How did your interest in the areas of food chemistry and nutrition arise, and which moments do you highlight as most influential in defining your scientific path?
The interest in these areas was a very natural evolution. In secondary school I realised that my future would have to involve chemistry and something related to practical laboratory activity, “hands on”. For that reason, I looked for a higher education degree that would provide me with extensive laboratory experience, and pharmaceutical sciences were the ideal choice. During the course I developed a particular liking for instrumental methods of analysis and became acquainted with a facet of pharmaceutical sciences that I had not known, that of food chemistry, where I understood the importance of knowing in depth the composition of foods in order to understand their role in health and disease. In the 4th year I joined the Research Initiation Unit and was invited to join the Bromatology laboratory, from which I have never left! I highlight the decisive role of Professor Doctor Margarida Ferreira in my path, whether through the initial proposal to join Bromatology or through her teachings and work example, which greatly shaped my way of being in science. I feel that this entire path has given me a privileged role within the food sciences. More than developing research in food chemistry, my basic training in pharmaceutical sciences places me in the privileged position of being able to look at food in a more complete way. While other backgrounds look at food from a “field to fork” perspective, the pharmacist has the ability to observe food in a more comprehensive way, taking it down to the cellular level and relating it, associating bioaccessibility, bioavailability, metabolism, action in the body, toxicity and even interaction with other food components and with medication. The fact of belonging to the Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV-REQUIMTE) also shaped my path, by focusing me on the study of greener analytical methods and more sustainable food processing and production processes!

Your extensive experience in chromatographic techniques has allowed you to deepen issues of nutrition, authenticity, processing and food safety, with particular emphasis on lipids. Considering the current evolution of dietary patterns and even production systems – progressively more concerned with issues such as sustainability – which scientific challenges do you currently consider most critical in the study of lipids and their influence on food quality?
Chromatography has indeed been my main area of work, both in method development and in its application. Although I began my studies in coffee, my specialisation in the lipid fraction emerged gradually. Lipids are extremely important in foods and, by extension, in our health, but they can simultaneously be heroes and villains, and this has increasingly fascinated me. We effectively need lipids to live because they are a source of energy and essential constituents, but lipids are often a problem in food preservation due to oxidation, while at the same time their high caloric value is strongly implicated in dietary imbalances. We are living in times of greater awareness of the importance of healthy eating and of the impact that our food choices have on the planet. But it is not easy to achieve balance, whether for economic reasons, profitability, or food stability. But, above all, I believe that we need to find ways to reduce the growing need for lipid sources. Food technology may play a very relevant role in the coming years if it can present new ways of stabilising lipids and reducing lipid content. And since, in the end, it is the consumer who chooses, if industry can do this without the consumer noticing in flavour and price, it would be a three-in-one: we would have lower caloric value, longer shelf life and less burden on the planet.

The study of the nutritional and chemical quality of foods helps us to understand the real impact and consequences of diet on public health. In your view, in what way has research in food chemistry been successful in transferring knowledge to the final consumer?
Research in food chemistry, on its own, will never be able to transfer knowledge directly to the consumer. The information generated by food chemistry provides scientific evidence for decision-making, whether by industry, health professionals or legislators. It is important to stress that, in general, foods in Portugal are of high quality, the result of demanding European legislation focused on consumer safety and of a generally compliant food industry. But the person who determines an individual’s diet is the individual themself, through their choices. And the fact that we have safe foods does not imply that we have a balanced diet. Most people do not recognise the relevance of nutritional balance and calories, whether in an individual food, in a meal, or in their day-to-day life. In general, we eat too much and we eat poorly. And with an excess of lipids. In the medium and long term all this will translate into a worsening of health, into an increase in chronic diseases, with enormous costs and diverting investment and research from other equally necessary areas, namely rare diseases. Without the consumer understanding the impact of their food choices it will be difficult to reverse this cycle. Greater educational reinforcement in schools? Impactful information campaigns in the media? If the supermarket receipt detailed the total caloric value of the bill and estimated for how long/how many people those foods would suffice, I think many people would be alarmed.

Nutritional labelling, product reformulation and risk communication have gained ground and exponential public relevance. How do you analyse the evolution of the relationship between science, the food industry and consumers, in a more global way?
The relationship between science and the food industry has improved significantly in Portugal. There are more partnerships between research institutes/universities and industry, with more research applied to the effective needs of industry and consumer trends, namely product reformulation and innovation. As an example, we recently had the approval of a research project (COMPETE2030-FEDER-00901300) that brings together academia, industry, society, and government bodies to jointly provide a structured and impactful response to improving the quality of life of patients with irritable bowel syndrome resulting from sensitivity to FODMAPs. These synergies have been strongly driven by several recent funding initiatives, such as co-promotion projects or industrial doctorates. And there is, at European level, demanding supporting legislation, placing consumer safety first, with a very transparent and effective risk communication strategy. As regards the relationship of both with the consumer, however, there is still much to evolve. Innovation has been capable of placing on the market products that respond to current demands, with diversification of protein sources, reduction of salt and sugar, etc., but normally these products are more expensive, which makes them inaccessible to a large part of the population for whom cost is, unfortunately, almost the sole food decision factor. Without recognising the benefits of certain foods, choices will hardly be effective. Consider the case of olive oil. Consumers recognise the importance of olive oil in the diet, but in reality they do not know the appropriate use of each commercial category, nor do they store it correctly. I regret that Portugal has some of the best olive oils in the world, but that the Portuguese consumer does not know how to make the most of them and ends up consuming olive oil that has already lost a large part of its health benefit.

