NIFES is a research institute with administrative duties, and is related to the Norwegian Ministry of trade industry and fisheries. The institute performs research on fish nutrition and seafood safety and health. Further, NIFES performs surveillance programs on fish feed, farmed fish as well as wild fish for the Norwegian food safety authority. Based on the results from research and surveillance, the institute provides scientific advice to the government, industry and the authorities. NIFES is independent of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, and its research results are made generally available to the public.
NIFES operates four modern laboratories. In collaboration with the University of Bergen and the University of Copenhagen, NIFES offers teaching in human and fish nutrition. NIFES has editorial responsibility for the international journal “Aquaculture Nutrition”.
According to WHO the non-communicable diseases are the world’s biggest killers. Most of these deaths from NCDs are largely preventable by influencing risk factors like for example unhealthy diet, tobacco use and alcohol abuse. EAT and NIFES share the attitude that prevention of these diseases through a healthy diet is highly important, and NIFES may contribute with knowledge on food security, nutrition security and food safety.