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 on November 2014, 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 2015, the ANS had 1032 members among which 697 individuals, 265 students, and 70 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 2009-2013

 The ANS’ various fields of activities are covered by the Chair’s working groups. For the period of 2009-2013, 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

• Food Industry (external, established 2007)

 

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.

Project WiNKi (Viennese Network of Kindergartens)

The ANS is also partner of the Viennese Health Promotion Board (WiG) in the project WiNKi (Viennese Network of Kindergardens) running from February 2011 to December 2013 and aimed at improving nutrition in Viennese kindergardens participating in the training of kindergarden teachers and caregivers (Nutrition Academy) as well as the evaluation and development of meal plans (ANS quality seal).

 

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.

 

LINDA – the Food Intolerance Database

The ANS entertains an online database of foods that are free of common allergens and other components frequently causing adverse reactions. This database is realized in close cooperation with food manufacturers and regularly updated. The main target group are health care professionals and dieticians that give nutritional counselling to patients, but it can also be consulted directly by the latter.

Besides the password-secured online database, the information is available as brochures that can be ordered in print, downloaded on the website in pdf format, and as a software allowing more individualized product queries (available on CD-ROM).

http://www.lebensmittelintoleranz.org/  (in German)

 

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 250-300 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	€ 75,-
Student members	€ 40,-
Educational institutions	€ 200 to 300,-
Companies, public agencies and entities, supporting members	Tiered membership fees € 300,- to € 1500,-

• ÖGE-Folder english (pdf)

 

Contact

Mag.^a Alexandra Hofer

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

Tel: +431/7147193, Fax: +431/7186146
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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
Althanstr. 14
1090 Vienna
Tel: 01 / 4277-54930
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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

 

 

Vice president

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

Center for Molecular Medicine Institute for Pathophysiology and Immunology, Medical University of Graz Henry Street 31 A-8010 Graz, Austria

Tel .: +43316380 4292

Fax: +43316380 9640

 

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
Tel: 01 / 47654-6606
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Areas of expertise:
 

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

 

 

Board of Directors

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

AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety
Line Department of Risk Communication
Spargelfeldstrasse 191
1220 Vienna
Tel: 050555/25000
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Univ.-Prof. Dr. Georg Hoffmann

Department of Nutritional Sciences
University of Vienna
Althanstr. 14
1090 Vienna
Tel: 01 / 4277-549 50
Fax: 01 / 4277-9549
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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.ⁱⁿ Dr.ⁱⁿ Brigitte Pleyer

Lecturers at the Pedagogical University of Vienna and self-employed

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Specialty:
 

•      Didactics for the subject taught nutrition and household
•      Health promotion in schools

 

 

Treasurer

Dr. Georg Hoffmann, PhD

1^st Controller

Ao. Univ. Prof. DI Dr. Mohammad Manafi

Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology at the Med. Univ. Vienna
Kinderspitalgasse 15
1090 Vienna
Tel: 01 / 40160-33041
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Areas of expertise:
 

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

 

2^nd Controller

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

 

Head of the Section South

Christine Pint, MSc

Medical Services of the Federal State Government of Styria
Friedrichgasse 9, 8010 Graz
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Director of the Affiliated Association ICC Austria

International Association for Cereal Science and Technology

Web: www.icc-austria.or.at/

Direktor DI Alfred Mar

HTL für Lebensmitteltechnologie
Getreidewirtschaft
Carl-Blum-Straße 4, 4600 Wels
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Fields of expertise: Cereals, Cereal technology, Cereal products, Cereal science, Cereal nutrition incl. Bakery goods, Connection for national and international contacts in this field