The Association for Nutrition (AfN), British Dietetic Association (BDA), British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) and Nutrition Society (NS) have today launched the Academy of Nutrition Sciences (ANS), a new charitable organisation which aims to provide a powerful and unified voice to promote evidence-based nutrition science.
The formation of the Academy of Nutrition Sciences has been announced at the Federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS) European Nutrition Conference in Dublin, Ireland. The announcement was made by Professor Harry McArdle, Emeritus Professor at the Rowett Institute University of Aberdeen, and the new Academy’s Chair of Trustees.
The Academy builds on existing collaboration between the four founding organisations, and will act as an umbrella body for strategic initiatives. The Academy will seek to improve public health and wellbeing and support excellence in research, education and associated activities to advance the knowledge and application of evidence-based nutrition science.
Speaking about the role of the new body Professor McArdle said; “Ensuring the quality of public information on nutrition is a critical goal because people often struggle to access well informed and safe advice.
“The creation of the Academy comes at an important time, when the central role of diet and nutrition in wider public health is being better recognised, and conditions such as diabetes and obesity on the one hand and undernutrition on the other are placing increased strain on our health services.
“The Academy will also act as a champion of nutrition education and research, promoting nutrition science as an important STEM subject and a career path accessible to all. This is a hugely exciting development and I look forward to taking the organisation forward as chair of trustees.”
Professor Judy Buttriss, BNF Director General and a Trustee of the new Academy of Nutrition Sciences, said: “I am delighted that after several decades of informal collaboration between the founding organisations, in which I have been personally involved, the Academy is now established as a registered charity.
“The founding organisations have diverse yet complementary areas of expertise and operation in the world of nutrition, making the Academy ideally placed to foster and champion excellence in evidence-based nutrition science communication, education and research.”
Professor Alan Shenkin, Honorary President of the British Nutrition Foundation said: “The launch of the Academy of Nutrition Sciences is a landmark event for nutrition science in the UK, and I am very pleased that BNF had the foresight to work with the other founding members to establish this immensely important structure and to become a founding member. Never has the need been greater for clarity and consistency in the way we interpret nutrition research and communicate this with the public in an evidence based manner.
The Academy, which is registered with the Charity Commission, will complement and amplify the existing work of the four founding organisations. It will work with partner organisations to deliver leadership and add value. Other organisations from the UK and further afield, who share the Academy’s ambition, principles and values, will be welcome to join in future. Academy membership is open to organisations, not individuals. Commercial food or pharmaceutical business will not be eligible to become members.
