The Austrian Nutrition Society

The Austrian Nutrition Society (ANS, ÖGE) is a registered non-profit association founded in 1951 and dedicated to all matters of nutrition and food.

The society’s work is based on relevant scientific findings without the pursuit of any economic or political objectives.

From the very beginnings, the main goal of the ANS has been to promote research, education and information in the field of food and nutrition and to make this knowledge available to a broader public. We are particularly committed to people’s general state of health and strive to make recommendations that are scientifically founded, up-to-date and practicable at the same time.

ANS is active throughout Austria with the headquarters located in Vienna and maintains close contacts to similar organisations abroad.

The ANS is the only interdisciplinary scientific nutrition society in Austria and thus the first reference for independent advice in nutritional matters.

Financial backup for our achievements comes mainly from membership fees, projects and releasing expert reports, special commissions, earnings from events, publications, grants and donations.

At the last elections in December 2020, Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Karl-Heinz Wagner (University of Vienna) was elected as President of the ANS. Assoc.-Prof.ⁱⁿ Dr.ⁱⁿ Sandra Holasek (Medical University of Graz) and emer. o. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Elmadfa (IUNS President, University of Vienna) as Vice-presidents. They are supported by a Board of Directors. Members of the board are also the chairpersons of the Section South of the ANS Msc. Christine Pint (Medical Services of the Federal State Government of Styria) and the director of the affiliated ICC Austria (International Association for Cereal Science and Technology) Mr DI Alfred Mar.

ÖGE-Folder english (pdf)

 

Structure

 

• Chair

President

Vice presidents

Representatives of the affiliated associations

• Board of Directors

Composed of voted, co-opted and honorary members, a treasurer, and two controllers according to the current ANS statutes

• Headquarters Office

• Affiliated Associations

ICC-Austria

• Section

Section South

 

Members

In 2020, the ANS had 973 members among which 707 individuals, 191 students, and 75 companies.
Since 1951, 58 Honorary Members have been nominated

Cooperating institutions and partner associations

National cooperation with:

• Institute of Nutritional Sciences of the University of Vienna,
• the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES),
• the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health, and
• the Austrian Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry, Environment and Water Management
• Various public institutions in Vienna and other federal states

Partner associations:

• DGE (German Nutrition Society)
• SGE (Swiss Society for Nutrition)
• Nutrition Societies in Eastern and Central Europe: HU, CZ, SLO, PL, SERB,
• IUNS (International Union of Nutritional Sciences)
• FENS (Federation of European Nutritional Societies)
• EANS (European Academy of Nutritional Sciences)
• AGES (Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety)
• WPHNA (World Public Health Nutrition Association)
• NEK (National Commission of Nutrition)
• WiG (Vienna Health Promotion)

ANS Working Groups 2020-2023

 The ANS’ various fields of activities are covered by the Chair’s working groups. For the period of 2020-2023, these are:

• Statutes and internal regulations

• Medicine and nutritional science, public relations

• Scientific activities and public relations: scientific expertise, networking activities, nutritional journals and publications, pool of information for academic projects, literature, material, online platform for experts in nutritional sciences, trainings for teachers etc.

• Food-based dietary recommendations and Nutritional guidelines

• Communal feeding esp. nutrition in kindergartens and schools: Science-based support for school projects, ANS-Logo for models of good practice, evaluation of projects

