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Erica Ng (Erica Ng)

Nutrition Without Borders: 80 Years of IUNS – ICNs Through the Decades

Welcome back to the IUNS 80th anniversary series, “Nutrition Without Borders: 80 Years of IUNS”. The topic of this month is “ICNs Through the Decades: How the Global Nutrition Conversation Evolved”. 

Early International Congress of Nutrition (ICN) meetings focused on addressing deficiency diseases and protein-energy malnutrition, while later congresses embraced chronic disease, food systems, and equity. Examining ICNs through the decades shows not only how nutrition science has advanced, but also how IUNS has shaped the priorities and perspectives of the global community. From pioneering research to policy debates, the ICNs reflect both scientific progress and the changing global context of nutrition challenges.

Building a Foundation 

The first ICN was held in the late 1940s. Delegates were primarily scientists from Europe and North America, focusing on nutrient deficiencies, protein-energy malnutrition, and basic dietary requirements. 

Key themes included: 

  • Understanding and preventing rickets, scurvy, and other deficiency diseases 
  • Standardising dietary recommendations and measurement methods 
  • Sharing laboratory-based nutritional research 

These early gatherings were critical for setting international standards, fostering collaboration, and creating a common scientific language. The ICNs established a model for periodic global scientific exchange, which became central to IUNS’s mission of convening nutrition science worldwide. 

Mid-Century Expansion: Chronic Disease and Global Perspective 

By the 1970s and 1980s, ICNs expanded in scope and attendance. Delegates increasingly represented low- and middle-income countries, reflecting IUNS’s growing emphasis on global representation. Nutrition science was no longer only about deficiencies; chronic diseases, obesity, and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) entered the agenda. 

Highlights from this period: 

  • Plenary sessions on cardiovascular health, diabetes, and diet-related cancers 
  • Integration of population-level public health research 
  • Dialogue on food policy, fortification, and supplementation programmes in diverse countries 

ICNs became more interdisciplinary, including economists, policymakers, and public health specialists, ensuring that research findings could inform policy and practice worldwide. This period marked the transition from purely laboratory-focused science to applied, policy-relevant global nutrition. 

Recent Decades: Complexity, Sustainability, and Equity 

From the 2000s onward, ICNs evolved to reflect the full complexity of nutrition science. Today’s congresses address: 

  • The double burden of malnutrition (undernutrition and obesity coexisting) 
  • Sustainable diets and climate change 
  • Food systems, equity, and social determinants of nutrition 
  • Digital tools, nutrigenomics, and precision nutrition 

The ICN has also embraced global inclusivity, supporting participation from early-career researchers, low-resource countries, and interdisciplinary teams. Symposia now emphasise interdisciplinary issues, integrating nutrition with environmental science, agriculture, and social policy. 

Recent ICNs all demonstrate this evolution. Presentations, debates, and workshops increasingly address not only what to eat, but how to feed populations sustainably, equitably, and healthily. These congresses reflect the shift from single-nutrient focus to holistic, systems-level thinking about global nutrition challenges. 

Reflection 

Looking across the decades, ICNs are mirrors of scientific progress and societal change. From deficiency prevention to sustainable diets, they show how IUNS has guided the global nutrition agenda, creating a dynamic forum where ideas evolve, collaborations form, and solutions are shaped for an ever-changing world. 

Nutrition Without Borders: 80 Years of IUNS – ICNs as the Global Meeting Place

Welcome back to the IUNS 80th anniversary series, “Nutrition Without Borders: 80 Years of IUNS”. The topic of this month is “ICNs: Where the Global Nutrition Community Meets, Shares, and Innovates”.

Since its earliest days, the IUNS has recognised that science advances fastest when people come together. One of the most powerful expressions of this belief is the International Congress of Nutrition (IUNS-ICN), which is the IUNS’s flagship global meeting held every four years. From a small gathering of nutrition scientists in the 1940s to today’s major scientific event attracting thousands of delegates from around the world, the IUNS-ICNs are where knowledge is shared, collaborations are formed, and the future of nutrition science is shaped.  

A Forum for Global Exchange 

The first IUNS‑linked International Congress of Nutrition took place shortly after the union was founded, bringing together researchers from a handful of countries to exchange findings and build scientific networks. Over the decades, these congresses have grown dramatically in scale and diversity. Where early meetings were largely academic and regional, today’s IUNS-ICNs are multi‑disciplinary, multi‑sectoral scientific gatherings.  

By the late 20th century, IUNS-ICNs were drawing thousands of participants from all inhabited continents. Recent congresses, such as events in Buenos Aires, Granada, Bangkok, Tokyo, and Paris, have included plenary talks, symposia, posters, workshops, and networking events, reflecting the breadth of contemporary nutrition science.  

These gatherings are not only about presenting research; they are about convening the community: professors and students, researchers and practitioners, policymakers and thought leaders, all under one roof to discuss evidence, debate ideas, and explore solutions to pressing global nutrition challenges. 

