EURRECA: EURopean micronutrient RECommendations Aligned

Summary

EURECCA is a European Network of Excellence. The overall objective of the project is to overcome fragmentation and create a sustainable collaborative network to develop quality assured aligned nutrient recommendations across Europe. Based on this, critical micronutrients and vulnerable population groups will be identified, which will guide the development of country-specific Food Based Dietary Guidelines.

This network will produce: 

  • Standardisation - for specific purposes and groups - of definitions, methodologies and markers to assess nutrient intake, status and requirements, with particular attention to vulnerable population groups.
  • Quality frameworks for all the above, and a system for their regular review.
  • EU-wide data on micronutrient status in order to identify vulnerable population groups.
  • Aligned nutrient recommendations across Europe.
  • The inclusion of a consumer perspective at all stages to ensure that the nutrient recommendations to be developed are relevant and useful.
  • Effective and innovative two way communication to all stakeholders including consumers, researchers, health professionals, teachers, consumer organisations, media and industry, a number of which are SME. 

Published Articles

Jensen BB, Lähteenmäki L, Grunert KG, Brown KA, Timotijevic L, Barnett J, Shepherd R, Raats MMR  (under review with Appetite). Changing micronutrient intake through (voluntary behaviour  change – the case of folate.

Brown KA, Timotijevic L, Barnett J, Shepherd R, Lähteenmäki L, Raats MM (2011). A review of consumer awareness, understanding and use of food-based dietary guidelines. Br J Nutr. Jul;106(1):15-26. Epub 2011 Mar 9.

Brown KA, Timotijevic L, Barnett J, Ruprich J, Rehůřková I, Hermoso M, Andersen LF, Lillegaard IT, Fernández-Celemín L, Larrañaga A, Lončarevič-Srmič A, Raats MM (2011). Micronutrient recommendation stakeholders' beliefs on dietary guidelines: a qualitative study across six European countries/regions. Eur J Clin Nutr. Jul;65(7):872-4. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2011.38. Epub 2011 Apr 13.

Timotijevic L, Raats MM, Barnett J, Brown K, Shepherd R, Fernandez L, Dömölki L, Ruprich J, Sonne AM, Hermoso M, Koletzko B, Frost-Andersen L, Timmer A (2010). From micronutrient recommendations to policy: consumer and stakeholder involvement. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Jun;64 Suppl 2:S31-7.

Timotijevic L, Barnett J, Brown K, Shepherd R, Fernández-Celemín L, Dömölki L, Ruprich J, Dhonukshe-Rutten RA, Sonne AM, Hermoso M, Koletzko B, Frost-Andersen L, Timmer A, Raats MM (2011). The process of setting micronutrient recommendations: A cross-European comparison of nutrition-related scientific advisory bodies. Public Health Nutr. Apr;14(4):716-28. Epub 2010 Sep 23.

Dhonukshe-Rutten RA, Timotijevic L, Cavelaars AE, Raats MM, de Wit LS, Doets EL, Tabacchi G, Roman B, Ngo-de la Cruz J, Gurinovic M, de Groot LC, van 't Veer P (2010). European micronutrient recommendations aligned: a general framework developed by EURRECA. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Jun;64 Suppl 2:S2-10.

Hermoso M, Tabacchi G, Iglesia-Altaba I, Bel-Serrat S, Moreno LA, García-Santos Y, del Rosario García-Luzardo M, Santana-Salguero B, Peña-Quintana L, Serra-Majem L, Hall Moran V, Dykes F, Decsi T, Benetou V, Plada M, Trichopoulou A, Raats MM, Doets EL, Berti C, Cetin I and Koletzko B (2010) The nutritional requirements of infants. Towards EU alignment of reference values: the EURRECA network. MCN-The American Journal of Maternal-Child Nursing 6:55-83.

Doets EL, de Wit LS, Dhonukshe-Rutten RA, Cavelaars AE, Raats MM, Timotijevic L, Brzozowska A, Wijnhoven TM, Pavlovic M, Totland TH, Andersen LF, Ruprich J, Pijls LT, Ashwell M, Lambert JP, van 't Veer P, de Groot LC (2008). Current micronutrient recommendations in Europe: towards understanding their differences and similarities. Eur J Nutr. Apr;47 Suppl 1:17-40.

Ashwell M, Lambert JP, Alles MS, Branca F, Bucchini L, Brzozowska A, de Groot LCPGM, Dhonukshe-Rutten RAM, Dwyer JT, Fairweather-Tait S, Koletzko B, Pavlovic M, Raats MM, Serra-Majem L, Smith R, van Ommen B, van ’t Veer P, von Rosen J, Pijls LTJ, EURRECA Network (2008) How we will produce the evidence-based EURRECA toolkit to support nutrition and food policy. European Journal of Nutrition 47(Suppl 1), 2-16.

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Researchers 

Funding