• D-A-CH reference values for nutrient intake

Tasks and activities

• Promoting nutritional research and education of nutritionists by documenting and analysing nutritional research results, by organizing conferences, training seminars and educational events for nutritionists and professionals from related fields, and by providing contacts to national and international associations pursuing similar goals
• Developing guidelines and position papers on topical subjects in nutrition (hypertension, fat and fatty acids, carbohydrates)
• Facilitating the exchange of knowledge in the field of nutritional sciences (i.e. by maintaining an Experts‘ Pool where members can offer their expertise to persons in need of nutritional advice
• Dissemination of information through updated information brochures, leaflets, and folders, the ANS website and the association’s journal “Ernährung aktuell”
• Providing information on nutrition and food to the general public and improving community nutrition in kindergardens, schools, workplaces etc. offering training for caterers and kindergarden teachers
• Certification of optimized menu plans with the ANS seal of quality Development of Reference Intake Values for Nutrient Intake (the D-A-CH Reference Values) together with the partner associations DGE and SGE as standard for nutritional counselling and dietetic calculations also in other Central European countries like Slovenia and Hungary. Revisions of the D-A-CH nutrient reference values for vitamin D, calcium, and folate were published recently and are on-going for other nutrients.

The ANS Seal of Quality “ÖGE-Gütesiegel”

The ANS seal of quality is awarded to caterers, canteens, and commercial kitchens, which provide health-promoting meals conforming to the scientific principles of a healthy balanced nutrition to facilitate the healthy choice for consumers. It is based on a nutritional evaluation of the submitted menu plans including counselling to caterers as to how to improve their meals. The ANS seal is a tool within the National Action Plan on Nutrition (NAP.e) to achieve a healthier nutrition of the Austrian population.

Quality criteria:

• Compliance with the recommendations for the target groups of one or more menu plans

• Adequate supply of:

• energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, dietary fibre

• mineral and trace elements: calcium, magnesium, iron, and iodine

• vitamins: vitamin C, B1, and E

• Nutrient-sparing preparation of the meals:

• Scientific bases

• GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice)

Audits are performed once a year.

Target groups: Kindergarten and school caterers, workplace canteens, food providers and kitchens in nursing homes and hospitals

The ANS Seal is recommended for providers of school catering (full or partial board) and school buffets within the frame of the Austrian initiative on the improvement of food and drinks offered in schools.

Besides Viennese public elementary school and some large workplace canteens, the ANS Quality seal was for the first time awarded to a Hospital in the city of Linz in May 2013.

 

The ANS Nutrition Academy

The project “Nutrition Academy” (Ernährungsakademie) is a qualified training initiative for kindergarden teachers offered by the ANS in cooperation with the Institute of Nutritional Sciences of the University of Vienna funded by the Viennese Health Promotion Board (WiG).

Project aims are

• the improvement of nutritional knowledge of kindergarden teachers
• providing of practical advice for a healthy nutrition of children in care facilities
• training of kindergarden teachers in the nutritional education of children in Vienna, Upper Austria, and Carinthia.

It is operated as a “Model of Good Practice“ in the frame of the Austrian National Action Plan on Nutrition (NAP.e). Since 2006, more than 1000 kindergarden teachers have been trained.

 

Cooperation with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health

The ANS is closely cooperating with the Federal Ministry of Health to improve the nutritional situation in Austria. Central part of this endeavour is the National Action Plan on Nutrition (NAP.e) that was adopted in 2011 to develop a strategic nutrition policy addressing nutrition-related health issues. Besides the fight against obesity and the promotion of a healthy life style, special focus has been on nutrition of children and pregnant women as well as the reduction of salt intake through bread, ready-meals, and community nutrition and catering. The ANS is contributing to these aims among others through its seal of quality, its educational work and the network of nutritional experts, and by issuing guidelines and position papers. A major achievement was the development of the Austrian Food Pyramid in 2011.

Moreover, the ANS is member of the National Nutrition Commission (NEK) that advises the Minister of Health in matters of nutrition-related health and nutrition policy namely in the context of the NAP.e.

 

Providing information on nutrition and food

We provide information about the significance and the many aspects of a balanced nutrition and want to encourage the consumption of healthy and enjoyable food and drink.

• Together with our partners from the DGE and SGE, we have developed Reference Values for Nutrient Intake (the D-A-CH Reference Values) that have become the standard for nutritional counselling and dietetic calculations also in other Central European countries like Slovenia and Hungary and are constantly updated. A revision of the D-A-CH nutrient reference values for vitamin D was published recently and is ongoing for other nutrients.