ICN 2025: Sustainable Food for Global Health 

The most recent congress, the 23rd IUNS‑ICN took place in Paris from 24–29 August 2025 under the theme “Sustainable Food for Global Health.” The event gathered thousands of participants from over 100 countries and showcased a rich scientific programme of plenary sessions, lectures, symposia, oral presentations, posters, and networking opportunities.  

Topics spanned multiple facets of nutrition research and practice, including: 

  • The future of nutrition recommendations 
  • Climate change, sustainability, and nutrition 
  • Global health and planetary nutrition 
  • Public health nutrition across the life course 
  • Precision and clinical nutrition 
  • Non‑communicable diseases 
  • Basic research in nutrition 

Organisers made a special effort to ensure representation from all continents, including support for young scientists and researchers from low‑ and middle‑income countries. In addition to scientific sessions, cultural and social programmes fostered community and exchange among participants.  

IUNS-ICN 2025 also reaffirmed IUNS’s commitment to inclusivity, knowledge sharing, and global dialogue about the future of diets and nutrition in a changing world. 

Looking Back and Ahead 

From its modest beginnings to its current scale, the IUNS-ICN has become a cornerstone event in global nutrition science. It reflects how the field has expanded from early concerns about deficiencies to today’s multifaceted questions about sustainability, diet quality, chronic disease, and planetary health. The next congress, scheduled for Vancouver in 2029, promises to continue this tradition of rigorous science, inclusive exchange, and collaborative learning.  

By bringing thousands of voices together on a regular cadence, ICNs ensure that global nutrition science continues advancing collectively, not in isolation, just as IUNS intended decades ago. 

In September, our series continues with IUNS-ICNs Through the Decades: How the Global Nutrition Conversation Evolved. The next story looks back across the congresses to trace how early priorities such as deficiency diseases and protein-energy malnutrition expanded into today’s wider agenda of chronic disease, food systems, sustainability, and equity, showing how IUNS and the IUNS-ICNs have helped shape nutrition science in step with a changing world.  

IUNS President Congratulates ASN on Nutrition 2026

The International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) is pleased to congratulate the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) on Nutrition 2026, the Society’s flagship annual meeting taking place in National Harbor, Maryland, USA.

To mark the occasion, Professor Hyun-Sook Kim, President of IUNS, shared a video message congratulating Dr Naïma Moustaïd-Moussa, ASN President, and the organising committee for delivering an outstanding scientific programme that brings together researchers, clinicians, educators, and policymakers from around the world. In her message, Professor Kim also reaffirmed the long-standing partnership between IUNS and ASN, highlighting their shared commitment to advancing nutritional science globally.

Professor Kim noted that 2026 marks the 80th anniversary of IUNS, celebrating eight decades of international collaboration in nutrition science. She recognised the invaluable contributions of IUNS’ 85 Adhering Bodies and Regional Affiliated Bodies, whose collective efforts continue to advance the Union’s mission of promoting excellence in nutritional science and fostering global knowledge exchange.

Reflecting on the enduring relationship between IUNS and ASN, Professor Kim emphasised the importance of international collaboration in addressing global nutrition challenges, including undernutrition, obesity, food security, and the development of sustainable food systems.

“Although we come from different countries and cultures, we are united by a common purpose: improving quality of life through nutritional science.”

Professor Kim concluded by encouraging participants to use Nutrition 2026 as an opportunity to inspire new scientific discoveries, strengthen international partnerships, and reaffirm a shared commitment to advancing nutrition research for the benefit of people worldwide.

IUNS congratulates ASN on Nutrition 2026 and looks forward to continuing its close collaboration in advancing nutrition science and supporting the next generation of nutrition researchers worldwide.

Nutrition Without Borders: 80 Years of IUNS – What Happened 80 Years Ago?

Welcome to the IUNS 80th anniversary series, “Nutrition Without Borders: 80 Years of IUNS”.

Over the coming months, we will explore how IUNS has advanced nutrition science through international cooperation, encouraged collaboration and communication among researchers, and shared knowledge globally. Each story will highlight a part of IUNS’s mission and impact on global nutrition.

A Post-War World in Need: The Birth of Global Nutrition Science

In 1945, the world stood at a turning point. The devastation of World War II had reshaped nations, economies, and societies. Beyond destroyed infrastructure and political instability, another crisis was becoming increasingly visible: widespread malnutrition affecting both war-torn populations and countries undergoing rapid social change. 

Food shortages, disrupted agriculture, population displacement, and poverty exposed how deeply nutrition was connected to global stability. Governments and scientists began to recognise that nutrition was not merely a domestic health issue, but was an international concern requiring cooperation across borders. 

This moment marked a broader shift in global thinking. The post-war period saw the emergence of international collaboration through newly established institutions such as the United Nations and specialised agencies addressing health, agriculture, and development. Scientific communities were also rethinking how knowledge should be organised: instead of working in isolation, researchers increasingly saw value in coordinated global exchange. 

