Nutritional footprint calculator
NUTRITIONAL FOOTPRINT OF MEALS' CALCULATOR is an educational tool available in Czech language that aims to raise awareness of the interlinkage between the impact of food consumption on one's individual health as well as on our environment. By educating the general public in these topics the project aims to contribute to sustainable food consumption in the Czech Republic.
The project was inspired by the concept of Nutritional Footprint as developed and published by Lukas et al. (2016). The concept was reviewed as part of this current project and adjusted based on latest literature and expert consultations in Czechia. The calculations in our tool are therefore not identical to those in Lukas et al. (2016), but they do nevertheless in the same sense express the relative environmental impact per single portions of meals. The environmental indicators used are: climate change (g CO2 eq.), acidification (g SO2 eq.), eutrophication (g P eq.), land occupation (m2a) and water depletion (l). Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the methodology used behind the environmental impact of ingredients. Nutritional information is presented alongside the environmental impacts and includes: energy content (kJ), total fat (g), saturated fatty acids (g), sugar content (g) and salt content (g), all per one portion of the meal. Relative percentage with regard to Reference Intake is also shown for better understanding by the users.
The calculator is an outcome of an applied research project Nutritional footprint methodology for the assessment of environmental and health aspects of food consumption in the Czech Republic undertaken at the Charles University Environment Centre. The project ran in 2016-2017 and was co-financed by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic and Charles University. The full version of the calculator is for the moment available in Czech language only due to the focus and funding of the project. Further developments are expected.
For more information about the project or interest in collaboration please contact Dr. Dana Kapitulcinova - the PI of the project at dana@czp.cuni.cz.
REFERENCES:
Lukas, M., Rohn, H., Lettenmeier, M., Liedtke, C., & Wiesen, K. (2016). The nutritional footprint – integrated methodology using environmental and health indicators to indicate potential for absolute reduction of natural resource use in the field of food and nutrition. Journal of Cleaner Production, 132, 161-170.
