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Where do we go from here?
We do not eat simply to fuel our bodies. Food has long been an important
part of our social and cultural lives. Today, there is also a tendency
to view food as a tool to maintain and improve our health. As more and
more people indicate their preference for 'health-enhancing' foods,
'functional foods' containing special ingredients are taking increasing
space on supermarket shelves.
Consumers also want their food to be easy to prepare and satisfying
to eat. Finally, they want it to be affordable.
Research trends in food and nutrition reflect these concerns. One area
of interest is to develop foods that fight against chronic and debilitating
diseases. Although it has long been known that many plants contain substances
that help combat illness, the mechanisms by which they work are not
well understood. There is evidence that antioxidants and phytoestrogens
contribute to fighting cancer and cardiovascular disease - but we need
to know how they do this.
Other research focuses on finding ways to develop plants containing
healthy substances. Possible applications are plants with added phytochemicals,
or with increased levels of unsaturated fatty acids. Another concern
is to find ways to remove harmful substances, such as allergens or cholesterol,
from food.
As we learn more about plant ingredients and the role of nutrients,
it has become possible to customise foods to meet the needs of specific
populations - for example, infants, the elderly, pregnant or breast
feeding women. Food scientists continue to identify new compounds with
useful properties. This may lead to better, healthier diets in the future.
Research on food is not limited to its health-giving properties and
how best to use them. Many consumers find that they have limited time
for fixing meals. Thus, they want foods that are easy to prepare. The
challenge is to make convenient food that is also tasty and nutritious.
Food-related research also looks at finding ways for consumers to improve
food quality and taste. Modern breeding techniques and plant bio-technology
are also used to produce tastier fruits and vegetables.
Finally, manufacturers are always concerned with finding ways to improve
food safety. With stricter safety regulations, it is increasingly important
to develop techniques to destroy pathogens or prevent them from growing
in food. Similarly, it is important to find ways to prevent pathogens
from growing in the processing environment. Effective, rapid methods
to detect the presence of harmful micro-organisms in food are also needed.
The challenge is to develop cost-effective methods that do not harm
the food's taste or sensitive ingredients.
READ MORE
If you would like to learn more about these trends in food production,
you can consult our website http://www.eufic.org
or order the brochure from EUFIC.
SOURCE
This is a synopsis of a new EUFIC brochure appearing under the same
name. The brochure discusses research trends aimed at making food healthier,
safe and nicer to eat.  |
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