The potential influence of maternal obesity on infant gut microbiota may occur either through vertically transmitted microbes or through the dietary habits of the family. Recent studies have suggested that the heritability of obesity may partly be caused by the transmission of “obesogenic” gut microbes. However, the findings presented here suggest that maternal obesity per se does not affect the overall composition of the gut microbiota and its development after introduction of complementary foods. Rather, progression in complementary feeding is found to be the major determinant for gut microbiota establishment. Expanding our understanding of the influence of complementary diet on the development and establishment of the gut microbiota will provide us with the knowledge to tailor a beneficial progression of our intestinal microbial community.

Background/Objectives: The EPIC-Soft program (the software initially developed to conduct 24-h dietary recalls (24-HDRs) in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study) was recommended as the best way to standardize 24-HDRs for future pan-European dietary monitoring. Within European Food Consumption Validation (EFCOVAL), EPIC-Soft was adapted and further developed on various aspects that were required to optimize its use. In this paper, we present the structure and main interview steps of the EPIC-Soft program, after implementation of a series of new specifications deemed to satisfy specific requirements of pan-European monitoring surveys and other international studies. Subjects/Methods: Updates to optimize the EPIC-Soft program were ascertained according to the following stepwise approach: (1) identification of requested specifications to be potentially implemented through an ad hoc 'EPIC-Soft specifications questionnaire' sent to past, current and possible future users of the software; (2) evaluation of the specifications in collaboration with two ad hoc task force groups and through a workshop; (3) development of a technical solution for each retained specification; (4) implementation of the specifications by software developers; (5) testing and amendment of bugs. Results: A number of new specifications and facilities were implemented to EPIC-Soft program. In addition, the software underwent a full reprogramming and migration to a modern Windows environment, including changes in its internal architecture and user interface. Although the overall concept and structure of the initial software were not changed substantially, these improvements ease the current and future use of EPIC-Soft and increase further its adaptation to other countries and study contexts. Conclusions: EPIC-Soft is enriched with further functions and facilities expected to fulfil specific needs of pan-European dietary monitoring and risk assessment purposes. The validity, feasibility and relevance of this software for different national and international study designs, and the logistical aspects related to its implementation are reported elsewhere.

Background/purposeThe number of dietary exposure assessment studies focussing on children is very limited. Children are however a vulnerable group due to their higher food consumption level per kg body weight. Therefore, the EXPOCHI project aims [1] to create a relational network of individual food consumption databases in children, covering different geographical areas within Europe, and [2] to use these data to assess the usual intake of lead, chromium, selenium and food colours.MethodsEXPOCHI includes 14 food consumption databases focussed on children (1-14 y old). The data are considered representative at national/regional level: 14 regions covering 13 countries. Since the aim of the study is to perform long-term exposure assessments, only data derived from 24 hr dietary recalls and dietary records recorded on at least two non-consecutive days per individual were included in the dietary exposure assessments. To link consumption data and concentration data of lead, chromium and selenium in a standardised way, categorisation of the food consumption data was based on the food categorisation system described within the SCOOP Task report 3.2.11. For food colours, the food categorisation system specified in the Council Directive 94/36/EC was used.ConclusionThe EXPOCHI project includes a pan-European long-term exposure assessment of lead, chromium, selenium and food colours among children living in 13 different EU countries. However, the different study methods and designs used to collect the data in the different countries necessitate an in-depth description of these different methods and a discussion about the resulting limitations.

Low vitamin D status among adolescent girls and elderly women during two consecutive winter seasons, improved vitamin D status during the summer and better vitamin D status in women than in girls was found. The estimations show that a summer S-25OHD concentration ≈ 100 nmol/l is needed to achieve a concentration of ≈ 50 nmol/l the following winter.

