Supporting a new blueprint for the effective treatment of malnutrition worldwide

As a member of ISDI (International Special Dietary Foods Industries), BSNA is supporting work on a new ISO standard for Malnutrition Prevention, Detection and Treatment, which will serve as a blueprint for the effective treatment of malnutrition in healthcare facilities worldwide.

An ISO standard is an internationally recognized document, created by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), that provides a consistent set of guidelines and specifications for products, processes, or services to ensure quality, safety, and efficiency

The new work received overwhelming support from the members of the ISO Technical Committee 34 ‘Food products’ (TC34) and will be the first ever international standard in the area of malnutrition care.

Malnutrition in hospitals is a critical and global clinical issue that affects up to 50% of in-patients around the world1. Malnourished patients have an increased length of stay, are more frequently readmitted and are at greater risk of complications and mortality. Some countries have taken varied and partial approaches to malnutrition care, but it is often overlooked as a clinical issue.

ISDI Vice-President, Xavier Lavigne, who is also the Convenor of a new Malnutrition Working Group within TC34, said: “Malnutrition care in hospitals is too often inadequate with considerable cost to both patients and healthcare systems. This international standard to address malnutrition across the continuum of patient care offers an opportunity to harmonise practices globally and embed malnutrition treatment as a routine part of healthcare delivery.”

Work on the new standard, which is based on a Standards Council of Canada standard (CAN/HSO 5066:2021), will begin in October 2025. It is expected to be completed within three years, after which the committee members will vote on the adoption of the standard. National mirror committees will be set up in more than 15 countries to support the work.

1 Prospective validation of the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria for identifying malnutrition in hospitals: A protocol and feasibility pilot study.

https://aspenjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ncp.11156