Selecting and designing food for a healthy 2025
SAN FRANCISCO, March 27 - The selection, design and safety of the foods people eat over the next 25 years is the focus of a special symposium held here today during the weeklong 219th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society. Highlighted papers are described below.
Biotechnology could be a powerful tool for developing foods with new health benefits: There is promising information that chemicals found in plants (phytochemicals) could delay the onset of chronic disease, improve mental and physical performance, and improve the quality of life by reducing symptoms of debilitating conditions such as arthritis, according to one researcher. This paper gives examples of how biotechnology could be used to develop a new generation of functional foods with clear health benefits. (J. W. Finley, Kraft Foods, Glenview, Ill.; AGFD 76, Monday, March 27, 1:40 p.m., Moscone Convention Center, Room 124, Exhibit Level. See page 58 in the final program.)
Enzymes key to proper processing of the foods we eat: No matter how great food tastes, it is useless without the catalytic processes of enzymes in the body that digest and metabolize it. Unfortunately, many of the more than 600 known human genetic defects impair the efficiency and functioning of these enzymes. (J. R. Whitaker, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis; AGFD 77, Monday, March 27, 2:15 p.m., Moscone Convention Center, Room 124, Exhibit Level. See page 58 in the final program.)
Rapid pathogen detection testing will improve food safety: Microbial pathogens detected in the last two decades appear to have increased resistance to traditional food processing techniques. New regulations are being developed that will rely more heavily on food manufacturers to test rapidly for pathogens. Recent advances in computer technology and biochemical knowledge will be the cornerstones for developing new methods of pathogen testing. (D. J. Armstrong, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Summit, Ill.; AGFD 78, Monday, March 27, 2:50 p.m., Moscone Convention Center, Room 124, Exhibit Level. See page 58 in the final program.)
Limited palette of odors can be detected: Fewer than 600 chemicals are known to be involved in the food odors that humans and many other animals can detect. Despite this relatively small number, variations in what individual people and animals detect are great. This paper will discuss the chemosensory system, the diversity of natural products, and related problems facing food producers. (T. Acree, Cornell University, Geneva, NY; AGFD 79, Monday, March 27, 3:40 p.m., Moscone Convention Center, Room 124, Exhibit Level. See page 58 in the final program.)
Foods of the future will stay fresher longer, courtesy of improved packaging materials and biotechnology: Consumers want quality and the convenience of having fresh foods all year long. Advances in packaging materials, processing technologies and biotechnology are keys to keeping foods fresher longer. (S. J. Risch, Science by Design, Chicago, Ill.; AGFD 80, Monday, March 27, 4:15 p.m., Moscone Convention Center, Room 124, Exhibit Level. See page 58 in the final program.)
A nonprofit organization with a membership of 161,000 chemists and chemical engineers, the American Chemical Society (www.acs.org) publishes scientific journals and databases, convenes major research conferences, and provides educational, science policy and career programs in chemistry. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.