Rafael Urrialde, professor in the Department of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and in the Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences at Universidad CEU San Pablo, president of the Scientific Committee of the Sociedad Española de Medicina del Deporte, secretary of the Fundación Española de Nutrición, honorary academician of the Academia Española de Nutrición y Ciencias de la Alimentación, and Numerary Member and member of the Governing Board of the Royal European Academy of Doctors (READ), together with Marcela González-Gross, Full Professor of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology and Director of the Department of Health and Human Performance at the Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, president of the Sociedad Española de Nutrición, Corresponding Member of the Real Academia Nacional de Farmacia and Numerary Member of the READ, took part on 12 December in the Nutrition Update Conference organized by the Universidad de Córdoba.

Urrialde presented the lecture «Nutritional labelling of foods: front and back», in which he argued for the unification of food and beverage composition tables appearing on labels so that calculations of nutritional contribution and nutrient intake are coherent and consistent. He also stressed the need for periodic updating systems that reflect the actual characteristics of food products on the market, in order to avoid outdated information on ingredient composition and nutritional value, which can lead to misinterpretations, especially regarding macronutrients. «Food product labelling, encompassing all packaged foods and beverages, must provide consumers with all the information necessary to help them make informed decisions about the purchase, storage, preparation and consumption of foods and beverages,» he stated.

González-Gross, for her part, spoke on «Nutrition, physical activity and sport», highlighting advances in exercise and sports nutrition and the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle, as well as approaching diet and nutrition from a sustainability perspective. For the expert, a balanced diet and increased physical activity are the two major modifiable pillars underpinning the health of the general population. From there, she introduced the concepts of physical activity, exercise, physical fitness and nutrition as inseparable elements of health and well-being. «Today, no one doubts that we are what we eat, both in a strict sense—since the foods and beverages we consume provide the energy and nutrients necessary for growth and life—and in a figurative sense, as scientific advances have confirmed that appropriate food choices can influence our health and reduce the risk of developing chronic non-communicable diseases,» said the academic, for whom nutrition and exercise, together with other lifestyle factors, interact throughout life and shape health outcomes.

A recognized expert in food regulation, Urrialde is the author and co-author of scientific publications related to nutrition education. He has served as Head of Health and Food Safety at Puleva Food, Director of the Health and Food Area of the Unión de Consumidores de España, Technical Coordinator of the journal «Ciudadano», Director of Health and Nutrition at Coca-Cola Iberia, analyst at the Institute of Cold Science of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and collaborator with the Chair of Plant Physiology at the Faculty of Biological Sciences of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He is also a member of the Editorial Committee of the specialized portal Kómoda News, recipient of the Award for Excellence in Public Relations in the category «Fight against Fake News», granted by the International Public Relations Association.

González-Gross, meanwhile, is a member of the executive boards of the Federation of European Nutrition Societies and the European initiative «Exercise is Medicine», a member of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences, founding partner of the scientific network Exernet, and a member of Red CIBER de Obesidad y Nutrición. She has participated in more than 70 research projects and delivered over 250 lectures nationally and internationally, and has received several awards, including the National Research Award in Sports Medicine granted by the Universidad de Oviedo.