American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 58, 307S-312S, Copyright © 1993 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

REVIEW ARTICLES

Food demands of the emerging consumer: the role of modern food technology in meeting that challenge

RE Smith
Nabisco Foods Group, East Hanover, NJ 07936.

Traditionally, the food industry has not been driven by technology. However, over the past decade, enormous changes have been introduced because of the changing demographics and evolving lifestyle of the consumer; the public health policies driving these lifestyle alterations; the growing fitness food market, which is a consequence of these changes; and the new aggressive posture taken by the food industry toward use of innovative technologies to satisfy consumer needs. This review is a brief description of the newer, nonbiotechnological food-science approaches that provide an unprecedented array of novel products to satisfy consumer preferences. These include engineered foods, aseptic processing, extrusion, hydroponics, intermediate-moisture foods, microencapsulation, supercritical-fluids extraction, and ingredient technology. Included under the last category is a brief description of fat substitutes that are likely to have a significant effect on the American diet.