Food&HealthLab will carry out the translational research in the Nutrition, Adapted Physical Activity and Physiotherapy Clinic from Lluís Alcanyís Foundation from University of Valencia (FLA) which is the centre educational-assistential unit from University of Valencia to improve the education of university students. The Food&Health Lab’s six Pillars (nutrition, gastronomy, physiotherapy, psychology, physical activity and clinical analysis) harness capabilities for solutions to threats health—on national and global scales- and applied to users and patients. Food&Health Lab has relevant infrastructure including:

–  Educational-assistential unit applied and users and patients and focussed to the nutrition, physiotherapy and psychology.

–  Inclusive Gym, equipped with platforms, bumper plates, tyres, sled and variety of bars among others.

–  Clinical Laboratory, equipped with rapid testing, serodiagnostic, and medical laboratory equipment.

–  EEG Neurofeedback Unit, equipped with Mind WorkStation which is used to work the relationship between sensorial analysis and neurofeedback.

–  Anthropometric instrument, equipped with Skinfold Caliper and Siber-Hegner anthropometer.

–  GastroLab, equipped with kitchen for students, users and patients to prepare healthy meals, foods and recipes according to the physiological and pathological statement.

In this point we started in 2010 an initiative (Food&HealthLab) which aim was to promote the food and health at the metropolitan area of Valencia, using the university community as a test bed platform (with near of 70.000 people distributed in 3 campuses around the metropolitan area of the city), and being able to check/evaluate/develop new technologies that could be used as new solutions for food and health. Food&HealthLab aims at stimulating communities of knowledge and user in order to better understand the food and health and to think its future in the perspective of a healthy city. Food&HealthLab was set up with these objectives:

1. To obtain reliable information about market conditions and current market barriers for the implementation of solutions based on food and health applied in users and patients from the university community and external users.
2. Setting up a public-private collaboration scheme for the implementation of healthy cost-effective initiatives in the scope of the city (firstly through the university community that may act as prescribers of changes in consumers’ patterns). The initiatives should be economically viable and therefore durable in time, as well as with potential for replicability in other contexts.
3. Boosting the creation of new companies in the scope of food and health as carrier of economic growth. Generation of new business opportunities and insertion of young people in labour market.

Food&HealthLab is a unique inclusive laboratory to help to users and patients with and/or disability being the focus the application of global methods to guarantee the food safety and health and can help prevent many chronic conditions by effectively targeting health promotion, prevention and early detection.

Living lab activities and areas of expertise:

Funding is based on a public-private collaboration scheme. The project has been launched with human, material and economical own resources from the University of Valencia, and other foundations, business creation and strengthening, local government and companies. Lluís Alcanyís Foundation from Valencian Community is also providing ongoing cash and in-kind support, in particular the premises and some staff. 

References and Track Record

Partners and participating users have considerable experience in food and health solutions:

The lab is involved in some international and national projects, focused in health and food, involving other academic and research institutions, industry partners and governmental agencies:

International projects:

–        FLASHDIET from European Commission in the Preparatory Action Healthy diet: early years and ageing population (2014/1/17037714- SI2.695146) applied in the increasing awareness on a balanced diet and fighting malnutrition at all ages.

–        ENPADASI from Joint Action from the Joint Programming Initiative “A healthy diet for a healthy life” (JPI2014-1) applied in the European Nutritional Phenotype Assessment and data sharing initiative.

National projects:

–        RENDIDEPOR from University of Valencia (UV-AE-20070219) applied in the nutritional and physiological assessment of university sports.

–        MICOKWASHIORKOR from Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (AGL2007-28623-E) applied to the relationship between mycotoxins and kwashiorkor.

–        OBNUSEGAL from Generalitat Valenciana (3014/2007) to create the Observatory of Nutrition and Food Safety in Developing Countries

–        ENTEROTOXINOMICS from Generalitat Valenciana (072/2009) applied of -omics in food safety

–        MILKBANK from University of Valencia (SN 07.949) to create the Human Milk Bank in Lima (Peru)

–        RADIOALI from Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (2696/SRO) applied to study of radioprotectors in oncology patient.

–        GASTROVALENCIA from Generalitat Valenciana (2009-QAD-SCC-00221) to create the Observatory of Traditional Dishes.

–        COOPERANT from Ajuntament of Valencia (514/2008) to create the food guide form poor people.

–        EGYPTOBNUSEGAL from The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) (A1/035779/11) to create the Observatory of Nutrition and Food Safety in Developing Countries in Cairo (Egypt).

–        EDUCALIANZA from Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (EDU2009-05823-E) to create the educational material applied in the National Plan of the Alliance of Civilizations.

–        RENDICAFE from Spanish Coffee Federation (2/09/2010) applied to the study of coffee in the hydration and sport performance.

–        FRUCTOPARASITO from Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación para la Investigación del Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe de Valencia (2014/0396) applied in the relationship about intestinal parasites and fructose malabsorption and lactose intolerance.