Zero Hidden Hunger EU

Vitamins and minerals are commonly known as micronutrients. These are nutrients that our body needs in tiny amounts, mostly in milligrams or micrograms, to function properly. For example, they help our bodies produce energy, keep our immune system functioning well, and maintain the health of our skin, muscles, and bones. Because our bodies can’t produce vitamins and minerals – with the exception of vitamin D under UV exposure – we need to consume them regularly through our diets. Children, pregnant women, and the elderly have higher biological needs and are more at risk of micronutrient deficiencies. People living in poverty or with limited access to nutritious food may also struggle to get enough of these essential nutrients.

The aim of the research project is to estimate the magnitude of micronutrient deficiencies in the European Union, and to find avenues to combat them. To achieve this, micronutrient adequacy of current European diets is modelled using SPADE, while nutritional status is measured through analysing biomarkers of micronutrient deficiency from all over Europe. Based on this, true prevalence of micronutrient deficiency for the whole of Europe is estimated as well as its associated costs.

Building on these results, WURs role is to apply mathematical programming to model ‘ideal’ diets and evaluate them based on their acceptability, nutritional adequacy, and environmental impact to develop food-focused strategies which target the ‘bottleneck’ micronutrients and populations in need.