Report on the 11th D-ECCO Workshop at ECCO'26
The 11th D-ECCO Workshop took place in Stockholm in February 2026 as part of the ECCO Congress, bringing together dietitians and multidisciplinary healthcare professionals with a shared interest in diet and nutrition in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The workshop once again highlighted the growing importance of nutritional science in IBD care, combining evidence-based updates with practical clinical insights and interactive discussion. The session was very well attended, with a total of 170 participants, reflecting the continued and growing interest in this field.
It is both an honour and a privilege to step into the role of D-ECCO Chair for the coming year. I would like to warmly welcome our new committee members, Konstantinos Gkikas and Tamar Pfeffer-Gik, and I look forward to working closely with them. At the same time, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Chen Sarbagili Shabat and Julie Vanderstappen, who have been outstanding contributors to D-ECCO and tireless advocates for the role of diet and nutrition in IBD. Their commitment and leadership have been instrumental in shaping the direction and impact of our activities.
The workshop opened with a session entitled “Science or Pseudoscience?”, chaired by Chen Sarbagili Shabat and Alice Day. This session set the tone by critically examining commonly discussed topics in IBD nutrition. Presentations explored the role of nutraceuticals and complementary therapies (Henit Yanai), the evidence behind exercise in IBD (Wladyslawa Czuber-Dochan) and the ongoing challenges surrounding fad diets (Alicia Sandall). The session also included an abstract presentation by Mees van der Hoff that highlighted the association between altered tryptophan metabolism and severe fatigue in quiescent Crohn’s Disease, reinforcing the link between metabolism and patient-reported outcomes.
The second session, “Application of Dietary Therapy in IBD”, chaired by Julie Vanderstappen and Alicia Sandall, focused on translating evidence into clinical practice. In this session, I presented key messages from the ECCO Consensus on Diet and Nutrition, underlining its importance in guiding clinical decision-making. Chen Sarbagili Shabat provided an update on the Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet, while Alice Day discussed dietary strategies in Ulcerative Colitis, addressing whether diet can act as a trigger or a therapeutic tool. This session emphasised the increasing role of structured dietary interventions as part of standard IBD care.
The final session, “Interactive Session: Pitfalls in Dietary Management”, chaired by myself and Chen Sarbagili Shabat, encouraged active participation and critical thinking. It featured an abstract presentation by Shona Mckirdy on the UC-TREAT diet and its effects on the gut microbiome and tolerability. Tamar Pfeffer-Gik addressed the complex and increasingly relevant issue of obesity in IBD. A tandem case presentation on “diet stacking” by Julie Vanderstappen and Kim Vandeuren illustrated real-world challenges in dietary management, followed by a lively panel discussion involving expert faculty.
In her closing remarks, Chen Sarbagili Shabat also announced that she is stepping down from her role as D-ECCO Chair. Her contribution, leadership and achievements during her tenure have been truly remarkable. Through her vision and dedication, D-ECCO has significantly strengthened its role within ECCO and advanced the recognition of diet and nutrition as a core component of IBD care.
Overall, the workshop provided a dynamic and engaging platform for the discussion of both emerging evidence and practical challenges in the dietary management of IBD. The high level of interaction and multidisciplinary participation once again demonstrated the strong interest in this rapidly evolving field. We look forward to continuing to advance education, collaboration and research in diet and nutrition within ECCO, and to building on this momentum in future D-ECCO Activities.
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