Future Foods: How Modern Science is Transforming the Way We Eat

We are in the midst of an unprecedented era of rapid scientific and technological advances that are transforming the way our foods are produced and consumed. Food architecture is being used to construct healthier, tastier, and more sustainable foods. Functional foods are being created to combat chronic diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. These foods are fortified with nutraceuticals or probiotics to improve our mood, performance, and health. The dissimulation of foods inside our guts and assimilation by our bodies is being controlled to increase their healthiness. Precision nutrition is being used to tailor diets to person’s unique genetic profile, microbiome, and metabolism. Gene editing, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence are being used to address challenges such as feeding the growing global population, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving sustainability. However, the application of these technologies is facing a backlash from consumers concerned about the potential risks posed to human and environmental health. This presentation gives an overview of some of the advances in food science and technology, especially those that may benefit from a soft matter physics approach.

Abstract