Graduation Excitement and Scientific Achievements in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics During July and August

On 21 July 2026, students graduating from the Turkish and English programs of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, celebrated the successful completion of an important stage of their education at Istanbul Gelisim University’s 2025–2026 Academic Year Graduation Ceremony, held at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall. During the ceremony, attended by families and academics, our graduates received their diplomas and took a new step toward their professional careers. Having acquired professional knowledge, skills, and experience throughout their education, the graduates shared their excitement and happiness with their families and faculty members as they prepared to enter professional life as future dietitians. The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics congratulated its graduates on their efforts and achievements and wished them successful careers as dietitians committed to scientific principles, ethical values, and contributing to public health.

During this period, studies combining artificial intelligence and nutrition science conducted by our faculty members also marked an important academic achievement. The study entitled “Can Machines Detect Ultra-Processed Foods? A Head-to-Head Evaluation of Large Language Models Using NOVA Classification,” conducted by Assoc. Prof. Sedat Arslan from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Bursa Uludag University together with our faculty members Assoc. Prof. Hatice Merve Bayram and Prof. Arda Öztürkcan, was published in the Q1 journal International Journal of Food Science and Technology. The study evaluated the performance of ChatGPT 5.2, Gemini 3, and Grok 4.1 in identifying ultra-processed foods according to the NOVA classification using 2,920 packaged food products available in Türkiye’s three largest supermarket chains, representing 53.2% of the national market.

The results showed that, when a standard prompt was used, all AI models underestimated the proportion of ultra-processed foods compared with the expert-based reference classification. Among the models, ChatGPT 5.2 demonstrated the best performance in terms of accuracy, specificity, and F1 score. However, none of the models produced results sufficiently consistent to replace expert evaluation. The study also found that shorter and simpler prompts could improve model performance and that repeating the same prompts five months later could produce different classification results due to model updates. The findings highlight the potential of large language models as supportive tools in nutrition research while emphasizing the importance of appropriate prompt design, regular calibration, and expert validation for their reliable use.

Another study by our faculty members focusing on ultra-processed food consumption was published in Nutrients, a Q1 journal. In the study entitled “Food Preparation Skills, Digital Diet Literacy, Mediterranean Diet Adherence, and Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Among Adults Residing in Istanbul: A Cross-Sectional Study,” conducted by Assoc. Prof. Hatice Merve Bayram and Prof. Arda Öztürkcan, the relationships between cooking and food preparation skills, digital healthy diet literacy, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and ultra-processed food consumption were investigated among 293 adults residing in Istanbul. The results showed that 57% of participants had a high level of ultra-processed food consumption. Individuals with high ultra-processed food consumption were younger, cooked at home less frequently, ordered food more frequently, and had lower cooking and food preparation skills and lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

Multivariable analyses further showed that younger age, lower food preparation skills, and lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet were independently associated with higher ultra-processed food consumption, whereas digital healthy diet literacy was not independently associated with ultra-processed food consumption. The findings draw attention to the importance of ensuring that nutrition education aimed at reducing ultra-processed food consumption is not limited to the provision of information but is also supported by practical skills such as food selection, meal planning, and food preparation.

The graduation excitement experienced during July and August, together with the academic achievements reflected in international scientific publications, highlighted the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics’ efforts in both education and scientific research. While preparing its students for professional life, the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Istanbul Gelisim University continues to contribute to knowledge production in the fields of public health, healthy eating behaviors, ultra-processed food consumption, and the use of emerging technologies in nutrition science.