Do we have the opportunity to make our food better (in every way)?
Currently, one of the factors directly associated with disease risk and mortality is unhealthy diets. These diets are characterised by low intakes of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, low in essential fatty acids, low in fibre and a high in sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and additives. These diets and low intakes of essential nutrients are even greater concern to more vulnerable groups, raising the need to embark on a path of change.
As part of the need to make food systems healthier and more sustainable, healthier and more sustainable diets are required in which foods are formulated in a way that is more in line with nutritional recommendations, consumer tastes, more adapted to the limits of the planet´s existing resources, the advancement and availability of technology, all within the framework of existing regulations.
The food industry has become one of the focal points of the global Sustainable Development Agenda due to its contribution to GDP and importance in food security in developed and developing countries. In the implicit need for commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), real efforts need to be made to ensure efficiency in the food industry. As part of this strategy, innovation represents an important resource of competitive advantage for the sector.
According to the World Health Organisation, reformulation is a critical strategy for achieving these SDGs and even more, wso on the premise that these foods should be affordable.
Let´s get on with it!
Reformulation or modification of the composition or processing of foods and beverages is the perfect option to improve them, replacing or eliminating those components that can be potentially critical for our health or increasing those that provide some benefit. Reformulation builds on the foundations of food technology, but needs innovation to take that step from existing foods to those with a more up-to-date and global concept in line with health and sustainability trends.
Thus, innovation in food development is crucial not only in bringing new products to the market, but also in improving and streamlining the food industry´s own processes and in its mission to satisfy consumer needs.
Ideally, in my view, the focus should be on creating products that contribute to a healthy diet within the compelling framework of current and future needs for process efficiency and integrating the use of technologies that facilitate this.
Thus, innovation in food products and reformulation includes improvement from a nutritonal point of view; salt, sugar or fat, to cite some well-known examples, or the incorporation of ingredients that increase their value, such as dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals.
What is the break-event point and what do we need to consider in order to innovate in food reformulation?
First, we must focus on which are the aspects to be reformulated in order to integrate all the above-mentioned factors in this first point. In reality, there are many aspects to take into account, but we are going to pick out some of the most relevant ones:
Technological aspects: incorporation of ingredients to enrich or reduce the ingredients to improve the nutritional profile, ingredients to generate a functionality inside the product (texture, viscosity, conservation…) and the compatibility on the reformulation with the rest of ingredients, cost of production (ingredients, energy, water) needs of a special packaging, of a new technology.
Organoleptic considerations: improvement of sensory profile, texture and appearance.
Market trends: formats, sizes, increased shelf life, specific consumer demand (allergies, intolerances, etc.) demand for sustainability .
Other aspects: associated costs, impact on the environment, comersialitation vias, applicable regulations, etc.
As we can see, it is no doubt a complex venture to integrate all our desires into a single product.
In any case, and with the clear objective of where we want to go, we must take into account the type or types of ingredientes we are going to use in reformulation, how they are going to affect us from a technological point of view, the legislation that is applied to the product and the parameters related to safety and shelf life, and above all, the sensory acceptance by consumers.
The food industry must focus its efforts in alignment with health strategies and promote foods with a better nutritional profile, as well as being more sustainable and competitive. In this sense, aligning all the points that underpin this change includes the need to innovate in a smart, evidence-based way with healthier, more sustainable and safer foods where the use of technology and the integration of the circular economy are naturally present.
Paving this path between science and the market is CARTIF´s objective, where, from the Food area,we work on the generation of value proposals for the food industry, developing healthy and innovative foods that combine technical feasibility, economic profitability and always in line with consumer demand. In this way, also from theFood area we contribute to sustainable development in favour of a more prosperous society, with what we do best: innovate.
Today, 16th October, we celebrate once again a very important date for each and every living being of the planet; World Food Day. This time, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) pays tribute to precious resource essential for life; WATER.
Water is life, as the motto of this year´s celebration says..
It is a driving force for people, economy and nature and is the lifeblood of food. Food security and proper nutrition are terms that are intrinsically linked to ecosystmes, where without water there is no life, no fundamental functions and no productivity-crucial aspects of food systems.
