The Metrix project: Risk-benefit assessments of foods

DTU National Food Institute is conducting the Metrix project, which aims to assess beneficial and adverse health effects from the intake of nutrients, individual foods, and whole diets. The Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark has funded the project through a grant.

In the assessments, the health effects are quantified using the same units of measurement (metrics). This allows the researchers to compare the beneficial and adverse health effects and thus make overall risk-benefit assessments of foods such as nuts, oily seeds, brown rice and fish.

In the project, researchers also estimate the burden of disease in the population caused by a variety of chemicals, disease-causing microorganisms, food contaminants and nutritional risk factors, such as a low fruit and vegetable intake, or a high salt intake. This makes it possible to assess which food-related risks have the greatest impact on public health in Denmark.
In this new research area, the researchers continue to optimize existing methods and to develop new models and approaches to estimate health effects of foods.

The Institute's researchers also cooperate with other experts in Denmark and abroad. As such, the National Food Institute took the initiative to establish an International Network on Risk-Benefit. Read more in the National Food Institute’s news item: Risk-benefit assessments on the agenda in Europe.

The Metrix project started in 2015 and will run until the end of 2018.