The Louis Bonduelle Foundation has decided to bring together Canadian and French experts to discuss changes in food cultures and the impact they have on our daily behaviour. The choice of subject reflects recent or ongoing changes in dietary guidelines in Canada and France.

Leïa Mion: “Food cultures in the South of France, from antiquity to the beginning of the middle ages”

Leïa Mion was the recipient of the 2015 Louis Bonduelle Research Award for her research into the origins of Mediterranean diet. She is currently working on her doctoral thesis at the Aix Marseille University in France, at the Laboratory of Mediterranean Prehistory, Europe-Africa.

Her doctoral research, which she started in 2013, involves using the isotope analysis of human remains to reconstruct the original environment of the food people ate (sea, land or fresh water) and estimate the proportion of animal proteins in the diet of individuals from 12 different sites in the Languedoc and Provence regions.

The results of this research indicate that, even at that time, individual dietary choices were the result of biological, socioeconomic and cultural constraints.

Christine Jourdan: “Quebec at the dinner table: dietary changes and heritages”

As a professor of sociology and anthropology at Concordia University in Montreal, Christine Jourdan’s main research interests include:

• theories of cultural and social change,
• linguistic ideology and changes in eating habits in Quebec and in the Pacific.

Her presentation discusses contemporary eating habits in Quebec, and more specifically their transformation in the light of sociological and cultural changes over recent decades. Her research shows, for example, that seasoning alone is an interesting indicator for measuring the impact of successive waves of immigrants on Quebec’s cuisine. Christine Jourdan also discusses the changes observed in the structure and number of daily food intakes, as well as their planning and preparation.

Jean-Claude Moubarac: “What value do we place on food in our modern societies?”

Jean-Claude Moubarac is an anthropologist and public nutrition researcher working at the Universities of Montreal and of São Paulo. He is interested in food systems and the role of cooking, and in the impact of processed food on nutrition, health and society. He recently helped to develop the new Brazilian food guide.

In his talk, he examines the value placed on food in today’s modern societies and, in particular, the differences affecting health in France, Canada and the United States. In his recommendations, he proposes a return to cooking and a more holistic vision of food, which enhances dietary habits.

Marie Josèphe Amiot-Carlin: “Promoting positive, sustainable nutrition: France as a case study”

Marie-Josèphe Amiot-Carlin is Research Director at the INRA Food and Human Nutrition Department and Assistant Director of the “Nutrition, obesity and the risk of thrombosis” Unit at Aix Marseille University. She is a European expert on the bioactive substances in plants. Her research focuses on:

• the effects of plant micronutrients on the prevention of cardiometabolic factors,
• different aspects of “sustainable food”.

Her lecture will bring together these different perspectives on food cultures and present the current developments in dietary guidelines in France. These now take into account exposure to hazardous substances as well as current dietary habits and preferences, in order to make realistic recommendations based on positive, sustainable nutrition.

A surprise guest: the winner of the 2017 Research Award

The second part of the morning will be devoted to the presentation of initiatives carried out or supported by the Louis Bonduelle Foundation. And the highlight of the day is the presentation of the 2017 Louis Bonduelle Research Award of 10,000 euros (15,107.45 CAD) to a young researcher, in order to help them continue their doctoral research.

The winner is top secret… So, join us here in person or else follow the event on live streaming from 8.45 am (Canadian time) on 13 June 2017, by clicking on this link. You can also join us on Twitter, following the event using the hashtag: #LBFconference