Table I.
Information Regarding New Food Technology Applications Provided to Participants
| New Food Technology Application | Description |
|---|---|
| GM meat (pork) | Gene technology offers the possibility to produce pork meat that contains healthy omega‐3 fatty acids. To do so, a gene that enables production of omega‐3 fatty acids is transferred from a roundworm into the pig genome, and thereby, the pig can produce omega‐3 fatty acids rather than just unhealthy omega‐6 fatty acids. |
| GM fish | Fish can be genetically modified to increase their resistance against diseases by inserting a human lactoferrin gene. Lactoferrin is an enzyme with antiviral and antimicrobial properties. |
| Edible nanotechnology coating film | By using nanotechnology, edible coatings for food can be produced that have a thickness of just 5 nm and are not visually detectible. These thin edible films can be used to package, for example, meat, to prevent moisture loss, and thus prolong shelf life. Negative impacts of nanoparticles on health and the environment are still not well understood. |
| Nanotechnology food boxa | In nanotechnology food packaging, food boxes with small nanoparticles were developed. Small silver particles in plastic boxes prevent bacterial growth. The main advantage is longer product shelf life. Next to its benefits, this nanotechnology also poses some dangers. Experts are uncertain about whether the silver particles might migrate from the packaging material into the food. Negative impacts on health and the environment are still not well understood. |
| Artificial meatb |
Red meat such as beef can be produced through tissue cultivation. To do so, a few cells are obtained from the muscle tissue of cows. These cells are artificially grown and develop into muscle cells. This production method is more environmentally friendly and associated with less animal suffering compared to conventional meat production. The taste of meat produced by tissue cultivation is comparable to conventionally produced meat. |
| Artificial milk | Basically, milk consists of water, several milk proteins, and fats. To make artificial milk, the DNA sequences of the different milk proteins are constructed and inserted into yeast. The yeast then produces milk proteins. By adding water and aromatic fatty acids, the artificial milk is finished. The artificial milk tastes similar to cow's milk and results in less CO2 emissions than the traditional milk production. The artificial milk can also be produced lactose‐free. |
| Synthetically produced food additive (citric acid) | Beverages (e.g., lemonades) often include synthetically produced citric acid (E330) as a preservative. The citric acid is produced by specific mold cultures (Aspergillus niger). |