February 2022, we kicked off the Operation Health by sharing on FUSILLI-CBR social media, 10 types of food to cut down on for better heart health. The list included some of the usual suspects: salt, processed and red meat, sugary drinks, fried foods… But it also highlighted other culprits like trans fats, refined cereals, coconut oil, and canned vegetables and fruits loaded with salt and additives.
By March of that same year—yes, the year of the irresistible crispy orange snacks—a guest nutritionist delivered a talk titled “Diet and Nutrition Throughout Life”, setting the tone for what would become three years full of meaningful activities. From there, the FUSILLI team got to work, visiting schools and summer activity centres, as well as welcoming children to CATAA, all to promote healthy eating through fun and engaging activities.
Imagine children teaming up to create the most delicious fruit and vegetable smoothies, competing to complete the Mediterranean food wheel, trying to guess the sugar content in everyday foods, or the game “Let’s Go Shopping,” where children learned to make informed food choices by selecting items for a healthy, balanced diet. These games didn’t just entertain—they educated, gently inspiring kids towards healthier food choices.
But we didn’t stop at games. Practical activities were paired with thought-provoking sessions to tackle the big topics: the dangers of ultra-processed foods, the benefits of choosing natural, local and seasonal options, the misuse of antibiotics in the agrifood industry, eating behaviours, and the crucial role of diet in shaping gut microbiota—highlighting how these choices ultimately impact our health.
We didn’t forget the older generations. Our nutritionist ran tailored sessions at Castelo Branco’s senior university, offering practical advice on how to eat well and age healthily, and how to interpret food labels.
By late 2024, the operation had expanded in exciting ways! In October, we launched a pilot randomized clinical trial to explore the impact of kombucha on gut microbiota, metabolic health, and liver function in volunteers with overweight and class 1 obesity. Kombucha had become one of our star FUSILLI products at CATAA, often crafted with local and seasonal ingredients like cherries, which added a unique, regional twist to this fermented beverage.
It’s no coincidence that the work carried out through FUSILLI in Castelo Branco was recognised on a national stage. It was selected as one of the three finalists for the VIVER SAUDÁVEL Award – Project of the Year in Community Nutrition and Public Health 2024, an initiative by VIVER SAUDÁVEL magazine dedicated to nutrition professionals.
As we talk about the health topic here, let’s not forget the concept of One Health—connecting the health of people, animals, and the planet. This crucial topic was the core of the congress held last year, “Farm to Fork: Our Food, Our Health, Our Future,” on November 16–18, 2023. Supported by FUSILLI, this congress was deeply dedicated to the project and saw massive participation from FUSILLI consortium partners. This event is now fondly remembered with the very recent (finally!) publication of the Abstract Book. This publication captures the remarkable contributions and discussions from the event, highlighting the invaluable insights shared by our speakers and participants.
CATAA took the lead in coordinating the health-related aspects of the project while also driving food innovation, with the support of the other local FUSILLI partners: the Municipality of Castelo Branco and Inovcluster. We bid farewell to a project that gave us so much and allowed us to give back to the community in Castelo Branco. Thank you, FUSILLI, for making this journey possible. Muito obrigada!
Note: The Abstract book is already available online through our affiliated scientific journal Frontiers, and you can access it here: https://www.frontiersin.org/books/Farm_to_Fork_Our_Food_Our_Health_Our_Future_Congress/13003