Julie Gauvreau-Béziat – Head of the Food Observatory Unit, Anses (testimonial from the dossier “Oqali: a food observatory to support public nutrition policy” -2021)
“After joining Anses in 2009, I became head of the Oqali project in 2012, then of the Food Observatory Unit in 2020. This unit, which reports to the Risk Assessment Directorate, collects and manages data on the composition and contamination of foodstuffs. As part of the Oqali project, for example, we studied the presence of additives in processed foods (breakfast cereals, dairy products, fresh desserts, etc.). This work can be used to estimate the population’s exposure to these substances. Since 2015, we have also been helping to disseminate the Oqali model in Europe. The test carried out in 2 European countries showed that Oqali was an effective and inexpensive tool for collecting comparable information on the nutritional situation in and between countries. The Anses will now train 20 countries in the Oqali methodology, which is considered the gold standard at European level. This latest stage will make it possible to compare the nutritional composition of processed foods in Europe and encourage their reformulation.”
Testimonial from our thematic dossier
Thematic dossier
Oqali: a food observatory to support public nutrition policy
Described as a nutritional pathology by the World Health Organisation, obesity is a public health issue. Public policies have been tackling this issue through information and prevention strategies since the late 1990s. The need for knowledge and tools to share it has never been greater, and data on food and its transparency is a crucial issue. At the interface between science and public policy, INRAE and Anses have developed a food quality observatory called Oqali. Here’s a look at this tool for informing public policy on nutrition.