Water and food systems are profoundly linked through activities related to food production, processing, distribution, preparation and consumption within a broad and complex socio-economic, political and environmental context.
Food we eat and how ir is produced affects water. In fact, if we think about the food we eat, 95% of it is produced from a combination of water and ground. However, we must bear in mind that water suitable for drinking, agriculture and most industrial uses, known as freshwater, comprises only 2.5% of the total. Surprisingly, agricultural sector alone consumes more than 70% of the world´s available freshwater supply. And here comes some worrying news: due to population growth, urbanisation and economic development, the global demand for water for agriculture is expected to increase by 35% for 2050. This problematic is already a reality; according to FAO, 3.2 billion people live in agricultural areas with high or very high water scarcity.
#leavenoonebehinf; Water is life. Water nourishes. However, 2,400 million people live in water-stressed countries and aproximately, 10% of world´s population lives in high and critically stressed countries.
In the case of food from fisheries and aguaculture, whose importance for the diet is high due to its composition of essential nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, the dependance on water is even greater. According to FAO data; at least 600 million people depend on aquatic food systems.
In addition to water quantity needs, water quality is also being affected by climate change and related diseases and food regions where extreme heat events occur.
Relationship between water and assurance of food and nourishing HLPE (2015)
These extreme weather events can affect water quality in several ways. On the one hand, rising temperatures can lead to the proliferation of water-and food-related diseases, as warm conditions favour the reproduction of dangerous micro-organisms. In addition, extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, can contaminate drinking and agricultural water sources.
According to the Intergovernamental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report published last July, climate change is having a direct impact on decreasing food security and affecting water availability, hampering efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, oceans warming and acidification is having adverse effects on seafood production.
The same report again points to the need o to curb global warming. Limiting the growth of warming to 1.5ºC would reduce water stress and benefit this resource.
Therefore, climate change, water scarcity, the need to produce food for a growing population, degradation of water resources and associated ecosystems present significant challenges. In addition, other difficulties arise such as increasing competition for water use in different sectors and the lack of effective mechanisms to manage and protect the interests of those who are most vulnerable. There is an increasing urgency to find a sustainable way to manage water, which is referred to as “water security“. This would not only improve efficiency in food production and ease the tension in the conflict between growing demand for food and limited water resources, but also ensure access to food for all people. In this sense, water plays a key role in the process of improving our food systems.
There is a need to reduce water stress factors on food systems, as this has a strong negative impact on their functioning.
Water managament and governance is important not only in agriculture, but also in addressing water and food waste at all stages of the chain. The lack of relevant data between the different processes in the nexus highlights a lack of coordination between related actors and is a challenge that we need to address in a holistic manner.
The future of food is at stake, but there is no doubt that this necessary paradigm shift is intimately related with the future of people and the planet, and that it is a path for all of us towards a sustainable future, as our colleague Julia Pinedo explained in her post “Towards a food revolution”.
World Food Day is a day of celebration and a multitude of events and activities are organised around it. But, above all, it is an opportunity to reactivate our awareness of hunger and the planetary needs of ALL actos involved in ensuring a sustainable future of food for people and the planet.
Today´s agriculture is not sustainable and compromises the future if we don´t incorporate innovative axes and responsable solutions to ensure an adequate and sustainable food supply for generations to come. Our challenge is to produce more food and essential agricultural products with less water. This means creating and participating in integrated solutions for more efficient use and better conversation of existing water resources. Water challenges are pressing in all sectors, and achieving balance in water allocation requires collaboration between governments, farmers, researchers and civil society. To meet the water needs associated with food production, scientists and farmers are working together to develop sustainable water practices, such as building desalination facilities, creating reservoirs, applying water-saving technologies to reduce per capita water demand and improving agricultural efficiency.
Researchers seek new sustainable, social and economic solutions to address water challenges and meet our growing needs. This involves considering the complex interactions between resources and variables in realtion to water, energy, food and ecosystems.
It is therefore essential that our actions are linked across the water cycle and food systems to improve both the water cycle itself and food securty in the context of healthy and balanced ecosystems.
