Despite food lipids being one of the main energy sources in the body, the connection between many lipid species in different food products and their nutritional relevance is not fully understood. The main goal of this interest group (IG) is to advance the application of lipidomics in food and nutrition research. By leveraging lipidomic technologies, we aim to enhance our understanding of food authenticity, quality, and composition. This IG will address key challenges such as detecting food adulteration, monitoring oxidized lipids, and improving food preservation to extend shelf life.
Our focus includes (1) developing robust lipidomic methods to verify food authenticity and ensure quality control throughout the food production process, (2) profiling lipid compositions to better understand the nutritional content of foods and their role in human health, (3) investigating the formation of oxidized lipids and their impact on food safety and shelf life, aiming to develop strategies to mitigate these effects, and (4) exploring how dietary lipids interact with human metabolism to inform personalized nutrition strategies and nutritional intervention studies.
This IG will identify bottlenecks in applying lipidomic methods to food and nutrition research, and work on overcoming these challenges. This includes ensuring that lipidomic analyses are robust, cost-effective, and validated in accordance with regulatory standards.
We aim to collaborate closely with regulatory authorities, food industry stakeholders, and academic researchers to establish guidelines and quality assurance programs for lipidomic applications in food and nutrition. By fostering such collaborations, we hope to facilitate the integration of lipidomics into product development and dietary research, ultimately contributing to better health outcomes and food quality.