Portugal has produced significant research in the area of food quality, but faces persistent challenges such as nutritional literacy or the impact of extreme diets on health. What contributions can national research offer for the development of more effective public policies?
Indeed Portugal, and particularly the University of Porto, have held a prominent position in the area of food sciences in various international rankings, with different research groups working in this field. But we are truly witnessing a growing trend towards fashionable diets, some of them extreme, and many without scientific evidence and even dangerous without proper supervision by health professionals. The degree of trust that people place in information conveyed by the media is alarming, without having the care or ability to validate it. The promotion of healthier eating is a priority in Portugal within the framework of public health policies, in line with the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Commission. We already have several fairly effective policies, for example for the reduction of sugar, salt and trans fatty acids, but I believe that consumers are not even aware of them or do not value them. I highlight the excellent work of the team that has supported the National Strategy for Food and Nutritional Security, but there is still a lack of dissemination of information to the consumer, impartial and easy-to-understand information, validated by independent and credible entities, that makes them active and conscious in the selection of their diet. We must find ways to reach the consumer more effectively.

You have participated in several collaborative national and international projects, many of which involved industry, laboratories and regulatory entities. What added value do you identify in these collaborative ecosystems and how do you assess the role of science in defining food safety policies?
Participation in research projects with national and international entities has been extremely relevant not only for my scientific growth, but also for establishing collaborations with colleagues who share common challenges and for understanding the most current challenges in the field of food sciences. The definition of food safety policies is complex and time-consuming. It is not enough to identify a potential problem and define compliance criteria. For this process to be effective from the point of view of its application and results, very comprehensive prior work is required. In addition to the scientific evidence that a certain food constituent requires the imposition of limits, whether a natural constituent or a contaminant (by direct action, bioaccumulation or induced by processing, etc.), it is necessary to study the population’s consumption patterns, study its bioavailability and bioaccessibility and, above all, ensure that we have validated analytical methods that can be replicated in any laboratory with the same results. Without validated methods there are no reliable results, and without these we cannot define food safety policies! An example of successful synergy between industry, laboratories and regulatory entities that I experienced first-hand over the last two decades was the issue of trans fatty acids. We participated in verifying the values in foods consumed in Portugal and in defining analytical methods with the WHO. Today we have very restrictive and effective legislation at European level in this matter, created to protect the consumer.

In a scenario of continuous innovation (from plant-based alternatives to new extraction and preservation technologies), which trends do you see as most promising for the future of research in food chemistry and nutrition?
Consumers are seeking foods increasingly closer to the natural, with fewer additives, less processing and lower environmental impact, which constitutes an enormous challenge for primary producers and processing industries. The huge developments we have had in recent decades focused on ensuring greater food productivity and reducing losses by extending shelf life in order to respond to the growing need for food. Today we are being confronted with the need to rethink all these strategies in order to present producers and industry with new solutions that meet these new requirements, without significantly increasing production costs or waste, which would constitute a huge setback. Food chemistry will necessarily have to respond to these demands, creating, for example, new ways of preserving foods. We have several emerging food processing technologies that already show effectiveness in basic research, but which still need to be transferred to industry, ensuring timely economic return so that the burden of transformation is not placed on the final product price. I highlight, for example, high-pressure processing, a technique that allows the extension of shelf life without the use of additives, and already with successful examples on the market. But the range of options under development within food innovation is enormous, from new packaging techniques to 3D printing or the development of specific food products for certain pathologies.

You have accompanied several generations of students and young scientists. Which scientific and ethical competences do you consider essential for those wishing to pursue a career in research in food and nutrition?
As regards scientific competences, I highlight three, which I consider fundamental in my scientific activity and which apply to any area of research. First, rigour. Without rigour, the data generated in research may not be valid and all conclusions supported by them, ours or those of others who use them, may be called into question. Secondly, I would highlight critical capacity. I recognise that I am excessively critical, always running the risk of being misinterpreted, but I feel that only in this way can we ensure the veracity of our analytical data. I feel responsible for making good use of the investment that all taxpayers place in my research, whether through my salary as a university lecturer or through the specific funding of research projects. Finally, perseverance. Pursuing a research career requires enormous resilience. We cannot give up when the results of our research are not those expected or when we do not obtain funding for our project. And we must also be perseverant in order to change the problem of scientific employment in Portugal, demonstrating to companies the added value of integrating research personnel into their staff, tackling problem-solving and innovation in a more practical, swift and effective way. I know that most Portuguese companies are small or medium-sized and I recognise the salary issue, which little distinguishes a graduate from a master’s or a doctorate holder, but if we can prove the added value I believe we will be able to change this paradigm. As regards ethical competences, I highlight only one: integrity. Not only scientific integrity. Integrity in its entirety, in what we do and in the way we relate to others. It is my life principle. But my main advice is that you should seek to do what you enjoy, even with difficulties, because having the privilege of working with something that gives us pleasure and that has the potential to impact everyone’s life is very rewarding. I found a fascinating world in this link between food and health, but there are so many other equally relevant aspects of food chemistry.

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