The choice of the food we eat contributes to the way it is used. Actions such as eating local, seasonal and fresh food or minimising food waste contribute to reducing the impact on water stress.
Therefore, at CARTIF we work from a broad perspective of action on the challenges associated with this valuable resource. An example of this is our activity in the FUSILLI project in the transformation of food systems in a holistic way with the objective of improving their environmental sustainability through actions related to water management, the reduction of food waste, social inequality in its use and the evaluation of the associated uses.
Food is intrinsically linked to our health and quality of life to the extent that melatimes play a crucial role in satisfying our needs both on a biological level (the nutrients provided by the food we eat) and on a psychosocial level. Among these moments are those associated with breaks, leisure or moments of distraction typically associated with the consumption of snacks.
The snack concept encompasses a wide range of products and is associated ready-to-eat foods that we find appetising, that do not cost too much, that are easy to carry around and that satisfy our cravings at the moment we need them.
The pandemic caused by Covid exarcebated the consumption of these products, for different reasons, such as the stress associated with loneliness, the situation per se or caring for our loved ones in pandemix conditions, turning them into products of true self-praise and indulgence and, even more, inseparable companions to beer and wine that lessened the asocial feeling that plagued us in many cases.
There is no doubt that our food consumption choices are associated with a multitude of factors, and stress is one of them. People are currently experiencing more stress than ever before and studies indicate that the year 2020 specifically was “the worst and most stressful year we have ever experienced” (Gallup, 2021)1 .
In the post-pandemic, a hybrid consumption scenario has been maintained where we continue to snack indoors, but we return to leisure occasions, to our workplaces, turning breaks and meal times into occasions for this snacking.
Snacking, or the consumption of snacks and caloric foods or beverages between meals, is a factor related to mental and physical health and has been specifically linked to obesity and thus with obesity-related. In fact, such products have been defined as an obesogenic product category.
This is where we can distinguish between healthy snacking (fruit, vegetables, nutritionally well-formulated processed foods) and the snacks that should be the subject of the law (high in fat, sugar, and high in salt)
Snacking, of whatever kind, is part of our diet, and some people even prefer this way of eating through small meals as part of their lifestyle, rather than larger meals that may encompass the concept of sitting down at the table. We have been talking about snacking as a trend for some time now and here at CARTIF, we continue to look at the best ways to satisfy
this new way of eating or this trend of snacking in between meals in a healthier way.
“Snacks is a food that is generally a samll portion consumed between main meals. Snacks are part of the daily diet. The question is, what are we looking for in a snack?”
How is nowadays market? What we want to eat as snack?
Snacks are still boomign in all their various forms. It is nor for nothing that the snack market is one of the largest and is forecast to grow by 6.2% per annum up to 2025. This growth is driven by a number of factors such as lifestyle, economic factors and, especially, the fact that we are eating out more, which has increased the demand for this type of products, packaged in portions and ready to eat.
As a result, snacking habits have become a subject of study for both the food industry and nutrition experts, especially as cosnumers pay more attention to maximising moments of well.being, indulgence or disconecction from the long list of activities that await us each day.
Moreover, we are increasingly aware of what we eat and the importnace of a helathy diet. With all this, we want snacks, they are part of our diet. With al this, we want snacks, they are part of our diet, but often we do not mkae the best choice (even knowing that we do not choose well) or we do not have the best products at our fingertips.
This dichotomy in the selection of the snack that we are going to taste makes it very complex to determine the guidelines we use to choose it and to make an analysis of what the consumer really demands.
“We are becoming more and more committed to our diet as a result of a better understanding of the realtionship between health and food, and snacks are no exception to this trend.”
Beyond the personal perception of what wellness and health mean, and the importance that this perception has in the choices we make when consuming these products, there are some established aspects that are also those that clearly set the market trend: we want to consume less sugar, less salt, less ultra-processed food, no additives, less trans fats and more fruit and vegetables.
In view of the consumption boom, although there is no doubt that the best snacks are at the lower end of the nutritional pyramid (fruit and vegetables), the Food Industry and researchers are working to promote and create wuality snack products that contribute to a more balanced diet through a nutrititonally balanced composition. For example, containing slower absorbing complex carbohydrates, protein, relevant micronutrients and healthies fats so that, overall, it can be considered a food that provides energy with adequate duration and nutrients with associated health benefits.