• Our members come from various fields of nutrition and food science, constituting a rich network of expertise and experience in Austria. By joining our Experts‘ Pool, members can offer their expertise to persons in need of nutritional advice.

 

• We distribute information on the latest nutritional findings and developments by publishing regularly updated information brochures, leaflets, and folders.

• Relevant subjects in the field of nutrition and food are addressed on our website.

• We organise events for journalists on current nutrition issues.

• We entertain a library with over 800 collected works as well as magazine archives with 60 current journals and magazines that are available to our members.

Media and publications

• Journal “Ernährung/Nutrition” (in German with English summaries) as official organ of the ANS, published eleven times a year with articles on various subjects in nutritional and food sciences and technology

• Journal „Ernährung aktuell“ (in German) published four times a year with well researched, practically oriented papers on various nutrition and food-related subjects for nutritional scientists and interested consumers

• Media shop for books, brochures, and journals on nutrition-related subjects that is also accessible through the website.

• Constantly up-dated library with over 800 collected works, magazine archives with 60 current journals and magazines available to members

Events

- Congresses, workshops, conferences and symposia on current nutritionist issues

- The traditional three nations meeting of ANS; DGE and SGE
(every four years, last meeting was in 2012 in Vienna, next will be held 2016 in Germany)

- ANS annual meeting with about 250-400 participants each year

- Trainings and seminars for members

 

Overview of the last Annual Meetings
 

Subject	Date
Health-promoting potential of nutrition today	08.11.2002
Rapid Cooking – Focus on ready meals	28.11.2003
A critical consideration of antioxidants in food	18.-19.11.2004
Nutrition of children – Foods for children	17.-18.11.2005
Nutrients in disease prevention and health promotion	23.-24.11.2006
European Symposium on Healthy Ageing: The role of Food, Nutrition and Lifestyle	29.-30.11.2007
Methods for the assessment and documentation of the nutrition and health status in Austria	20.-21.11.2008
Health Promotion: The role of food and nutrition quality	10.-11.09. 2009
Nutrition throughout the life cycle – Recommendations between theory and practice	29.-30.11.2010
Nutrition in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention	19.-21.10.2011
Reference Values for the nutrients intake - scientific background and practical implementation*	27.–28.09.2012
Selected fields of nutritional research at the service of health promotion	21.-22.11.2013
The role of nutrition in health promotion and the prevention of disease	26.-27.11.2014
Nutritional trends	26.-27.11.2015
Hot Spots in the field of nutrition	24.-25.11.2016
Nutritionals trends and current issues of sustainability	09.-10.11.2017

 

* organized as the Three Nations Meeting of ANS; DGE and SGE

 

Workshops

Subject	Date
The ANS Nutrition Academy	since 2006
Post SUKI – training of multipliers for large kitchens and catering industry	since 2012
IUNS Sodium Workshop Austria (IUNS)	04.05.2012

 

Symposia of the section south

Subject	Date
About the Effects of Probiotics	23.04.2010
News about Nutrition	29.04.2011
Current Topics on Sports Nutrition	11.04.2013
Why we eat what we eat PHYSIOLOGY - CULTURE - FOOD	10.04.2014
Meat or no meat	16.04.2015
Food Safety	14.04.2016

 

Member fees

Individual members	€ 80,-
Student members	€ 45,-
Educational institutions	€ 230 to 560,-
Companies, public agencies and entities, supporting members	Tiered membership fees € 340,- to € 1660,-

• ÖGE-Folder english (pdf)

 

Contact

Mag.^a Alexandra Hofer

Head of the Headquarters Office
C/O AGES Bürotrakt WH
Spargelfeldstraße 191
1220 Vienna, Austria

Tel: +431/7147193
Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!

Chair

President

Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Karl-Heinz Wagner

Vice-Decan of the Faculty of Life Sciences
Head of Research Platform Active Ageing Department of Nutritional Sciences Deputy. Head, University of Vienna
Althanstraße 14
1090 Vienna, Austria
Tel: 01 / 4277-54930
E-mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!

