Chapter 1: Today's Food Scene

**CHAPTER 1: TODAY'S FOOD SCENE** **OVERVIEW** Consumers, farmers and fishermen, and the food industry are constantly reshaping the food marketplace in response to increasing cultural diversity, environmental, economic, and lifestyles concerns. Among current key issues are food safety (including t...

**CHAPTER 1: TODAY'S FOOD SCENE** **OVERVIEW** Consumers, farmers and fishermen, and the food industry are constantly reshaping the food marketplace in response to increasing cultural diversity, environmental, economic, and lifestyles concerns. Among current key issues are food safety (including terrorism and environmental and microbiological risks) and health. Functional foods, designer foods, organic foods, phytochemicals, prebiotics, probiotics, genetically modified organisms, biotechnology, and nanotechnology are now in the vocabularies of consumers. Careers related to food may involve the role of food and health, the feeding of people at home or away, or may be in the broad food industry (from basic food research to all aspects of bringing food products to the consumer, including governmental roles). **STUDENT OBJECTIVES** Upon completion of Chapter 1, Today's Food Scene, the student should be able to: 1. Discuss genetically modified organisms from the perspectives of both food producers and consumers. 2. Describe some of the problems farmers have to deal with in their profession. 3. Discuss the roles of some federal agencies involved in the nation's food supply. 4. Describe various professional career opportunities that are centered on various aspects of the food industry. **CHAPTER OUTLINE** **Issues in the Food Supply** **Production Perspectives** Large scale farming versus small family-owned farms -- what are the challenges? Consumer Voices - What do consumers want? What are they saying? Sustainability -- what are the concerns? Functional Foods -- what are they, and why are they becoming important? Designer Foods -- what are they, and how is FDA involved in their regulation? Nanotechnology -- what is it and what is its significance?