And what other factors are involved in our decisions?
Among the factors that can be included in pur eating behaviour are the so-called food environments, or what constitute the opportunities to obtain food where factors such as availability and accesssibility of food are considered. This makes it easier or harder for us to choose and consume food.
If we want to take care of ourselves, but do not want to give up snacking, and with the constrictions of the food environment in which we operate, our particular choices and food consumption can be a great opportunity to direct our attention towards healthier snacks.
In this sense, vending (or the sale of product through vending machines( is a good opportunity where schools, colleges, workplaces or other institutions can make more suitable snacks available at our fingertips, facilitating better choice.
Wouldn´t it be amazing to be able to say that snacks have come to be linke to health benefits for consumers?
We can think of formulating such products from a holistic perspective in which the product is part of a healthy and sustainable diet through its participation in the creation of a positive food environment and taking into account the above-mentioned psychosocial factors. In this light, we can start to think about the necessary ingredients.
It is well known that there is a growing interest in the consumption of certain ingredients or nutrients because of the functional properties they impart to the product and their relation to the maintenance or improvement of health-related diseases. Some options are the incorporation in the formulation to enrich with proteins from cereals or legumes, seed flours and sprouted grains, to include ingredients from the valorisation of by-products, to eliminate any additives and to process as little as possible.
The plant-based concept or foods made from plant-based ingredients has made a strong entry into this sector and is perceived as healthy products. We are looking for snacks that promote our “mental health” or a reduction in fatigue in the form of snacks that offer us energy to maintain our atttention. Breakfast substitutes in the form of a snack, but with all the nutrients we need, but we also want to know that they are sustainable products, local products and snacks that benefit our immune system – a long with list!
In the CARTIF Food Area, we continue to work in line with nutritional requirements in researching the use of new sources of ingredients for the development of healthy and sustainable snacks with good sensory acceptability. This is a real challenge for the food industry, aware of the priority of having products that improve well-being, provide good nutritional quality and health benefits.
Economic crises, conflict, inequality and subsequent food price rises make difficult to access adequate food and the lack of availability creates even more inequality. All these situations are affecting food security and preventing a path towards ending hunger and malnutrition and meeting Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero hunger, ending all forms of malnutrition and ensuring access for all people to a healthy, nutritious and sufficient diet. The reality right now is that 3 billion people cannot afford even an inexpensive healthy diet.
Food insecurity based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)1
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) monitoring of key indicators of food security and nutrition, three major drivers have been highlighted in what is happening; conflict, climate variability and extremes, and economic slowdowns and downturns, compounded by the underlying causes of poverty, high and persistent levels of inequality e.g. in income, productive capacity, assets, technology, education and health (FAO, 2021)2
We cannot ignore the seriousness of the situation and the need to take part in action to address the global food insecurity and nutrition situation. It goes without saying that food systems are the driving force to end food insecurity and the prevalence of malnutrition.
Several factors affect the cost of food and thus food security through food systems, food production, supply chain and food chain environments, as well as consumer demand and food policies. Moreover, we cannot think in each factor that are affecting both, the food systems and the external events that are shaping the current situation, in an isolate way.
The rate of growth of food insecurity and prevalence of all existing forms and malnutrition indicate a trend far away from the 2030 target. Moreover, given the complications arising from the current political and economic situation and the lasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Actions are more than necessary to achieve resilience to destabilising factors and to ensure that food systems can deliver affordable, healthy, inclusive and sustainable diets.
We need to focus on ensuring that development, innovation and economic growth reach everyone and #LeaveNoOneBehind. This is the slogan with which FAO wants to raise awareness on this World Food Day (16 October) of the serious global problem of food insecurity and malnutrition and the need to work together to create a better and more sustainable future for all.
