EMERGING FOOD TECHNOLOGIES FOOD SAFETY

摘要

Novel Foods are produced by methods not widely used. Emerging technologies in food processing fulfil the need for prolonged food preservation by minimizing sensory and nutritional impact. Food businesses need to implement emerging technologies for continuous improvement and also for competitiveness reasons. Consumers with their purchasing power, determine whether new technologies will be accepted and if they will ultimately serve modern nutritional needs. The rapid development of new technologies in the last decades, led to uncertainty regarding these products' safety. Research and law making communities have come to fulfil this gap. Researchers introduce new prediction models for microbes, explore the synergy and competitiveness of novel technologies and also create methods for measuring and monitoring the successful implementation of these technologies. On the other hand, the state attempts to implement effectively the modern scientific knowledge, to create food law based on research and ultimately safeguard consumers' and industries' interests. Furthermore, emerging technologies are aiming to produce healthy and safe final products, free from toxic substances and pathogens, mainly by combining technologies based on the philosophy of hurdle technology. The question raised however, is whether there is a detailed approach available nowdays, as to determine whether and how these technologies can support food safety. The most important step in novel technologies safety management is the adequate hazard analysis and control during the production, which can only be achieved by a thorough risk assessment and by an appropriate legislative framework. A recent example of novel technology's risk assessment is the guidance from the European Food Safety Authority, regarding the application of nanotechnology in food production. Guidances resulting from emerging technologies risk assessment are supportive to the existing novel food legislation (EC Regulation 258/97) or are suggesting the need for new laws. Emerging technologies in food will continuously appear and therefore it is crucial for scientists to adequately identify all parameters in relation to their application. Industries can apply them based on risk assessment and state shall legislate to ensure proper implementation. It is only then, that consumers will accept and support these new products.