GRANADA, Spain, April 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Granada will host the 20th International Congress of Nutrition (20th ICN) promoted by the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS), and the event will be organised by the Spanish Nutrition Society. This is the most prestigious event in the nutrition sector at an international level and will bring together more than 5,000 specialist professionals in this field from 15 to 20 September.

According to Professor Angel Gil, Chairman of the Congress, "the increasing relevance of health and quality of life in people's priorities and aspirations and the fundamental role of nutritional sciences in this context, makes the 2013 International Congress of Nutrition a not-to-miss media and social event."

Prof. Gil also explained that "an increasing number of European citizens are immigrants from Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Many of these people try to continue with their own diets and lifestyle habits, although at the same time they need to integrate into the culture of their hosting countries. Therefore, the slogan chosen for ICN 2013 is 'Joining cultures through nutrition."'

"On behalf of the Spanish Nutrition Society and the IUNS, I would like to invite you to come to Granada and enjoy the scientific and cultural activities that are currently being designed and developed for the 20th International Congress of Nutrition," he added.

The conference logo depicts a pomegranate, the seeds of which are arranged as a map of the world, showing the world's countries with Spain at the centre. It also represents "Granada," the city in which the conference will be held. "We wanted to represent the pomegranate as a symbol of good food, fertility, prosperity, hope, abundance and love. The combination of the seeds of all countries brings to mind the slogan: 'Joining cultures through nutrition."'

An extensive and complete programme

The congress addresses eight major topics related to food and nutrition and is made up of 88 parallel symposia and 38 symposia sponsored by public entities and companies that will address the role of nutrition and public health. It also addresses the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases and the impact of technology on the nutritional qualities of food, through to food safety aspects and basic science studies. More than 3,500 scientific communications will be presented along with six plenary conferences, 24 special conferences and eight debates about topics of international interest.

SOURCE International Congress of Nutrition