Food and Sustainability: A New Paradigm in Spanish Food Based Dietary Guidelines

At present, food supply and sustainability are an indivisible binomial that aims to create a trail of health and sustainability in all directions. The new Dietary Guidelines for the Spanish population developed by the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC) provide specific recommendations compatible with better health. Include explicit and implicit recommendations towards priority food consumption that contributes to reduce ecological foot print and promote sustainability in terms of food, economy and social development. *Corresponding author: Javier Aranceta, Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC), Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Navarra; E-mail: javieraranceta@gmail.com Citation: Aranceta, J. Food and Sustainability: A New Paradigm in Spanish Food Based Dietary Guidelines. (2016) J Environ Health Sci 2(4): 13. Food and Sustainability: A New Paradigm in Spanish Food Based Dietary Guidelines


Introduction
Community Nutrition deals with improving the availability and facilitating access to communities to a variety of resources that contribute to the adoption of food habits and lifestyles of individuals and population groups consistent with health promotion and quality of life of present and future generations.
Climate change and environmental concerns in recent years have led the scientific community to focus its attention on the health of the planet as a primary endpoint for all activities, including food related processes, from initial seed development, cattle breeding or marine fish captures, until its classification as waste or residues: raw materials containers, packaging and processes involved (Burlingame, B., et al., 2010).
All human activities have a clear impact on the socalled ecological footprint. Food affects the use of land, water consumption, energy consumption, CO 2 generation, waste impact, environmental pollution and often, labor and social injus-indivisible binomial that aims to create a trail of health and sustainability in all directions (Johnston, J.L., et al., 2014).

Sustainable diets
Experts agreed on a general definition in the context of an FAO meeting on biodiversity and sustainable diets in Rome in 2010 and subsequent report: "Sustainable diets are those diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations. Sustainable diets are protective and respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems, culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair and affordable; nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy; while optimizing natural and human resources" (Burlingame, B., et al., 2010). Despite the increasing visibility of these issues, just a few sets of food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) have considered sustainability criteria in their approaches. As pointed out in a recent analysis on sustainability in FBDG, so far, only four countries consider sustainability in official FBDG, namely Brazil, Sweden, Qatar and Germany. A few others, such as USA and Australia, provide some discussion on sustainability issues in additional reports, although such considerations did not achieved formal endorsement. In addition, recent documents developed in a number of countries, such as UK, France, the Netherlands and Estonia include sustainability (Gonzalez, et al., 2016).

Dietary Guidelines: Health criteria
The new FBDG for the Spanish population developed by the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC) include specific recommendations on various determinants of nutritional status and eating habits compatible with better health ( figure 1). Through the icon of the Healthy Eating Food Guide Pyramid, recommendations on daily physical activity (1 hour or 10,000 steps), highlights about emotional balance, energy balance, culinary techniques and intake of water and other liquids form the J Environ Health Sci | volume 2: issue 4 www.ommegaonline.org On these premises, dietary recommendations focus on an important position for whole grain cereals, tender legumes, fruit and vegetables. In this block of foods for priority consumption, the use of extra virgin olive oil is emphasized both for seasoning raw foods and for cooking, frying and other culinary techniques.
In the upper levels of the pyramid a variety of foods to choose are included as recommended for daily or weekly consumption we find low-fat dairy products, nuts, dry beans, eggs, white meats and seasonal fish.
In the fourth level, we can see foods recommended for occasional consumption, such as red meat, sausages and other processed meats. This recommendation is completed with additional advice to choose good quality eat and meat products, with side dish of salad or fresh vegetables and using cooking techniques that prevent adding unwanted byproducts.
At the apex of the pyramid fat spreads, foods high in sugar, salt and sweets, snacks and goodies are positioned.
In this new edition, the icon reminds individuals to ask for professional health advice if willing to incorporate dietary and/or nutritional supplements, vitamins or certain functional foods based on individual characteristics.

Sustainability criteria
Explicit and implicit recommendations are also directed towards priority food consumption that generates reduce ecological footprint and promote sustainability in terms of food, economic and social terms. The base of plant foods adds indications to choose products in season, local or proximity products, and reminds about demanding products obtained by processes respectful with the environment. These additional advices include as well, criteria of food sovereignty and consider fair trade and ethics of food on all fronts.
Although consensus for the guidelines agreed considering elements of comfort and respect for common customs and uses, health and sustainability criteria advice to decrease consumption of animal-origin food products and increase consumption of vegetables, fruits and legumes.
Regarding the ecological footprint, Spain exceeds 2.5 times the overall impact from food, housing, transportation, etc. It also describes figures for improvement in relation to waste reduction, safe reuse and suitable recycling of food and packaging.
In this sense, the food groups with poorest balance and greater impact on the CO 2 footprint refers to meat, some manufactured fish, dairy products and processed foods high in salt and/or sugar.

Live Well for Life project estimates for Spain
The Life Well for Life project, developed by WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and Friends of Europe-seek to promote the adoption of healthier and more sustainable European eating habits (Thompson, S., et al., 2016). Among other, aims to suggest changes in eating patterns of pilot European countries, namely France, Sweden, and Spain, with the aim of reducing by 25% the greenhouse gas emissions in a feasible way by intro-