A recurrent theme was how knowledge of vitamin and mineral requirements has advanced since the discovery of vitamins in the 1900s.

Historically, our requirements for vitamins and minerals were based on minimising the risk of nutrient deficiencies. In recent years, the concept of protective/preventive nutrient intake for optimal health has emerged.

Meeting our needs for vitamins and minerals has therefore moved from intakes necessary to minimise deficiency-related diseases to maintaining optimal health.

Set against this is the repeated observation that certain groups in our society, notably adolescent girls and the elderly, are unable to meet their vitamin and mineral requirements from their normal diet alone.

While consumers must be encouraged to eat a balanced diet, the challenge for industry and academia alike is to develop specific foods and food matrices that would enable us to meet our micronutrient needs.

The current views on micronutrient requirements have divided the nutrition community into two camps: those who believe that a balanced diet can meet all the micronutrient requirements, and those who don't.

Resolving this conundrum could be the new revolution in nutrition and health.

Prof Jeya Henry is director of the Functional Food Centre at Oxford Brookes University.

You can email him at:jhenry@brookes.ac.uk