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Research Projects

Living and eating on a shoestring in old age

Participatory research towards improvement

The number of people at risk of poverty in Germany is increasing. Their lining conditions are often characterised by poorer nutritional status and overall health, less favourable housing conditions and less social participation. In the case of older people, this is exacerbated by the fact that they have almost no means of recovering from poverty. Improving their situation is thus of great relevance to society.
This is where the research project “ELSinA - Ernährungs- und Lebenssituation von Seniorinnen und Senioren in Armut” (Nutritional situation and living conditions of senior citizens in poverty) comes in. ELSinA is co-creating a plan of action to improve the nutritional situation and living conditions. The project focuses on changing the circumstances of life of senior citizens living in monetary poverty

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Social dimension of climate-friendly nutrition

What is meant by the social dimension of sustainable nutrition and how can social impacts of nutrition be better recorded and considered? Within the framework of the joint project "Climate-Friendly Nutrition from the Perspective of Consumers and Society" (ENKL) with the Thünen Institute, the Department of Nutritional Behavior of the MRI will address the social dimension of climate-friendly and sustainable nutrition. The project involves experts from different areas of society in order to reflect existing knowledge and experience in a systemic way and to jointly develop perspectives in order to strengthen the topic.

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Sustainability Analysis within the COPLANT-study

How do plant-based diets compare to mixed diets in terms of sustainability? Within the COPLANT study on plant-based diets, which is being conducted with about 6,000 women and men aged 18 to 69 at different study centres in Germany, the Department of Nutritional Behaviour is responsible for the work package “Sustainability Analysis”. In this work package, social, ecological, and economic effects of different diets are investigated and approaches for integrative sustainability assessment in the field of nutrition are developed.

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Food literacy in Germany

AOK study data analysed in depth

Healthy nutrition is not least a question of one’s food literacy. Food literacy is referred to as the combination of nutritional knowledge and the ability to apply this knowledge, experience and practical skills in everyday nutrition in a health-promoting manner. Given a lack of current data on food literacy at a national level, the AOK Federal Association carried out a study on the food literacy of the adult population in Germany at the beginning of 2020.

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REFOWAS - Pathways to Reduce Food Waste

How can food waste be reduced?

Together with other partners, the Department of Nutritional Behaviour sought ways to reduce the amount of food waste along the entire food value chain in the REFOWAS project.

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The German National Nutrition Survey II

What’s on the menu in Germany? Do we have an adequate nutrient intake? Does food consumption differ between men and women? To answer these and other questions, the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection commissioned the Max Rubner-Institut (formerly Federal Research Centre for Nutrition and Food) to plan and conduct the German National Nutrition Survey (NVS) II. The first representative consumption study was conducted 20 years ago and covered only the federal states of West Germany.

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