Erwan de Gavelle – Food and Health Officer, Directorate-General for Food (testimonial from the “Oqali: a food observatory to support public nutrition policy” dossier – 2021)
“My thesis, part of a doctoral course in nutrition, made me aware of the need to bring science and public action closer together. I work for the Bureau de la politique de l’alimentation (BPAL), which relies heavily on Oqali studies when making decisions to implement the National Food Programme. These studies are invaluable in the context of the collective agreements we negotiate with industrial partners to bring about favourable changes in the nutritional composition of processed foods. We use the scientific data provided by Oqali to support our discussions and determine the objectives for reformulating recipes. This is essential to create a climate of transparency and trust with the food industry. Oqali is also in charge of the annual monitoring of these collective agreements, which will enable us, after 3 years, to assess the relevance of this system in conjunction with the other ministries concerned”.
Testimonial from our special report
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.
