How we will produce the evidence-based EURRECA toolkit to support nutrition and food policy.

Background: There is considerable variation in the recommended micronutrient intakes used by countries within Europe, partly due to different methodologies and concepts used to determine requirements and different approaches used to express the recommendations. As populations become more mobile and multi-national, and more traditional foods become available internationally, harmonised recommendations based on up to date science are needed. This was recognised by the European Commission's (EC) Directorate-General (DG) Research in their 2005 call for proposals for a Network of Excellence (NoE) on 'nutrient status and requirements of specific vulnerable population groups'.

Long-term consequences of early nutrition.

Nutritional and metabolic exposure during critical periods of early human development can have a long-term programming effect on health in adulthood. This is supported by evidence from epidemiological studies, numerous animal models and clinical intervention trials. An improved understanding of the mechanisms and effects of metabolic programming has the potential to contribute significantly to the prevention of some major health risks.