January 2016

, by tmcy

[Info] Three new food technologies that will soon change the way people eat

When it comes to food, technology is changing everything. We are in the middle of a food evolution where the things we buy at the supermarket usually undergo factory processes. Whether or not these revolutionary technologies that will change the way people eat in the future are safe, we won’t know yet because today, the safest and healthiest food to eat is organic. While these food technologies may not convince organic eaters that they’re safe to be integrated with food, even with the FDA’s seal of approval, it’s interesting to learn what scientists are trying to come up with when it comes to making food “safer” and “healthier.” Here’s a glimpse of some of the food technologies that are currently under development.

Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles aren’t something new as researchers have been trying to create small particles for use in food for a long time. The reason why scientists are researching this is because they want to use molecular particles that can make diet-friendly food items taste great (without putting any added sugar and fat). Right now, researchers aren’t sure yet whether these nanoparticles are completely safe to eat because they’re so small they could easily pass through veins and end up in sensitive areas of the body like the heart and brain.

Stem-cell beef patties

Dutch scientist Mark Post is trying to grow meat from a cow’s stem cells to make burger. Right now, the time, procedures, and money it takes to create a single patty from a stem cell costs about 300 million Euros, meaning it’s entirely possible now but not economical. However, technology is improving fast and the scientist estimates that it will become economical and ready for mass production in at least 10 to 15 more years.

Anti-Salmonella Spray

In Netherlands, a company is now developing a simple spray that contains “bacteriophages,” which are things that bind with and kill bacteria. If proven safe by the FDA, some restaurants may soon spray it on fish meat before cooking. There are E. coli and salmonella poisoning risks when eating raw fish and this technology may change the way food safety standards work.

As previously said, technology is advancing at a fast rate and these food technologies may get implemented sooner than we think. About a decade ago, mobiles were used only for telecommunication purposes but now, technology has advanced so much that people use them for almost anything, from finding the nearest restaurant to transferring funds across the globe. According to the parent company of the recreational slingo hub Spin Genie, mobile is one of the most powerful movers in the Internet landscape today so we can probably expect these devices to play a huge role in developing the aforementioned technologies for food. Perhaps when the salmonella spray gets released for public use, it can also identify what type of virus was successfully or unsuccessfully removed from the fish by connecting to the Internet and delivering results straight to a user’s mobile. That being said, nothing beats organic food and the anti-salmonella spray, beef patties from stem cells, and nanoparticles may raise a few eyebrows because they seem to be quite invasive to food but they are aiming to ease our curiosities somewhat at least.