The National Approach to Product Improvement ('Nationale Aanpak Productverbetering' or NAPV) started in 2022. The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport uses the NAPV to motivate producers to improve the composition of their food products. RIVM has developed steps to make gradual improvements. We have done this together with the Netherlands Nutrition Centre and HAS University of Applied Sciences. In the coming years, we will check the changes that producers of food products make.

The Dutch government introduced the Nutri-Score food choice logo on 1 January 2024. A food choice logo can make it easier for people to make better food choices. That means it can also help lower the number of people who are overweight. This is one of the goals of the National Prevention Agreement. A food choice logo can also motivate producers to improve food composition. The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport has asked RIVM to investigate how the Nutri-Score system can be matched as closely as possible to the Dutch dietary guidelines. RIVM will monitor the Nutri-Score as well.

Climate, food and health are interrelated in many complex ways. Food supply and food safety are important themes in these areas.

Food and nutrition are an important part of our lifestyle. In conjunction with smoking and overweight/obesity, dietary habits are responsible for the majority of health loss and socio-economic health differences in the Netherlands. A major improvement in public health could be achieved by developing healthier dietary habits and a healthier body weight. Healthier dietary habits decrease the risk of premature death, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Half of all Dutch people are overweight. To fight this, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and other parties have signed the National Prevention Agreement. Part of the agreement is to make it easier for people to choose healthy foods. One way to achieve this is to make food products healthier. Another is to introduce a food choice logo. RIVM helps with this in several ways. We manage information in databases and help design new methods. We also look at trends in changes to food products.

Food production has an impact on the environment, for instance through land use, water consumption, acidification, eutrophication and soil depletion. Sustainable food is defined as food that meets people’s nutritional needs, both now and in the future, while at the same time protecting ecosystems.