The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a globally recognised non-profit scientific body, has recently unveiled a comprehensive white paper. This document, entitled “Food Science and Technology Solutions to Improve Food and Nutrition Security: Sustainable Production of Nutritious Foods Through Processing Technology,” emerged from a virtual roundtable discussion steered by the IFT’s Food & Nutrition Security Steering Committee (FNSSC).
Formed in 2021, the FNSSC has been at the forefront of tackling significant issues related to food loss and waste. Their newest publication, which followed an earlier white paper released in 2023, delves into the role of both current and emerging processing technologies in maintaining the nutritional integrity of food.
Bryan Hitchcock, the Chief Science and Technology Officer at IFT, stresses the increasing global demand for safe, nutritious, and readily available food. This need is set to intensify with the anticipated surge in the world’s population to nearly 10 billion by 2050.
Hitchcock underscores the pivotal role of processing technology in balancing this demand with the imperative of natural resource conservation. The document identifies strategic opportunities for the expansion of processing technologies to bolster nutritional quality.
The white paper also sheds light on various challenges that must be overcome to fully leverage the potential of processing technology. These challenges encompass the need for modernised and harmonised regulations, enhanced support for public-private funding, technological optimisation, and the rectification of public misconceptions regarding food processing.
Anna Rosales, IFT’s Senior Director of Government Affairs and Nutrition, who also moderated the roundtable, highlighted the critical value of sustainable processing technologies. She noted their particular relevance in developing nations, where ensuring consistent access to nutritious and safe food remains a constant challenge, both in everyday circumstances and in times of emergency.
