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 behavior of foods inside our guts is being controlled to increase their
healthiness. Precision nutrition is being used to tailor diets to our unique genetic profiles
microbiomes and metabolisms. Gene editing nanotechnology and artificial intelligence are
being used to address modern food challenges such as feeding the growing global population
reducing greenhouse gas emissions reducing waste 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. Some of the questions addressed in
this book are: What is food architecture? How does sound and color impact taste? Will we all
have 3D food printers in all our homes? Should nanotechnology and gene editing be used to
enhance our foods? Are these new technologies safe? Would you eat bug-foods if it led to a more
sustainable food supply? Should vegetarians eat themselves? Can nutraceuticals and probiotics
stop cancer? What is the molecular basis of a tasty sustainable burger? David Julian McClements
is a Distinguished Professor in food science who has used physics chemistry and biology to
improve the quality safety and healthiness of foods for over 30 years. He has published over
900 scientific articles and 10 books in this area and is currently the most highly cited food
scientist in the world. He has won numerous scientific awards for his work. The aim of this
book is to highlight the many exciting advances being made in the science of foods and to show
their application for solving important problems related to the modern food supply such as
tackling chronic diseases feeding a global population reducing food waste and creating
healthier and tastier foods.
