The Nutrition Institute, in collaboration with the Jožef Stefan Institute and the National Institute of Public Health, is carrying out the applied research project “Opportunities in the area of food reformulation in managing chronic non-communicable diseases”. The project is co-funded by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS) and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia.
Project co-financed by
Participating research organisations
- Institute of Nutrition, Ljubljana (leading organisation)
- Jožef Stefan Institute
- National Institute of Public Health
Project leader
- prof. dr. Igor Pravst, Institute of Nutrition (NUTRIS)
Project operation
1. 3. 2026–28. 2. 2029
Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and certain cancers – remain the leading cause of premature death worldwide, accounting for an estimated 74% of deaths globally according to the World Health Organization. Poor dietary habits are among the key risk factors, making food reformulation – improving the nutritional composition of processed foods – an important public health strategy. Despite its potential, food reformulation faces persistent challenges: obtaining representative, up-to-date data on food composition is complex, reliable proxies for market-share data are scarce, and the food industry often lacks sufficient incentives to reformulate its products.
Project objectives
- Developing innovative methods for obtaining data on the food market
- Automating the collection and analysis of data on the composition of processed foods
- Exploring the potential of different nutrient profiling approaches to help consumers choose healthier foods, including in online grocery store environments
- Supporting the food sector in reformulation through the freely available NutriForm tool in the NutriBase programme
- Supporting policymakers in monitoring the effectiveness of reformulation
Expected impact
Supporting the reduction of the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases by promoting healthier dietary choices, supporting sustainable food reformulation, and enabling evidence-based public health decisions. The results will benefit consumers, the food industry and policymakers alike, while also strengthening the international standing of Slovenian nutrition research.
