Last week I attended the American Dietetic Association’s annual Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo. The conference is the largest gathering of food and nutrition experts in the world, including dietitians who work in hospitals, nursing homes and the food industry, as well as with the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) feeding program and other governmental programs. I was pleased to see many IDFA member company representatives, either in the exhibit hall or in attendance at the meetings. The conference sessions reflected current hot topics in the areas of food and nutrition: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, federal nutrition programs, sustainability and dietary components, such as fat, sugar and vitamin D. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend every session, but here are some thoughts on those that I did see. Sustainability Just like consumers, dietitians are becoming interested in what they can do to support a food system that is beneficial for the health of people as well as the environment. Multiple sessions examined the role of dietitians in promoting “green” food choices, farm-to-table initiatives, and sustainable food choices. While the dairy industry is moving toward more sustainable practices, it is important for us to educate nutrition professionals about our efforts so they can be aware of these as they make their recommendations. I'd love to hear how your companies may be doing this already. Dietary Guidelines Two large sessions addressed the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In one session, members of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee demonstrated how the Nutrition Evidence Library, an approach originally developed by the American Dietetic Association, was used to support the recommendations of the DGAC report. Another session outlined challenges and opportunities for dietitians and food scientists when communicating and implementing the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines after they are released. Additional sessions looked at plant-based diets, which were recommended by the DGAC report. Vitamin D In a very entertaining presentation, Michael Holick, Ph.D., M.D., offered the various benefits of vitamin D and his recommendations on Vitamin D intake, which are much higher than current governmental recommendations. Another session gave a preview of the research used to support new vitamin D recommendations for children. The Institute of Medicine report on new recommendations for calcium and vitamin D intake will be released on November 30 in Washington, D.C. More information about the conference can be found at ADA’s website. If you attended, what sessions did you find most helpful? If you didn’t attend, what topics would you like to hear more about?