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Food Research
| Article
# : |
11066 |
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Section : |
NATURAL SCIENCE
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| Issue
Date : |
6 / 1986 |
3,618 Words |
| Author
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Laurie Wink
Laurie Wink is editor and writer for Michigan State
University's agricultural publication entitled Futures. |
America -land of the free and home of the increasingly nutrition-conscious--is awash with health-food stores, diet advice columns, and best-selling cookbooks.
However, the relationships between food and health are still unclear. Researchers are just beginning to understand the scientific basis for healthier, longer human lives. Experts disagree about the long-term effects of various foods on our health and longevity and also about the long-term effects of new food packaging and preparation techniques.
The controversial nature of nutrition research was evident recently when changes were proposed in the recommended dietary allowanced (RDAs) of essential nutrients. RDAs are established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council in order to set the average minimum requirements for good health. A board-appointed committee of eminent nutritionists reviews the RDA about every five years. A proposal, by the 1985 committee to lower allowances of seven vitamins and minerals created a conflict within the National Academy of Science, which has so far refused to issue a new set of RDAs.
The heated debate among scientists over nutritional needs and the growing public demand for dietary guidance underscore the critical importance of food-science research.
Food science encompasses the processes that transform farm goods into safe, nutritious foods. These processes account for seventy cents of every consumer food dollar. Only thirty cents of each dollar goes to farmers.
Scientists and engineers who are specialists in fields as varied as biochemistry and packaging are engaged in research on post-harvest, value-added technologies to convert agricultural raw materials into commercial food products.
Food-science research conducted in universities, government agencies, and private industry has provided the foundation for the $300 billion U.S. food industry. The goal of this research is to give consumers more appealing, more nutritious, and safer food products at less cost, says Dr. Richard A. Greenberg, director of the office of scientific public affairs for the Institute of Food Technologists in Chicago. The IFT is an organization of professionals involved in developing and improving foods.
"The
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