Objectives

• To estimate the exposure to food additives (e.g. artificial sweeteners, preservatives, artificial colours) and to food contaminants from food processing (e.g. acrylamide, heterocyclic amines, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and packaging materials (e.g. bisphenol A and phthalates) in the Portuguese population, by sex, age and obesity status, as well as to define dietary patterns most associated to it.

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• To develop statistical models to predict exposure to food additives and contaminants using biomarkers from biochemical techniques.

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• To estimate the association between dietary intake (nutrient and non-nutrient components) during childhood and later adiposity and cognitive function:

  • To evaluate the influence of food additives and food contaminants during childhood on adiposity level and distribution (total, peripheral and central adiposity) at 13 years of age;

  • To evaluate the influence of food additives and food contaminants during childhood on cognitive function (attention/ executive functioning and memory/learning) at 13 years of age;

  • To understand if food contaminants influence the inflammatory profile and insulinaemia of children, independently of the level of adiposity and sex;

  • To assess if the effect of dietary intake (fatty acids, sugars and glycaemic load and antioxidant vitamins and/or food contaminants) on cognitive function is modified by childrens adiposity.