The FNB addresses issues of safety, quality, and adequacy of the food supply; establishes principles and guidelines of adequate dietary intake; and renders authoritative judgments on the relationships among food intake, nutrition, and health.

The major focus of the FNB is to evaluate emerging knowledge of nutrient requirements and relationships between diet and the reduction of risk of common chronic diseases and to relate this knowledge to strategies for promoting health and preventing disease in the United States and internationally; and to assess aspects of food science and technology that affect the nutritional quality and safety of food and influence health maintenance and disease prevention.

Top Priorities for the Coming Year

Food, Nutrition, and Health
The FNB uses sound scientific knowledge related to food and nutrition, promotion of the health and well-being of human population groups to address various questions. Areas include: (1) the quantitative relationships between diet, function, and behavior; (2) the role of diet and of food constituents in the development, prevention, and control of common chronic diseases; and (3) the impact of food and nutrition policies and programs in health care delivery and outcomes.

Food Safety, Quality, and Adequacy
The FNB works to improve food safety, quality, and adequacy based on the application of modern science.

International Food and Nutrition
The FNB addresses international food and nutrition issues, recognizing the interdependence of the United States and global food systems and their impacts on the safety, quality, and adequacy of the food supply. The FNB can serve as a resource for U.S. agencies and organizations involved in international food and nutrition research, planning, policy, and evaluation.