Functional Foods: 20 (Ethics of Science and Technology Assessment) - Softcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Charlotte y Peter Fiell son dos autoridades en historia, teoría y crítica del diseño y han escrito más de sesenta libros sobre la materia, muchos de los cuales se han convertido en éxitos de ventas. También han impartido conferencias y cursos como profesores invitados, han comisariado exposiciones y asesorado a fabricantes, museos, salas de subastas y grandes coleccionistas privados de todo el mundo. Los Fiell han escrito numerosos libros para TASCHEN, entre los que se incluyen 1000 Chairs, Diseño del siglo XX, El diseño industrial de la A a la Z, Scandinavian Design y Diseño del siglo XXI.

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Functional Foods are being introduced into society at a particularly sensitive moment.

Diet-related diseases have assumed proper epidemic proportions significantly affecting the quality of life while obesity is spreading not only to the majority of the adult population but also, more worryingly, to young people who rarely have the option of alternative diets. As scientific proof for the link between diet and disease accumulation, there are increasingly louder calls for policy action.

At the same time, food has been high on the political agenda in recent years. As a result of food scandals such as BSE, dioxin and foot and mouth disease, and also partly due to public discontent arising from the introduction of genetically modified foodstuffs in the market, food has become a main issue in public debates and a focal point of political activity in Europe. Consumer trust in food production and the ability of authorities to protect them has been eroded, as there is widespread suspicion in public transparency and important information is lacking. Consequently, there are also calls for more coherence, transparency and accountability in food issues.

It is within this situation that Functional Foods have been developed. They assume a highly targeted solution to diet related diseases with effective reduction of risk and improved physical and mental well-being, but are still faced with a host of unresolved issues. This report reviews Functional Foods from a multidisciplinary perspective focusing on safety, legal/policy aspects, economy, public perceptions and ethics. It attempts to clarify the main issues and provides comprehensive recommendations for policymaking.