Each of the collaborating centers from the constituent institutions which make up IUNA has its own active nutrition research programme. Where appropriate, collaborative research programmes are established
UCD
The following projects are illustrative of some of this collaborative research:
1. Applied Nutrition and Food Safety Research
Since 1990, IUNA has completed a number of comprehensive national dietary surveys,:
The North South Ireland Food Consumption Survey (18-64y)
The National Children’s Food Survey (5-12y)
The National Teen’s Food Survey (13-17y)
IUNA researchers have conducted detailed analysis of the databases in several areas of public health nutrition research and in the area of probabilistic analysis for food safety purposes. Currently, all partners are actively engaged in a series of nationwide surveys to establish nationally representative databases of food consumption in population groups for which there are no recent data (adults, including elderly and preschool children). This project is planned as the first stage in the development of an annual rolling survey of food consumption representative of the Republic of Irelandpopulation that is comparable with existing survey data and with proposed surveys in theUK. As before, the information collected during the survey will be used to develop effective nutrition policies and health promotion campaigns throughout Ireland and will be used to estimate exposure to food chemicals.
The National Adult Nutrition Survey - (link) represents the first phase of this study. In addition to detailed data on food consumption, data is also being collected on body weight, blood pressure and lifestyle (including physical activity). For the first time, blood, DNA and urine samples are being collected for analysis of nutrition and metabolic indicators. In conjunction with colleagues at Teagasc, attitudes to food and health and determinants of food choice will be examined. These surveys are funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under the Food for Health Research Initiative (2007-2012).
2. Metabolic, cellular and molecular nutrition research
IUNA members have been involved in a significant number of funded research programmes in the area of cellular and molecular nutrition. Under the Food for Health Research Initiative (2007-2012), funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, IUNA partners are creating a National Nutrition Phenotype Database. This database will extend and deepen traditional dietary survey databases by combining dietary, physical activity, body measurement and lifestyle data with nutrigenomics technology data from three distinct projects. Collectively, the database is called JINGO or the Joint Irish Nutrigenomics Organisation (link) and the three contributing projects are:
1. National Adult Nutrition Survey (Acronym NANS) led by University College Cork (1500 adults 18+ yrs)
2. Trinity-Ulster Department of Agriculture Project (Acronym TUDA) conducted by Trinity College Dublin and the University of Ulster at Coleraine (6000 adults 60+ yrs)
3. Metabolic challenge study (Acronym MECHE) led by University College Dublin (300 adults 18-60 yrs)
Further details of all three studies are available here (www.ucd.ie/jingo).
4. The Food Graduate Development Programme
The Food Graduate Development Programme has been developed by UCD, UCC and Teagasc; the aim of this programme is to provide skills training to postgraduate students and research staff funded under the Food Institution Research Measure (FIRM) in universities and research institutions in Ireland. The skills training is specifically tailored for the needs of the post grad with a food or nutrition based qualification, with modules focusing on the skills needed from leaders in the Agri-Food sector, Food industry and other institutions nationally and internationally.
Further information on the food graduate programme is available here .