Nutrition science was no exception. 

A Need for International Scientific Coordination 

Before the war, nutrition research existed primarily within national context. Scientists studied deficiency diseases, dietary patterns, and food composition largely independently, often using different methods and standards. As a result, comparing findings across countries was difficult, slowing scientific progress at precisely the time when coordinated solutions were urgently needed. 

Researchers recognised several shared challenges:

  • Lack of harmonised dietary assessment methods 
  • Limited communication between scientific communities 
  • Uneven access to emerging nutritional knowledge 
  • The need to translate research into public health action 

Nutrition problems clearly crossed national boundaries. Addressing them required an organised international scientific network. 

The Founding of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences 

In response to this need, leading nutrition scientists worked through existing international scientific structures to establish a dedicated global body. In 1946, the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) was established in 1946 to promote international collaboration in nutrition research. In 1968, the union was admitted as a member of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) – now part of the International Science Council (ISC), strengthening its role within the global scientific community. 

Rather than representing individual scientists, IUNS was designed as a union of national nutrition societies. This structure reflected an important principle; international collaboration would be built through cooperation among national scientific communities, allowing countries to contribute collectively while maintaining scientific independence. 

The aims of IUNS were ambitious yet practical: 

  • Promote international cooperation in nutritional science 
  • Encourage advancement of research and education 
  • Facilitate communication and exchange of scientific knowledge 
  • Support the application of nutrition science to improve global health 

At a time when travel was difficult and communication relied on letters and printed journals, creating a coordinated international scientific network required both vision and commitment. 

Nutrition and the Spirit of Post-War Liberal Cooperation 

From an international relations perspective, the creation of IUNS reflects a broader post-war movement toward liberal internationalism, which is the belief that cooperation, shared knowledge, and institutions could help prevent conflict and improve human wellbeing. 

Scientific collaboration became one way to rebuild trust between nations. Nutrition science, grounded in shared human needs, offered a particularly powerful platform for cooperation. Hunger and malnutrition were challenges no country could solve alone, and scientific exchange became a form of diplomacy rooted in evidence rather than politics. 

IUNS emerged alongside other international efforts, such as FAO and WHO, addressing food and health, contributing a uniquely scientific voice to global discussions about nutrition policy and public health. 

A Foundation for Global Nutrition Science 

What began in 1946 as a scientific initiative has since grown into a worldwide network connecting nutritional scientists across regions, disciplines, and generations. Through congresses, task forces, and partnerships, IUNS continues to support collaboration on issues ranging from micronutrient deficiencies to sustainable diets and emerging global health challenges. 

The founding of IUNS reminds us that international cooperation in science is not accidental but is built intentionally in response to shared crises and shared aspirations. 

In the aftermath of war, nutrition scientists chose collaboration over fragmentation. Their decision laid the foundation for a global community working toward a common goal, which is improving nutrition for all.  

The creation of IUNS was more than a scientific milestone; it was a commitment to global collaboration in the pursuit of human health. In a world still recovering from war, the union symbolised the belief that knowledge could transcend borders, and cooperation could help prevent hunger and disease. Eight decades later, IUNS continues this mission, convening scientists worldwide to address the complex nutrition challenges of today and the future. 

But why did nutrition science, in particular, need an international union? The challenges were not only global in scale, they were also scientific in nature, requiring researchers to work together to standardise methods, compare findings, and share knowledge across borders.  

Next in the “Nutrition Without Borders: 80 Years of IUNS” series: we will explore the scientific reasons that made the creation of the IUNS essential, and how it helped unify nutrition research worldwide. 

Showcase Your Research at CNS 2026 – Call for Abstracts Now Open

The CNS Annual Conference, being held at the Halifax Convention Centre from May 7-9 2026, is a forum for the presentation of scientific research spanning basic science, regulatory/policy, clinical and public health. It offers an exceptional learning environment and brings together a range of expertise, including food and nutrition researchers, healthcare professionals, opinion leaders, industry representatives, government officials, and future leaders. The conference program is dynamic and brings some of the best expertise together to offer an excellent learning experience for all delegates.

Are you ready to showcase your cutting-edge nutrition research at the CNS Annual Conference? CNS is pleased to announce the Call for Abstracts for the CNS 2026 Annual Conference in Halifax! This is your chance to connect, inspire, and share your work with an influential audience of nutrition professionals—including researchers, healthcare experts, industry leaders, government officials, and rising stars in the field! Abstracts on a wide range of nutrition topics are welcome!

CNS offers several abstract awards as part of its Poster / Abstract program. Before you submit your abstract, please review the list of Abstract Awards to determine your eligibility. You will be asked to indicate your desire to be considered for eligible awards when submitting your abstract.

If you are a CNS member in good standing, you are eligible to submit an abstract. For a detailed breakdown of eligibility criteria and submission guidelines, CLICK HERE