To be part of this action, we can, for example, rediscover ourselves as part of the process and of the system, learning about sustainable diets, changing the way we eat, being part of the regeneration and transformation of the food system that is more than necessary to achieve a sustainable future. The challenges we face and the analysis of the causes and interconnections allows us to better understand global actions to establish new ways of doing things, and a unique learning opportunity for future situations. We have a path to follow in which no one should be left behind and we should establish innovative mechanisms to cope with the variability of factors that hinder their functioning. Driven by policies aimed at favouring and protecting the food and natural environment that promote behavioural change in the chain and in the consumer as part of it.
We, at CARTIF, are already part of this change by contributing to the transition of food systems in 12 pan-European cities through the FUSILLI project.
#WorldFoodDay2022 (one of the most celebrated days in the UN calendar of activities) aims to raise awareness of the need to join forces to create a better and more sustainable future for all.
The theme that the World Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has given to the World Food Day of this year 2021 is “Our actions are our future”.
And so it is, like everything in life, each step and each action that we undertake, determines our future. We,all of us, are an active and responsible part of a complex, living and moldable system called food system.
FAO defines food systems as a set of actors and the relationship of the set of activities established between all of them through the different interrelationships that make possible the production, transformation, distribution and consumption of the food.
The elements that make up food systems are multiple and integrate both aspects of the production, storage, processing, packaging and logistics as well as issues related to quality, nutritional, safety and price related aspects, even issues such as information and behavior of the consumers. Given all these factors- and many others!- and their interrelationship, it is not unreasonable to think that food systems are of crucial importance to many of the challenges and goals we must address globally, inlcuding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among these objectives, and particularly two of them, are those aimed at achieving “Zero Hunger” (SDG2) and “End Poverty” (SDG1) on which we must place special emphasis today.
Most of the current food systems are not capable of adapting, anticipating or being resilient to stressful situations or of supplying the present needs, in some cases, or to anticipate the needs of a growing population.
There is a clear need to transition to more inclusive, resilient and sustainable food systems
A sustainable food system integrates varied and sufficient, nutritious and safe food with a fair price for all, where there are no forms of malnutrition and no hungry. Policies and strategies are necessary, but also our personal contribution as active members of the system. Every time we choose foods, we make mutiple decisions and do our part towards our healthy, but also, more sustainable diet, which contributes to the restoration of natural resources. Towards an equitable trade, leading the way towards the eradication of poverty and malnutrition, thus protecting human rights.
On World Food Day, every October 16 since 1979,the collective action of a large number of countries is promoted to carry out events, communication and dissemination activities with the aim of promoting the need to eradicate hunger and guarantee healthy diets for all the members of this planet.
We must address challenges related to world population growth, climate change, diet-related diseases, depletion of natural resources and associated specific situations such as pandemics or natural disasters.
Each October 16 since 42 years ago, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations promotes the celebration of World Food Day.In this case under the slogan “OUR ACTIONS ARE OUR FUTURE”
The European Union proposed to address the challenge of food security and nutrition through research and development policies aimed at guaranteeing the future of our food systems so that they turn into more sustainable, resilient,responsible, inclusive, diverse and competitive within the FOOD 2030 strategy and it is intended to provide solutions to four major general priorities of the food systems:
NUTRITION: ensuring healthy and sustainable diets.
CLIMATE: achieve climate-smart and sustainable food systems that adapt the climate change.
CIRCULARITY: reducing the use of resources and improving the efficiency of food systems, including zero food waste.
INNOVATION: fostering sustainable and accessible food sharing for all communities, cities and rural areas, developing data-driven food and nutrition systems that meet societal needs.
At CARTIF we work in different pathways of intervention that allow us to advance in this direction, such as the shift to more sustainable and healthy diets, the identification and use of new sources of protein, reduction of food waste, food security or urban food systems.
In this sense, FUSILLI project (Fostering the Urban Food System transformation through Innovative Living Labs Implementation, funded by the European Union´s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme) general aim is achieving an integrated and safe transition towards food systems in pan-European cities and their peri-urban areas by creating a sustainable urban food plan, with environmental, social and economic aspects that integrates actions in the four pillars of the FOOD 2030 strategy.
Yes, we hold the future of food in our hands. Each step that each of us takes in the right direction ensures food and nutrition for healthy and sustainable diets while maintaining the environment, our health, equity and social inclusion, and the economy. Be part of the change that you want to see.
