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.

FOOD TODAY 04/2000