Community Nutrition and Food Policy

This module introduces the program planning, policies, resources, and nutrition issues specific to community nutrition and provides an understanding of creating and implementing nutrition programmes for various groups (elderly populations, children, impoverished populations, etc.). The module delivers the core material important to those who will be active in solving community nutritional and health problems, including program delivery, nutrition education, nutrition assessment, and planning nutrition interventions. The module also covers the development of policy on Nutrition and Food within Ireland and the European Union and how that policy can be implemented to reduce the burden of non–communicable chronic disease through poor diet and inadequate food supply.

1. Describe appropriate community nutrition techniques for implementing nutrition policy.

2. Summarise the current Irish and EU policies on adult nutrition, infant nutrition and fortification of foodstuffs.

3. Relate nutrition and health needs to psychological and sociological aspects of food and nutrition behaviours.

4. Recognise individual responsibillities under Irish and European food legislation and outline the factors involved in the production and trade of foodstuffs on a global scale.

5. Identify nutrition problems in a community and propose strategies to overcome them.

6. Evaluate the practical differences in implementing food and nutrition policy and guidelines.