Nutrition Society Congress 2026

Reflections from The Nutrition Society Congress 2026

Science Director Sara Stanner and Senior Scientists Dr Lauren Struszczak and Dr Stacey Lockyer headed north this week to attend The Nutrition Society Congress 2026, hosted by Newcastle University, to hear about the latest developments in nutrition science.

While the packed programme covered a diverse range of topics, a common theme emerged throughout the Congress: it needs to be easier for people to consume healthier diets and live healthier lives. This aligns closely with the British Nutrition Foundation's mission to promote health and wellbeing and prevent diet-related ill health through evidence-based nutrition science.

The Congress opened with a session on wholegrains and fibre, a timely topic given that only around 4% of UK adults achieve the recommended intake of 30g of fibre per day. The session included an update on the Raising the Pulse project led by the University of Reading, which the British Nutrition Foundation is proud to have supported as a project partner. It was also encouraging to see our Fun Way to Fibre resource highlighted as an example of collaborative work that helps consumers make healthier food choices.

Research published in our journal, Nutrition Bulletin, was showcased throughout the Congress, including:

• Exploring the Role of Social Supermarkets in Addressing Food Insecurity and Food Waste, which examines the evidence behind social supermarkets as a response to both food insecurity and food waste.
• The RESTRUCTURE trial, a crossover randomised controlled trial investigating how the texture of ultra-processed foods influences eating rate and related outcomes.

It was also great to see the strong emphasis on supporting early career researchers, reflecting the Foundation's commitment to championing nutrition science and the scientists behind it, something we do through our Drummond Awards. The inaugural recipient of the Mike Gibney Early Career Award, Dr Sophia Doyo Amenyah, Vice-Chancellor's Fellow and Assistant Professor in Nutrition at Northumbria University, shared her impressive career journey and an inspiring video about the LEMONADE project, a community-based food model for older adults that was co-produced with local communities in Bournemouth - demonstrating the value of community engagement and co-creation. The project highlighted how innovative research can deliver meaningful benefits for healthy ageing.

As an ENLP alumna, Stacey attended the European Nutrition Leadership Platform (ENLP) session, which explored how leaders can foster constructive conversations in nutrition. Professor Ciarán Forde (Wageningen University & Research and Nutrition Bulletin Editorial Advisory Board Member), Professor Mary Brennan (University of Edinburgh) and Dr Louise Durrant (Sainsbury's and former Nutrition Communications Manager at the Foundation) shared practical insights and leadership lessons. One particularly memorable message was that "the goal isn't to win the debate, it's to inform it" - an important reminder in today's increasingly polarised nutrition landscape.

Another Congress highlight was a lecture by Professor Philip Calder from the University of Southampton, a globally recognised expert on omega-3 fatty acids and health and lead of the BBSRC OIRC iNutriLife Hub for which The British Nutrition Foundation serve as coordinator. His engaging presentation reinforced the importance of omega-3 fatty acids for health, particularly relevant given the low consumption of oily fish across the UK (at 35 g/week on average, well below the recommendation of 140 g/week).

We also enjoyed catching up with colleagues and friends from across the nutrition community. A particular highlight was seeing Stacey's former PhD supervisor, Professor Parveen Yaqoob from the University of Reading receive the well-deserved British Journal of Nutrition Paper of the Year Award with a talk entitled Extracellular Vesicles as Mediators of the Effects of Dietary Lipids on Inflammatory and Vascular Pathways. Her presentation brought back fond memories of laboratory life for both Stacey and Lauren who were both active researchers earlier in their careers.

Congratulations to all presenters who contributed to such an engaging and thought-provoking programme, including our own Dr Lauren Struszczak, who presented findings from her previous research investigating the effects of blueberry consumption on inflammation in people with osteoarthritis.

From evidence generation to real-world impact

Our key takeaway from this year's Congress is that there is no shortage of high-quality nutrition research being conducted across the world. The challenge is ensuring that this research translates into meaningful impact.

Too often, the end of a research grant marks the end of a project. However, generating evidence is only one part of the journey. For research to improve health outcomes, findings need to be communicated effectively and reach the people who can help turn evidence into action, including policymakers, healthcare professionals, food manufacturers and consumers.

The British Nutrition Foundation is perfectly placed to strengthen connections between researchers, industry and other stakeholders, helping businesses understand emerging nutrition science and apply it in ways that support healthier products, healthier food environments and healthier lives.