is quite high. In the UK Weetabix is the largest selling digestive health brand! (Most people would probably think it would be a yoghurt brand). Then it is oat so simple, Warburtons, Kingsmill, Hovis, Shreddies, Kellogs, Alpen, Dorset cereals. Think fibre! Weetabix don’t only focus on their fibre and wholegrain aspect of their products but also local production and responsible growing of their wheat with less fertiliser. It is thought that there is lots of opportunity in China for digestive health products. Looking into the future – food and mental disorders are on the rise and so are allergies, skin conditions, arthritis and autism – thinking about the gut as the second brain. As well as food and mood links involving the gut and brain axis. We are now more intuned with our bodies and adjusting diets. There has been a big rise in free from foods – likely to be the fastest growing health and wellness trend in the next 5 years. Free from in  2016 was worth £21 million globally and involves improving digestion as it includes many products free from dairy (big category), gluten, lactose. Finally, clean labels were discussed as a new idea for digestive health products.

The second speaker was Dr Megan Rossi a Research Associate at Kings College London. Next post to come will be information from her talk about IBS and FODMAPs…

Food Matters Live 2016

Last week I headed on an early train Nottingham to St Pancras for a day at Food Matters Live – a huge UK food and nutrition conference which brings together industry, retailers, government and those working in nutrition for a 3 day event. There is a huge exhibition of organisations including food companies to universities; lots of speakers participating in seminars; plus networking opportunities with the range of visitors from backgrounds including food science manufacturing, R&D, marketing, retail, nutrition and public health.  I had been before and I was looking forward to it!

I first went to a seminar session on digestive health: ‘What is next for nutrition and digestive health?’ – a very interesting and relevant area. Dr Glenys Jones, the communications manager at the Association for Nutrition chaired the session and introduced the varied speakers. The first speaker was Eva Hudson, Global Head of Health and Wellness Rseaearch at Euromonitor International – she spoke about market insight and trends for gut health ingredients shaping the digestive health market which I found very interesting (clue – weetabix is the biggest selling digestive health product in the UK!). The second talk was Understanding the FODMAP concept presented by Dr Megan Rossi, She is a Research Associate at Kings College London. Her talk was great and very informative and well explained (it added to my own reading I have been doing on this topic). Professor Bob Rastall, professor of food Biotechnology at The University of Reading presented about the Latest insights into the effect of food and diet on gut microbiome. This involved some complex gut biochemistry pathways! The session was then finished by Dr Gwen Falony, scientist at VIB who explained some population-level analysis of gut microbiome and the studies they have been doing with fecal samples. More detail about the information from the talks to come in my next blog posts!

The second session I went to was about early years (an area of nutrition I love – my research project is about maternal nutrition – and a very important one to prevent problems later in life). ‘Maternal and infant nutrition: supporting good nutrition in early years’. This session was chaired by Professor Sarah Redsell, Professor of Public Health at Anglia Ruskin University and she introduced with Identifying obesity risk in infancy: the role of the health visitor. First Kim Roberts the Chief Executive on HENRY (Health, Exercise, Nutrition for the Really Young – what a great charity!) spoke about Making every contact count: working with health professionals to ensure families are given effective nutritional advice. Vicki Watson a specialist Public Health Dietitian from Nottingham City Care Partnership spoke about weaning ways: how to give families the best possible advice and support around complimentary feeding. She spoke about some of the great work that has been put into the communities here in Nottingham! Then the best practice in infant weaning was dicussed. Clare Basely, Registered Nutrition, CLB Nutrition Ltd and Ella’s Kitchen also spoke about weaning and she presented Improving babies’ long term food preferences by weaning with vegetables: a review of the latest evidence. (Use vegetables in weaning!). Katie Fordham (ANutr), the science and innovation senior manager at Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition thenexplained taste and texture in infant weaning: How weaning practice impacts on later eating habits. To finish Annie Denny the Nutrition Development Manager at the Early Years Nutrition Partnership spoke about delivering expert food and nutrition practice in early years settings. (A great job that the EYNP do) – Again more details to come in a future blog!

I then took my time walking around the exhibition (and trying many a sample of the products on show!). The exhibitors ranged from big food and drink manufacturers to new small start ups plus Universities and research bodies, retailers, ingredient suppliers and food service providers – all showing developments in food and drink innovation in ‘healthier’ ideas.

There was many a gluten/dairy free, vegetarian/vegan, ‘refined sugar free’ type of fruit/nut/seed bar this year …

In the afternoon I decided to go to some sessions in the conference theatre. Firstly ‘Food and Youth Matters’ where Prof. John Stein – Professor of Physiology at University of Oxford; Prof. Deborah Christie – Consultant clinical psychologist and Professor in paediatric and adolescent psychology; Emma Woolf – Author, writer, critic and journalist; and Marcus Butler – You Tube vlogger all pitched their views and then took part in a discussion with lots of questions from the audience.

I then stayed for the next conference session which was ‘The psychology of food choice: what shapes our food preferences’ (interestingly linked to my current ‘changing behaviours, promoting health module at uni’). Bee Wilson – Food writer and historian; Pierre Chandon – Director at INSEAD Sorbonne Behavioural Lab; Daniel Glaser – Neuroscientist and Director of Science Gallery, KCL; and Dr Rob Post – Senior Director of the Chobani Nutrition Center all shared their thoughts and opinions before answering questions from the audience and discussing their different view points.

A busy but great day in the nutrition world! I love going to conferences as I get to hear new and exciting things happening in nutrition, potential career areas and learn new things. It reinforces why I am so passionate about nutrition.

More blog posts to come with more about what was talked about in the presentations/discussions.

Waiting in kings cross for my train home meant for a Leon meal for dinner as a hot nourishing meal was what I needed to sustain my journey back. Food on the go doesn’t have to be unhealthy!