25th Arvid Wretlind's Lecture--Silver anniversary, 25 years with ESPEN, the history of nutrition.

The development of nutrition and the knowledge of metabolism has increased exponentially during the last decades since the start of ESPEN. This article, based on the Arvid Wretlind lecture 2003 in Cannes, describes important historical and modern landmarks in the field. The presentation also highlights the important contributions made by Arvid Wretlind regarding the development of lipid emulsions and amino acid solutions. The last 25 years of nutritional development is very much linked to the modern history of ESPEN. The fruitful balance between research, industry and education is recognised.