Identification and application of biomarkers of food intake

WP 5.4 addressed a central challenge in nutritional research: how to objectively measure food intake and its biological effects. The work focused on the development and application of dietary biomarkers capable of providing reliable information on food consumption and metabolic responses.

Recognising the limitations of self-reported dietary assessment tools, such as food frequency questionnaires and dietary diaries, the research integrated biological measures derived from advanced analytical technologies and multi-omics platforms. This approach enabled a more accurate evaluation of adherence to specific dietary patterns and improved the understanding of how different nutritional profiles influence metabolic processes.

A core component of the work involved testing and validating dietary biomarkers in real-life settings across the life course, including childhood, pregnancy, adulthood and ageing. The application of biomarkers within population cohorts and non-clinical contexts strengthened their relevance for prevention strategies and population screening.

Particular attention was devoted to methodological standardisation. Shared protocols were developed for biological sample collection, processing and storage, ensuring comparability and reproducibility across research centres. This work contributed to the establishment of a polycentric infrastructure supporting biological sample management, data storage and harmonised analytical procedures.

The integration of biomarkers with advanced statistical models and multi-omics approaches allowed for the identification of distinct metabolic profiles and enhanced the capacity to explore inter-individual variability in dietary responses. This multidimensional framework supported the development of predictive tools and disorder-specific nutritional strategies based on biomarker patterns.

An additional applied contribution was the development and validation of alternative and minimally invasive biological matrices, expanding the feasibility of biomarker-based nutritional monitoring beyond specialised clinical settings and increasing the accessibility of precision nutrition approaches.