The scientific criteria, that differentiate between more and less healthy products, are the cornerstone of the Choices way of working. The International Scientific Committee is the custodian of these criteria and is responsible for the regular revision, every four years, to cater for new developments in consumer habits, food science and product reformulation.
The International Scientific Committee is formed by a group of leading independent scientists in nutrition, food science and consumer behaviour. The committee is independent and autonomous.
Annet JC Roodenburg (PhD Nutrition) has been Associate Professor Nutrition and Health at HAS University of Applied Sciences, in Den Bosch/Venlo, The Netherlands since 2010.
She worked for 16 years in the food industry as a nutrition scientist on the scientific approach towards healthier foods and responsible communication in order to help consumers to make healthier choices.
Current research focus: foods, consumers, and food producers on topics such as nutrient profiling and food labelling, reformulation and food data, product development for specific target groups (elderly), tools for chefs in food service.
Lauren Lissner is a Professor in Epidemiology at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She has a Master's degree in Public Health from the University of California and a Ph.D. in Human Nutrition from Cornell University.
Prof. Lissner has been living in Sweden since 1989. During this time, she has been Director of the EpiLife Research Center at the University of Gothenburg, has served as Chair of the Public Health and Prevention Task Force of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, and has been President of the Swedish Association for the Study of Obesity. She joined the International Scientific Committee of Choices in 2016 and has chaired this group since 2018. Prof. Lissner has published around 400 scientific publications.
Professor Ngozi Nnam is a Professor in Community and Public Health Nutrition affiliated to the Department of Home Science, Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
Her area of specialization is Community and Public Health Nutrition, with a special interest in nutrition of women and children, particularly about how to tackle malnutrition. Her expertise includes the use of locally available food crops, the improvement of the nutritional qualities of plant foods to increase utilization and production. She is also an expert in the development, documentation as well as chemical and biological evaluation of locally-available food products, especially complementary foods.
After completing a Ph.D. program in Human Nutrition, Prof. Nnam joined the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, where she later became Professor in Community and Public Health Nutrition. She has served as Head of the Department of Home Science, Nutrition and Dietetics for five years. In 2007 she was awarded the title of outstanding Head of Department in the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Prof. Nnam is currently the President Federation of African Nutrition Societies. She is also a Trustee of the African Nutrition Society and the e-Nutrition Academy and Nutrition Society of Nigeria. Prof. Nnam has served as Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, as President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, and as Chair of the Civil Society Platform of the Scaling Up Nutrition movement in Nigeria.
Bruce Hamaker is Distinguished Professor of Food Science at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. He also holds the Roy L. Whistler Chair and is Director of the Whistler Center of Carbohydrate Research. He has an M.S. in Human Nutrition and PhD in Food Science from Purdue University, and post-doctoral study through Johns Hopkins University at the Instituto de Investigación Nutricionál in Lima, Peru.
Prof. Hamaker's research is in the area of food carbohydrates and proteins with applications related to topics of processing, nutrition, health and wellness. He has been and continues to be active in international research collaborations in Africa, Asia and Latin America; and particularly in development-oriented research and applied programs in West and East Africa. He has over 265 refereed publications in food science, human nutrition, biochemistry and microbiome research. He has advised about 70 M.S and PhD students and over 25 post-doctoral scientists. He joined the International Scientific Committee in 2020.
Dr. Pulkit Mathur is a Professor and Head of the Department of Food and Nutrition and Food Technology at Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi. She has 25 years of research and teaching experience. Her research interests include food safety, nutrient profiling, diet quality, eating behaviour, and understanding barriers and facilitators to healthy eating in different age groups. She has more than 100 publications in national and international journals, books, manuals, monographs, and periodicals to her credit.
She is a Member of the National Committee of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences and the National Executive Committee of the Nutrition Society of India. She is a National Resource Person for the Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) Program of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. She is a National Trainer for Nutrition under the National Adolescent Health Program of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. She was a Member, National Task Force on ‘Balanced and Healthy Diets’, Directorate General of Health Services, Government of India. A gold medallist from the University of Delhi, she has been presented with a Certificate of Appreciation under the Professionals category of the Eat Right Awards (2018-2019) and a Certificate of Merit in recognition of her contribution and continued work as a leader in strengthening of the Food Safety Eco-system by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). She is also on the FSSAI Scientific Panel on Nutrition and Fortification.