Mathilde Touvier, epidemiologist and director of research at Inserm, plays a major role in disseminating reliable scientific information on nutrition and public health. Through her work and her commitments, she works to enable everyone to make informed food choices and campaigns for public policies aimed at making healthy food options more accessible.
She points out that our daily food choices have a considerable impact on our health: over the course of a lifetime, we consume around 30 tonnes of food and 50,000 litres of drinks, exposing us to dozens of food additives every day. With one-fifth of global mortality directly or indirectly linked to nutrition, and over 40% of cancers preventable by a healthier lifestyle, the need for rigorous scientific information is more urgent than ever.
Touvier is leading the NutriNet-Santé cohort study, involving over 100,000 participants. This research has revealed links between the consumption of ultra-processed foods – containing additives such as nitrites, emulsifiers and sweeteners – and an increased risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension and obesity. It stresses that the traditional nutritional recommendations (reducing saturated fats, sugar and salt and increasing fibre) remain fundamental, but that the effects of ultra-processed foods must also be taken into account.
Faced with the proliferation of false nutritional information on social networks, often put out by “charlatans” or the aggressive marketing of the agri-food industry, Touvier stresses the importance of clear, scientific communication. She advocates an educational approach, with no guilt-inducing messages: ‘No food is forbidden’, she says, the important thing being frequency and quantity.
To strengthen the link between science and society, her team is also developing innovative awareness-raising initiatives. She cites, for example, a fun activity carried out with children at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, where they reproduced research results in Lego, encouraging creative discussions on nutrition. It is also working with the Open Food Facts association, which offers a mobile application that allows users to scan food products and access detailed information, including on additives.
One of the most visible results of its research is the Nutri-Score: a 5-level coloured logo that can be seen on food packaging in several European countries. This score quickly informs consumers about the nutritional quality of a product. Thanks to the results of its project funded by the European Research Council (ERC), the Nutri-Score algorithm was updated in 2024 to penalise, for example, drinks containing artificial sweeteners. The adoption of the Nutri-Score as compulsory labelling in Europe is currently being debated, with the OECD estimating that it could prevent 2 million cases of chronic disease by 2050.
Touvier is regularly asked to share her research with policy-makers, whether at the French National Assembly, the UK House of Lords or the WHO. She also works with the French Ministry of Health to guide nutritional policies.
Often accused of wanting to restrict individual freedom, she retorts that her aim is, on the contrary, to empower citizens: the real infringements of freedom are the marketing strategies that push people, often unconsciously, to consume products that are not conducive to good health.
For her, popularising science is an essential and rewarding mission. It enables us to stay in touch with the field, listen to the concerns of the public, and guide future research. “If researchers don’t speak out, others will, sometimes with dubious intentions.
In short, Mathilde Touvier is the embodiment of rigorous, humane and committed science, focused on the common good and building a better-informed, healthier society.
Photo credit: European Research Council
