Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ERA-HDHL (ERA-NET Biomarkers for Nutrition and Health implementing the JPI HDHL objectives)
Reporting period: 2017-02-01 to 2022-01-31
There is a high burden of Non-Communicated Diseases (NCDs) caused by unhealthy diet and lifestyle patterns. The Joint Programming Initiative Healthy Diet Healthy Life (JPI HDHL) deploys a strategic plan to foster the European research and competitiveness through national and international programmes to lower the burden of NCDs cause by unhealthy diet and lifestyle patterns. The Strategic Research Agenda of the JPI HDHL is articulated three research domains interconnected (see figure 1): 1. Citizens, Diet and Behaviour, with the aim of measuring, monitoring and changing dietary and physical activity behaviour; 2. Food for Health, to provide safe and nutritious food products for a healthier and sustainable diet, that will contribute to secure a future-proof food system; 3. Diet, Health and Disease the research should target the mechanisms to promote health and help reduce lifestyle-related diseases. ERA-HDHL, aimed to provide a robust platform for implementing Joint Funding Activities that addressed needs identified by the JPI HDHL and to create a transnational network of researchers collaborating in the field. The ERA-NET cofund allowed to reduce the fragmentation of research funding and efficiently aligning the JPI HDHL activities among partners and beyond. In addition of a cofunded call, ERA-HDHL implemented 5 additional joint funding activities (JFAs) towards the creation of a transnational network of researchers collaborating in the field of Nutrition and Health. The first aim of ERA-HDHL was to support research in the field of Biomarkers for Nutrition and Health (BioNH) through a cofunded call with the European Commission. Its main objective was to support multidisciplinary transnational research consortia that used innovative and scientific approaches to increase knowledge on the development and validation of biomarkers for nutrition and health. Additional JFAs of the ERA-HDHL were based on the Implementation Plans of the JPI HDHL to fulfil the JPI HDHL objectives. All activities supported excellent research groups to work together and to share knowledge but also to contribute to the reduction of the fragmentation of research efforts and increase efficiency of invested funds.
In 2016, the cofunded call allowed to fund 12 projects, involving 53 research teams. The aim of JFA1 (2017) was to establish a multi-disciplinary research network for the monitoring, benchmarking and evaluation of policies that affect dietary and physical activity as well as sedentary behaviour with a standardised approach across Europe: PEN network, 60 researchers from 28 Institutes, 7 European Countries and New Zealand, with 4,5 M€. The JFA2, launched in 2018, allowed to support 6 research projects (budget of 6,8 M€) that will gain a better understanding of the diet- epigenome relationships and their effect on human health. The JFA3 focused on the establishment of a Knowledge Hub on Food and Nutrition Security (SYSTEMIC) to accelerate, further characterise and to manage the impact of climate change on nutritional make-up of food, and to propose adaptive strategies/ measures to ensure food and nutrition security: 41 research groups from 8 countries, 1,7 M€. In 2020, the aim of JFA4 was to address the prevention of undernutrition in European older citizens through the consumption of appropriate nutritious food: 6 projects, 31 research teams from 8 countries, 6 M€. The JFA5 (2021) focused on how food ingredients and food processing methods can induce or prevent the occurrence of food intolerances and allergies among the consumers: 4 projects, 18 research teams from 7 countries, 4,4 M€. ERA-HDHL monitor the results of the funded projects by different means (progress reports and symposia). Experts from the respective SEC, JPI HDHL SAB and SHAB were also involved in the evaluation of the projects. All the information gathered from the progress reports and provided by the experts were analysed in deliverables. All steps of the JFA implementation were published in the JPI HDHL website relayed in the newsletters and via the JPI HDHL social networks. Factsheets were elaborated about ERA-HDHL instrument and the results of each JFA and published on the JPI HDHL website. Finally, all projects funded under ERA-HDHL are present in the JPI HDHL database named research framework, in which an abstract, highlights of the projects and outcomes are filled and updated by the respective project coordinator.
The JPI HDHL deploys a strategic plan to foster the European research and competitiveness through national and international programmes to lower the burden of NCDs caused by unhealthy diet and lifestyle patterns. To ensure coordination and reduce the overlap and duplication of national and EU funding, ERA-HDHL brought together programme owners and funding bodies to implement relevant JFAs that met the research needs identified by the JPI HDHL. ERA-HDHL activities further improved the linking, efficient integration and coordination of national programmes in the nutrition and health area by allocating together about 28,5 million euros on research projects and 6,2 million euros on two knowledge hubs. The ERA-HDHL funded projects will develop new knowledge, solutions and technologies on nutrition, food and health through pooling resources. The projects have already delivered valuable new insights within the domain of food, nutrition, health and physical activity. The results of the cofunded projects, focused on the identification and validation of biomarkers that are modulated by diet and that indicate a change in health status and/or risk of developing diet-related diseases, are expected to be highly beneficial not only for the scientific and healthcare community, but also for consumers, patients and policy makers. Results of PEN (JFA1) are expected to provide guidance to policymakers, professionals in the public health area, the food industry and consumers, globally supporting citizens to maintain or improve their health. Funded projects within the JFA2 “Nutrition & the Epigenome” are expected to provide insights that allow the development and scientific substantiation of intervention strategies. The SYSTEMIC Knowledge Hub (JFA3) has the potential to propose adaptive strategies and measures to ensure food and nutrition security through future food scenarios. Findings from the PREVNUT (JFA4) projects will generate new knowledge about food characteristics and innovative nutrient-dense foods with a positive impact on appetite, oral processing, digestion and nutrient bioavailability in older adults. Lastly, the FOOD_HYPERSENS (JFA5) results will improve the prevention of hypersensitivities to food and may lead to practical guidance to food business operators and new policy recommendations. The funded research projects allowed the increase of capacity building via creating jobs and carrying out training activities. In addition, the consortia make the use of data from existing biobanks and cohorts and also endorsed to the FAIR principles. The combination of outcomes from ERA-HDHL funded projects are disseminated through different channel of communication including the JPI HDHL SHAB to reach consumers and influence its behavior and consumption and the production of healthy food by food and drink industries.