Better understanding food to make better choices: an educational event at the Cité des sciences
At a time when food is the subject of many questions, between nutritional injunctions, contradictory marketing messages and health concerns, it is becoming essential to obtain reliable and scientific information. With this in mind, a first-of-its-kind event was held at the Cité des Sciences from 25 to 27 March 2025. The organisers’ aim was to raise public awareness – particularly among secondary school pupils – of the issues surrounding food and the strategies that influence our eating habits.
At the heart of the event was a Research Village run by leading public research bodies Inserm and Inrae, with the participation of numerous experts in nutrition, public health and the social sciences. Several formats were proposed to combine learning, interactivity and discovery.
A space dedicated to science and education
Inserm offered a series of educational and scientific activities accessible to all. Visitors were able to discover the ‘La santé dans notre assiette’ exhibition, a fascinating look at the links between food and health, illustrated with current scientific data.
Two short programmes in the ‘30 minutes santé’ series, devoted to gluten and the Nutri-Score, were also broadcast. These formats helped to demystify subjects that are often misunderstood, based on research carried out by Inserm teams.
Doctoral students from the research unit also presented dynamic pitches on a variety of subjects: food additives, the intestinal microbiota and conscious eating – all crucial topics for understanding the effects of our food choices on our bodies.
Participatory workshops to make learning fun
Among the highlights of the day, several workshops gave visitors – especially secondary school students – the opportunity to confront preconceived ideas and discover what goes on behind the scenes in the food industry.
The Nutri-Score workshop, led by the dietetics unit of the Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (CRESS-EREN), ASNM and Inrae, looked at this coloured nutritional logo now found on many food products. The workshop aimed to explain how it works, its scientific origins, and to deconstruct the misconceptions perpetuated by certain industrial lobbies.
For its part, the NACRe network led the ‘Fair Price’ workshop, which showed in practical terms that a home-cooked meal can not only be healthier, but also cheaper than an industrially prepared meal. The aim was to raise awareness of the presence of additives and flavour enhancers, and the potential long-term health effects of their regular consumption.
An event to awaken critical thinking
Aimed primarily at pupils in upper secondary education, as well as the general public, the main aim of this event was to awaken critical thinking in the face of the abundance of nutritional information (and misinformation). The aim was to empower consumers by giving them the tools they need to understand the messages that influence their day-to-day food choices.
Photo credit: EREN team
https://www.cite-sciences.fr/fr/au-programme/lieux-ressources/cite-de-la-sante/nos-evenements/cycle-idees-sante/village-nutrition-et-environnement