Web-based Dietary Assessment Software for Children (WebDASC) was developed to estimate dietary intake in a school meal intervention study among 8-to 11-year-old Danish children. The present study validates self-reported fruit, juice and vegetable (FJV) intakes in 8-to 11-year-old children by comparing intake with plasma carotenoid concentration, and by comparing the reported FJV intake to actually eaten FJV, as observed by a photographic method. A total of eighty-one children, assisted by parents, reported their diet for seven consecutive days. For the same five schooldays as they reported their diet, the children's school lunch was photographed and weighed before and after eating. In the week after the diet reporting, fasting blood samples were taken. Self-reported intake of FJV and estimated intake of carotenoids were compared with plasma carotenoid concentration. Accuracy of self-reported food and FJV consumption at school lunch was measured in terms of matches, intrusion, omission and faults, when compared with images and weights of lunch intake. Selfreported intake of FJV was significantly correlated with the total carotenoid concentration (0·58) (P,0·01). Fruit and juice consumption showed higher correlations than vegetables with plasma carotenoid concentration (0·38 and 0·42 v. 0·33) (P,0·01). A total of 82 % of the participants fell into the same or adjacent quartiles when cross-classified by FJV intake and carotenoids biomarkers. WebDASC attained 82 % reporting matches overall and a higher percentage match for reporting fruits compared with beverages. The present study indicated that WebDASC can be used to rank 8-to 11-year-old Danish children according to their intake of FJV overall and at school meals.Key words: Photographic observations: Biomarkers: Validation: Fruits: Vegetables: Carotenoids: Intake A diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with a decreased risk of many chronic diseases (1) , and therefore several Western countries have recommendations to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Juice is included in these fruit and vegetable recommendations, but in restricted quantities, as juices do not offer the same nutritional and health benefits as fresh fruits and vegetables and can lead to excessive energy intake and weight gain due to the higher amount of sugar and energy (2 -4) . Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in children is one of the major issues in the field of dietary interventions (5) . Valid dietary assessment methods are essential for identifying how eating habits change in response to interventions and for identifying the impact of dietary habits on health and weight status. The optimal well-being, development and health for Danish Children through a healthy New Nordic Diet (OPUS) centre * Corresponding author: A. Biltoft-Jensen, fax þ45 3588 7119, email apbj@food.dtu.dk Abbreviations: DANSDA, Danish National Survey of Diet and Physical Activity; FJV, fruits, juice and vegetables; NND, New Nordic Diet; OPUS, optimal wellbeing, development and health fo...

Objective: To investigate changes in the consumption of fruits and vegetables in worksite canteens using the tools of continuous quality improvement, and to gain knowledge of practical strategies being effective in increasing the consumption. Design: Study design included baseline data collection, an 8 h training session for all canteen staff, goal setting, strategy development and implementation for each canteen, end-point data collection and a follow-up data collection 4 months from the end-point (1 year from baseline). The main outcome measurement was average grams of fruits and vegetables per lunch meal served per customer (net weight; potatoes not included). Setting: Five workplaces in Denmark: a military base, an electronic component distributor, a bank, a town hall and a waste-handling facility. Subjects: Work-site canteen managers, staff and customers. Results: There were significant increases in the total consumption of fruits and vegetables for all five work-site canteens from baseline to end-point, 70 g per customer on average (67, 54, 39, 88 and 103 g, respectively). The follow-up data collection showed that the canteens either maintained or significantly increased consumption, the average increase being 95 g per customer compared with baseline (77, 60, 86, 70 and 183 g, respectively). Conclusions: This study demonstrates a large potential for work-site canteens to increase customers' intake of fruits and vegetables at lunch and suggests a broad spectrum of strategies to compose meals that are both rich in fruits and vegetables and attractive to customers.

Background:  The present study describes the development and formative evaluation of the Web‐based Dietary Assessment Software for Children (WebDASC). WebDASC is part of the OPUS project (‘Optimal well‐being, development and health for Danish children through a healthy New Nordic Diet’) and was intended to measure dietary change resulting from a school‐based intervention. Methods:  WebDASC was developed as a self‐administered tool that could be used by 8–11‐year‐old children with or without parent’s aid. The development of WebDASC followed a prototyping approach: focus groups, informal interviews, literature review, and usability tests preceded its release. Special consideration was given to age‐appropriate design issues. Results:  In WebDASC an animated armadillo guides respondents through six daily eating occasions and helps them report foods and beverages previously consumed. A database of 1300 food items is available either through category browse or free text search, aided by a spell check application. A type‐in format is available for foods not otherwise found through category browse or text search. Amount consumed is estimated by selecting the closest portion size among four different digital images. WebDASC includes internal checks for frequently forgotten foods, and the following features to create motivation: a food‐meter displaying cumulative weight of foods reported, a most popular food ranking, and a computer game with a high score list. Conclusions:  WebDASC was developed as an intuitive, cost‐effective, and engaging method to collect detailed dietary data from 8‐ to 11‐year‐old children. Preliminary testing demonstrated that it was well accepted among children.

Suggested citation: Ocké M., de Boer E., Brants H., van der Laan J., Niekerk M., van Rossum C., Temme L., Freisling H., Nicolas G., Casagrande C., Slimani N., Trolle E., Ege M., Christensen T., Vandevijvere S., Bellemans M., De Maeyer M., Defourny S., Rupich J., Dofkova M., Rehurkova I., Jakubikova M., Blahova J., Piskackova Z., Maly M.; PANCAKE -Pilot study for the Assessment of Nutrient intake and food Consumption Among Kids in Europe. Supporting Publications