When it comes to food, who doesn’t want to consume the ideal? In quantitative consumer research, consumers told the IFIC Foundation that such a food would be low in fat, have no calories, sodium, saturated fat,
trans fat or cholesterol, or added sugar. And, while we’re at it, why not have 100% of all vitamins and minerals, extra fiber, whole grains, and omega-3 fatty acids? And, of course, it must taste great!
Consumer Perceptions on Food and Nutrition
An important factor that is often missed is the feasibility of producing such ideal foods, that is, ensuring that a food has the right balance of nutrients for health, functional properties to ensure consistency, freshness, etc., while also providing other key attributes that consumers demand, such as taste, convenience, and affordability. This is best summed up by a comment from one consumer who stated, “I want my food to taste great and have negative calories so that the more I eat, the thinner I would get!”
These “ideal” scenarios about what food should be are driven by what consumers have heard is “healthy” or “unhealthy” and, therefore, what they feel they should eat or not. As science evolves and experts learn more about nutrition and health, dietary recommendations must also evolve. But the message that gets communicated to consumers is often the message that is most dramatic or interesting at the time, and may not reflect the whole picture of how to live an overall healthful and balanced lifestyle. As a result, many consumers tell us that “there is too much conflicting information out there” and that “it is very likely that in the next 5 years, experts will change their mind about what is healthy and what is not.”
These are a Few of my Favorite Things
Is it possible to have it all—French fries without fat, doughnuts without sugar, nutrient-rich cocktails, and/or calorie-burning foods? This may be wishful thinking, but it gets to the crux of what today’s consumers want in the foods they eat. They want health and weight management benefits with one caveat: these foods must taste good, look good, be easy to prepare, store, and consume or they will not buy, let alone eat, them. Where are we on the road to producing foods that are as healthful as possible while still tasting good?
Nutrition and Food Science: Partners for Health
As nutrition science advances, so does the understanding of which nutrients, as well as how much, should be consumed to maximize good health and minimize risk for disease. But, by definition, new scientific knowledge in nutrition leads to “nutrient” recommendations and people eat food, not nutrients. Therefore, another step must occur to provide food choices that meet the nutrient recommendations. Close collaboration between nutrition and food science is vital to this endeavor. This is where food science technology and innovation come in.
A good case study for this partnership is demonstrated by developments in fatty acid research. Both in terms of health and functionality, these developments are likely to have practical applications in the food supply. Food scientists continue to look for ways to provide alternatives to trans fat that meet dietary guidance, while maintaining the same functional characteristics such as texture, crispness, appearance, and stability of the ingredient(s) being replaced. These alternatives must also be safe, available for use, and cost effective. The challenge is bringing acceptable alternatives with these functional attributes that are lower in or free of trans and saturated fats. Fortunately, through food science and the development of new ingredients and technologies, options are forthcoming to produce various types of foods with improved fat profiles.
Considering nutrition and food science together will enable these disciplines to build on each other’s progress and ensure greater ease in developing foods that healthfully meet consumer needs and desires.
Cheat Sheet: What Do You Need to Know?
This concept has an application for virtually everyone. Whether you are a journalist, health professional, or consumer, the scenarios below will clue you in to the benefits and relevance of food science in your world.
It is plain to see that practically everyone has a stake in learning more about food science and its interdependence with nutrition and dietary recommendations. Further importance should be placed on these disciplines working together, as well as on the communication of food supply implications concerning dietary guidance and consumer understanding of the evolving nature of both nutrition and food sciences.
Defining the Disciplines
Nutrition Science is the study of the effect of nutrient intake on humans.
Food Science is the production and preservation of safe, wholesome, and desirable foods.
Food Science
Goal: Meet consumer demand for food products that are healthful, safe, palatable, and convenient.
Implications: Develop new or better ways of preserving, processing, packaging, storing, and delivering foods; Discovering new food sources; Analyzing food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, or protein; Searching for substitutes for selected ingredients.
Nutrition Science
Goal: Ensure optimal consumer health through diet.
Implications: Discover dietary means to: maintain optimal health and physical performance and reduce risk of chronic diseases.
| Who? | Scenario | Key Considerations |
| Journalist | Communicating with consumers about a diet study's relevance to what is best for them to eat. | Stress “balance” along with the “buzz” - Communicate the “whole picture,” rather than just the findings
of one study or focusing on one nutrient in isolation - Communicate findings in the context of a total healthful lifestyle
- Utilize credible scientific experts
|
Health Professional/
Nutrition Expert | Translating nutrition science and dietary recommendations into food recommendations | Keep food scientists in mind and in the loop - Use food scientists as a resource to determine implications of nutrition science developments to the food supply
- Consider that everything that is “removed” from a food product must be replaced with an ingredient that produces equal functionality and taste
- Keep in mind that consumers will ultimately determine which food products are on the market
|
| Food Industry | Creating a functional product with a nutrient reduced or eliminated (i.e., trans fat) | Evolve with nutrition science - Seek out guidance on future health recommendations from nutrition scientists to make informed food science innovations
- Establish an open dialogue on what changes are possible or not through food science perspective
|
| Student | Preparing for a career in nutrition and/or food science | Expand knowledge and collaboration - Learn about the complementary discipline (e.g., by utilizing elective courses)
- Suggest and/or discuss closer collaboration of nutrition and food science departments at your university
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| Consumer | Determining what to eat to meet health and lifestyle needs | Consider multiple facets of information - Be aware of the evolving nature of nutrition science; that is, more and different information about diet will become available over time
- Seek out context when trying to determine how new research findings apply to your diet
- Keep in mind that when a product has a nutrient taken out, it must be replaced with another (i.e., fat, carbohydrates, protein) and there may be implications on how a food feels or tastes
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