The XI INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF NUTRITION - XI ICN - promoted by the INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES - IUNS -, and organized by the BRAZILIAN NUTRITION SOCIETY - BNS - was held in the Convention Center of the Hotel Nacional, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 27th to September 1st, 1978. Taking place for the first time in the southern hemisphere, the XI ICN received the collaboration and participation of various international agencies, includin~ the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PARO) , the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Food and Agriculture Organi­ zation (FAO) , the International Fund for Agricultural Development (!FAD), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Food Program (WFP) and the World Food Council (WFC). The meeting had a multi-disciplinary character, with the par­ ticipation of professionals and students from the different sec­ tors related to the field of food and nutrition, and aroused con­ siderable interest, which was demonstrated by the presence of 5,026 participants from 92 countries,and the presentation of more than 1,200 scientific papers.