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A growing interest by consumers in “fresh”, “whole”, “organic”, and “natural” foods, as well as in food production practices that are less harmful to the environment, is changing the way Americans look at food and make food choices. Conversely, foods that are “processed” have been criticized in the media, and some opinion leaders have advised consumers to limit or avoid these foods.
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Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamate. When MSG is added to foods, it provides a similar flavoring function as the glutamate that occurs naturally in food. MSG is comprised of nothing more than water, sodium and glutamate.
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One of the most thorough and effective food safety and defense systems in the world is the U.S. government, which performs the following chief functions: Establishment of Safety Standards, Monitoring and Inspection, Enforcement
Tracking Food Safety Problems, Protecting the Food Supply and Federal Regulation.
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The growing awareness of the relationship between diet and health has led to an increasing demand for food products that support health above and beyond providing basic nutrition. Probiotics and prebiotics are components present in foods, or that can be incorporated into foods, which yield health benefits related to their interactions with the gastrointestinal tract (GI).
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Amidst a year of heightened media attention on food concerns, awareness and perception of plant biotechnology remain stable, with few consumer concerns about usage in food. While awareness of animal biotechnology also remains stable in 2007, overall impressions, reactions to benefits, and purchase intent all improved somewhat if products produced using biotechnology are FDA-approved, suggesting consumers are growing less wary of animal biotechnology in particular.
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Caffeine is one of the most comprehensively studied ingredients in the food supply and has been safely consumed in foods and beverages for centuries. Evidence of caffeine’s beneficial effects on performance, both mental and athletic, is especially strong. Also linked with athletic performance, research showing beverages containing caffeine can contribute to daily water intake has largely been overlooked.
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Fats provide much of the great taste and texture for which we prize these and other foods. Indeed, the fats in foods play a vital role in their ultimate acceptability. Neither the amount nor type of fats can be changed indiscriminately without changing the very features that make a food appealing. Without fats, foods—and eating—just wouldn't be the same.
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There are a number of food processing tools available that provide additional protection for the foods we consume. One very promising tool is food irradiation, which is a process of imparting ionizing energy to food to kill microorganisms. Sometimes it is referred to as “electronic pasteurization” where electricity is used or as “cold pasteurization” as an insignificant amount of heat occurs in the treated food.
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This issue of IFIC Review takes an in-depth look at agricultural chemicals, including pertinent food safety laws and regulations, monitoring of pesticides in food, consumer attitudes and integrated pest management.
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Modern biotechnology refers to various scientific techniques used to produce specific desired traits in plants, animals or microorganisms through the use of genetic knowledge. Since its introduction to agriculture and food production in the early-1990’s, biotechnology has been utilized to develop new tools for improving productivity.
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