Darja Sokolić, PhD, scientific assistant
Croatian Food Agency, Osijek, Croatia

The Croatian Food Agency is responsible for risk assessment of contaminants originating from food, which requires more accurate data on food consumption at the individual level of the population living in the Republic of Croatia. Therefore, the Croatian Food Agency in cooperation with partners, is conducting the first national study on nutritional habits of infants, young children and children up to 9 years of age. Partners in the project are: Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology in Zagreb, Faculty of Food Technology in Osijek and Croatian Institute for Public Health.

The project is funded by the European Food Safety Agency. The research began in January 2017 and will last for 54 months, and will be based on the EU Menu Methodology for Collecting Food Information on Individual Levels. A total of at least 1820 respondents, including an ad hoc group of infants, will be included. Field work is envisaged in the third year of research and will cover all four seasons.

In the first two years, on-line data collection software will be developed, which will include all relevant databases, including recipes, brands, food composition, and image of food portions adjusted to age subgroups. Collected data, except for risk / exposure assessment, can be used as a basis for nutrition planning, assessment of population health status, trends and habits regarding food consumption, lifestyle, in physical activity and will be available to the academic community, industry and consumers.

Key words: food consumptions, Croatia, infants and toddlers, EU Menu