20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

“The new edition of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations is a pioneering feat of work. It will guide us in how we should eat for our own health, as well as the health of the planet,” says Karen Ellemann, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, which commissioned and funded the report.

As before, the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations describe the quantity of vitamins and minerals, fats, and carbohydrates the body needs in order to feel well.

The report is firmly rooted in science. For four decades, it has served as the basis for national dietary guidelines in the Nordic and Baltic countries and has been translated into healthy food in public-sector kitchens, elderly care facilities, schools, and hospitals.

The new edition also integrates health, climate, and the environment in the recommendations for the first time.

A lot has happened in research since the last edition in 2012. The launch of the report follows five years of work by around 400 Nordic and international researchers who examined thousands of research studies.

The updated report is expected to contain, among other things, new information about the recommended maximum intake of sugar and the quantity of whole grains in our diet. The recommended amount of meat is expected to decrease, both for health and environmental reasons. This has sparked debate even before the launch.

The launch at the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre in Reykjavik, Iceland, is open to the press and invited guests, and can also be followed live digitally from 15:00 to 16:30 (BST), 16:00 to 17:30 (CEST).

Rune Blomhoff, project leader for the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations and professor at the University of Oslo, is presenting the report.

Discussions will then turn to the impact the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations can have on public health, the environment, and climate. The speakers include:

Karen Ellemann, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers 

Svandís Svavarsdóttir, Iceland’s Minister for Food, Fisheries and Agriculture

Joao Campari, Global Leader of WWF’s Food Practice.

The programme is being updated regularly as additional speakers and debate participants are confirmed.

• The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations are the scientific basis for national dietary advice in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
• The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations are thus not the same thing as national dietary advice. The national authorities formulate the dietary guidelines for their respective country.
• The updated Nordic Nutrition Recommendations report has examined the health impact of 36 nutrients and 15 food groups.
• The work is led by a committee with representatives from the health and food authorities in the Nordic countries.
• Prior to the launch on 20 June 2023, around 70 background articles and the draft of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations were submitted for public consultation for a period of eight weeks for each consultation process.
• Co-operation between the five Nordic countries has resulted in five previous editions of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations, the first of which was published in 1980.
• The last version, from 2012, has been downloaded more than 300,000 times by decision-makers, researchers, and students worldwide.