Areas of expertise:
 

•      Oxidative Stress and DNA Stability
•      Biomarkers based lifestyle interventions to predict the risk of non communicable diseases (CVD, cancer, diabetes type II)
•      Safety assessment of food and food components
•      Biofunctionality of Foods / Food Biochemistry
•      Physical activity studies

Homepage: https://nutrition.univie.ac.at/forschung/professur-ernaehrung-und-lebensmittelqualitaet-univ-prof-dr-karl-heinz-wagner/

 

1st Vice president

Assoc.-Prof.ⁱⁿ Dr.ⁱⁿ Sandra Holasek (ehem. Wallner-Liebmann)

Head of the research unit "Nutrition and Metabolism", DocS LIFEMED
Vice president of ÖGE, ÖGSE
Center for Molecular Medicine
Institute for Pathophysiology and Immunology
Medical University of Graz
Heinrichstraße 31a
8010 Graz, Austria
Tel .: +43316380 4292

Areas of expertise:

• Dysfunctional Eating Behaviours and Eating Disorders: energy sensing
• Early Development: pregnancy and preterm birth nutrition
• Metabolic Perturbation Tests: inflammatory markers
• Lifestyle and Nutritional Assessment: comparative body composition assessment, metabolics

 

2nd Vice president

Assoc.-Prof.ⁱⁿ Dr.ⁱⁿ Regine Schönlechner

Institute of Food Technology
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Muthgasse 18
1190 Vienna , Austria
Tel: 01 / 47654-6606
E-mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!

Areas of expertise:
 

•      Food technology; nutritional Sciences
•      Cereal Technology; Pseudocereal
•      Additives
•      Nutrition in developing countries

Other board members

Ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Cem Ekmekcioglu

Institute of Enviromental Hygiene
Center of Public Health
Medical University of Vienna
Kinderspitalgasse 15, 2nd floor left, room 241
1090 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 1 40160 34927
E-Mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!
https://www.meduniwien.ac.at

Mag.^a Petra Lehner

AK (Chamber of Labor) Vienna - Consumer Policy
Prinz Eugen Straße 20-22
1040 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 1 501 65 12723
E-Mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!
wien.arbeiterkammer.at

Ass.-Prof.ⁱⁿ Dr.ⁱⁿ Petra Rust

Department of Nutritional Science
University of Vienna
Althanstraße 14
1090 Wien, Austria
Tel: 01/4277-54920
E-Mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!
https://nutrition.univie.ac.at

Treasurer

Assoc.-Prof.ⁱⁿ Dr.ⁱⁿ Regine Schönlechner

Institute of Food Technology
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna

1^st Invoice auditor

Ao. Univ. Prof. DI Dr. Mohammad Manafi

Department of Nutritional Sciences
University of Vienna
E-mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!

Areas of expertise:

•      Microbiological diagnosis
•      Water, food, kitchen and household hygiene

2nd Invoice auditor

Ao. Univ. i.R. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Emmerich Berghofer

Institute of Food Technology
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Muthgasse 18
1190 Vienna, Austria
E-Mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!
www.dlwt.boku.ac.at

Honorary President

Emer. o. Univ.-Prof. Dr. I. Elmadfa (ÖGE-Präsident 1999-2014)

IUNS Past President
Department of Nutritional Sciences
University of Vienna
Althanstraße 14
1190 Vienna, Austria
Tel.: +43 1 4277 54911
E-Mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!
https://nutrition.univie.ac.at

Sections - Chairman of the Section South

Univ.-Prof. DI Dr. Michael Murkovic

University of Technology
Institute of Biochemistry
Petersgasse 12/2
8010 Graz, Austria
Tel: +43 316 873 6495
E-Mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!
www.biochemistry.tugraz.at

Board of Directors

Below you will find the list of co-opted board members for the period 2020-2023.

