Title
Multi-objective optimization of nutritional, environmental and economic aspects of diets applied to the Spanish context
Date Issued
01 November 2020
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Abejón R.
Batlle-Bayer L.
Laso J.
Bala A.
Margallo M.
Cristobal J.
Puig R.
Fullana-I-palmer P.
Aldaco R.
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
Publisher(s)
MDPI AG
Abstract
Current food consumption patterns must be revised in order to improve their sustainability. The nutritional, environmental, and economic consequences of these dietary patterns must be taken into consideration when diet guidelines are proposed. This study applied a systematic optimization methodology to define sustainable dietary patterns complying with nutritional, environmental, and economic issues. The methodology was based on a multi-objective optimization model that considered a distance-to-target approach. Although the three simultaneous objectives (maximal nutritional contribution, minimal greenhouse gas emissions, and minimal costs) could be divergent, the proposed model identified the optimal intake of each food product to achieve the maximal level of nutritional, environmental, and economic diets. This model was applied to six different eating patterns within the Spanish context: one based on current food consumption and five alternative diets. The results revealed that dietary patterns with improved nutritional profiles and reduced environmental impacts could be defined without additional costs just by increasing the consumption of vegetables, fruits, and legumes, while reducing the intake of meat and fish.
Volume
9
Issue
11
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Economía Nutrición, Dietética Ciencias del medio ambiente
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85110656242
Source
Foods
ISSN of the container
23048158
Sponsor(s)
This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Competitiveness, grant number CERES-PROCON Project CTM2016-76176 (AEI/FEDER, UE), and KAIROS-BIOCIR Project PID2019-104925RB (AEO/FEDER, UE).The authors are grateful for the funding of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Competitiveness through the CERES-PROCON Project CTM2016-76176 (AEI/FEDER, UE) and the KAIROS-BIOCIR Project PID2019-104925RB (AEO/FEDER, UE). ESCI-UPF authors also want to thank the co-funding of the Mercadona-UPF-BSM Chair in the Circular Economy. Jara Laso thanks the University of Cantabria for its financial support via the postdoctoral grant “Augusto Gonzalez Linares”. Daniel Hoehn thanks the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of the Spanish Government for their financial support via the research fellowship BES-2017-080296. Jorge Cristóbal acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the “Beatriz Galindo” grant BEAGAL18/00035.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus