BNF to reveal plant-based foods review

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) is to hold a conference in September for the launch of its publication 'Plants: Diet and Health 2003', providing detailed information on substances in plant-based foods that may have a protective and positive health effect.

Contents include information on major foods and beverages, the content and role of bioactive substances within them, and the effects of food processing and public health issues.

The book was written by a BNF Task Force consisting of well-known and respected scientists, under the chairmanship of Professor Malcolm Jackson from the University of Liverpool, and is designed to provide essential core information for a wide range of health professionals, including dietitians, nutritionists, general and family practitioners and community nurses.

The BNF said in a statement that it hoped both personnel in the food industry responsible for product development, production and packaging, as well as those involved in the production of dietary supplements in the food and pharmaceutical industries, would find this publication to be an extremely valuable reference.

However it also noted that lecturers, undergraduates, postgraduates and postdoctoral researchers in nutrition, dietetics, plant sciences, biochemistry, food science and food technology, public health, pharmacy, pharmacology and medicine are also expected to find the book of considerable use.

The conference is to take place on the 11 September 2003 at the City Conference Centre in London in the UK. According to the BNF​, as the conference is aimed at a wide variety of professionals who may not be familiar with all the details the conference will be 'presented in a way that recognises that some of the complex under-pinning chemistry and biochemistry will not be of interest to everyone'.

Key topics will include: Why diets rich in plant-based foods might be good for us; How components of plant foods might protect against disease; Why gut bacteria are important; Why phytochemicals are present in plants; Cereals, nuts and pulses; and what this all means for public health nutrition.