We thank all previous and also the newly acquired board members for their support!
This ensures the representation of important disciplines in nutrition, food and medical sciences.

Mag.^a Birgit Beck

Project director Nutrition
Association for Consumer Information
Linke Wienzeile 18

1060 Vienna, Austira
Tel: (+43 1) 58877-257
E-Mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!
www.vki.at

Dr. Michael Blass

Executive Director
Agrarmarkt Austria Marketing GesmbH
Dresdner Straße 68a
1200 Vienna, Austria
Tel: 01/33151 – 410
E-Mail:Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!
www.ama-marketing.at

Dr.ⁱⁿ Karin Gromann

BM for Labor, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection, Section IX
Head of the department B/14 (food safety and consumer protection: material and technological risks, genetic engineering)
Radetzkystraße 2
1030 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43-1/711 00-64 4248
Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!

FH-Prof.ⁱⁿ Mag.^a Gabriele Karner, MBA

FH St. Pölten – Department Health
Head of Study Program Dietetics
Head of the course Applied Nutrition Therapy
Matthias Corvinus-Straße 15
3100 St. Pölten, Austria
Tel: 02742/313228 – 561
E-Mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!

Em. o. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Guenter J. Krejs

Former head of the clinical department for Gastroenterology and Hepatology (1986-2013)
University Hospital for Internal Medicine
Auenbruggerplatz 15
8036 Graz, Vienna
Tel: +43 316 385 78013
E-Mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!

Univ.-Doz.ⁱⁿ Mag.ⁱⁿ Dr.ⁱⁿ Ingrid Kiefer

AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety
Head of Department for Risk Communication
Spargelfeldstrasse 191
1220 Vienna, Austria
Tel: 050555/25000
E-mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Georg Hoffmann

Department of Nutritional Sciences
University of Vienna
Althanstraße 14
1090 Vienna, Austria
Tel: 01 / 4277-549 50
E-mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!

Areas of expertise:
 

•      Biomarkers of overweight and obesity
•      Tumor diseases associated with the metabolic syndrome
•      Monounsaturated fatty acids in the prevention of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease

Mag.^a Katharina Maierhofer

Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism
Department II/8, Agricultural value chain and nutrition
Stubenring 1, 1010 Vienna
Tel:  +43 1 71100 6882
E-Mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!

Mag.ⁱⁿ Dr.ⁱⁿ Brigitte Pleyer

Institute for Secondary Vocational Education, Department of Nutrition
PH (Pedagogical College) Steiermark
Theodor-Körner-Str. 38
8010 Graz, Vienna
Tel: 0316/8067/6317
E-Mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!
www.phst.at
http://www.ernaehrungsgeragogik.at/

Areas of expretise:

• Didactic implementation of nutrition recommendations for older adults
• Educational platform ERNährungsGEragogik (nutritional geragogy)
• Didactics for nutrition at human vocational school

Mag.^a Dr.ⁱⁿ Anna-Elisabeth Purtscher

Course director
FH-Bachelor-study program dietetics
Head of  the course Clinical Dietetics
Innrain 98, 4. floor, room 416
Tel: +43 512 5322-76738
E-Mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!

Priv.-Doz.ⁱⁿ Mag.a Dr.ⁱⁿ Karin Schindler

BM for Labor, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection, Section III
Department 8 (mother-, child- und gender health, nutrition)
Radetzkystraße 2
1030 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43-1/711 00-64 4225
E-Mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!

 

Branch associations

ICC Austria

International Society for Grain Science and Technology - Austria
Marxergasse 2
1030 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 (0) 1 7077202 0

President of ICC-Austria
DI Alfred Mar
University lecturer at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences
Former director
HTL for food technology, Wels
E-mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!/
www.icc-austria.or.at/

Areas of expertise:

• Cereals, pseudocereals, oilseeds
  
• Cereal technology
• Cereal products
• Cereal science
• Cereal nutrition incl. bakery products, pasta, fermented cereal products
  
• Connection for national and international contacts for the entire area