Scottish Alliance for Food

 

Date & Time: Tuesday 25th November 2025, 1pm

Researchers from two SCAF-funded pump priming projects present their findings and next steps.

What do we value in food? Join this webinar to hear from Saeko Yazaki and Ada Garcia, University of Glasgow, on how the Japanese principle of "Mottanai" (What a waste!) can improve diets, reduce food waste and promote planetary health. Evie Nikokavoura, Robert Gordon University, will speak about the relationship between aesthetic demand and food safety and nutritional quality in grapes. 

This webinar is for anyone interested in the topics or in learning more about collaborative research design and its benefits.

Register here

Saeko Yazaki & Ada Garcia: Food consciousness and Japanese culinary practice: Multidisciplinary workshop development for children and families 

Unhealthy eating and food waste are a global problem leading to poor health and impacting climate negatively. We conducted two multidisciplinary, participatory workshops with children and parents, based on Japanese culinary traditions and the principle of Mottainai (‘What a waste!’) to raise awareness for healthier, sustainable eating practices. Workshop 1 covered food consciousness, Mottainai, food choices and production systems, and plate painting. Workshop 2 covered eating for health and the environment, traditional Japanese cuisine, home-cooking, slow-eating, food presentation, sushi making and eating nutrient-rich foods. The impact was evaluated using pre-post questionnaires and 5-point Likert items that assessed changes in intention to practice food consciousness and sustainable food practices.

Saeko specialises in religious studies, and her current interests address cross-cultural interactions and a comparative study of Sufism and Zen. She is also a Food Consciousness Instructor, pursuing a study of sustainability issues, using Japanese ethical traditions of ‘Mottainai’ as a sustainable environmental practice especially in the fields of food and clothing.

Ada is a public health nutritionist. Her research aim is to promote optimal nutrition to reduce diet and health inequalities. Her research focuses on childhood nutrition, and the design, implementation and evaluation of nutrition interventions at household or community level.

 

Evie Nikokavoura: Exploring Aesthetic Demand vs. Food Safety: Pesticide Residues, Microbial Load, and Antioxidant Content in Class I and Class II Grapes

Fruits and vegetables are essential to a healthy diet, yet consumer choices are often driven by appearance. In the UK, produce is graded as Class I (visually flawless) or Class II (imperfect but edible), with Class I often requiring more intensive pesticide use. While residues typically remain within regulatory limits, concerns about chronic exposure, microbial load, and altered nutritional profiles persist. This SCAF-funded study investigated red, green, and black grapes from UK supermarkets, comparing Class I and II samples for pesticide residues, microbial load, and antioxidant content. Results showed that pesticide residues were mostly below the detection limits and no significant differences in antioxidant capacities were found between grapes of different classes. These findings question the assumption that visual quality equates to nutritional or safety superiority, reinforcing the role of 'imperfect' produce in sustainable and health-promoting diets.

As a Registered Public Health Nutritionist, Evie has a diverse background in food policy, research, and nutrition education, with a focus on advancing evidence-based public health strategies. Currently, Evie is a Lecturer at the School of Pharmacy, Applied Sciences and Public Health at RGU, and the Course Leader for the MSc in Public Health Nutrition. She leads several modules in the BSc (Hons) and MSc programs, while overseeing student research projects and ensuring the curriculum is aligned with current public health nutrition challenges. She previously held a scientific and policy role at Food Standards Scotland, contributing to national guidance on folic acid fortification and front-of-pack labelling. At the Rowett Institute, she conducted research on gluten sensitivity and contributed to the development of Nutrition and Wellbeing FutureLearn course that has had over 100,000 registrations worldwide. Most recently, the SCAF pump-priming project, has enabled her to lead an interdisciplinary study and expand her expertise in microbiological and analytical techniques.

 

SCAF Webinar Series

We host a series of online webinars every 6 weeks to showcase the depth and breadth of work relevant to the alliance. Webinars are held either during the working day at 1pm, or in the evening, at 7pm. Each webinar will feature two speakers presenting for ~20 minutes, followed by a discussion and Q&A.

We are looking for speakers! Whilst we aim for a research and innovation focus, we would like to feature the work across sectors and disciplines within the broader topic of food. Early career members are particularly encouraged to come forward.

Register yourself or nominate someone to speak at a webinar

 

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First published: 9 May 2025