Food imitations: curse or blessing?

摘要

Food imitations are not inherently good or bad. They are absolutely legitimate and represent no risk for the consumer. It is however generally accepted that the presentation and labelling will make it possible to clearly distinguish them from the original product - which is unfortunately not always the case. On the basis of various examples, it will be shown that food imitations can, in some cases, be a curse, as they deliberately attempt to deceive the consumer. They can also be a blessing, as some are cheap alternatives. Alternatively, they may possess advantages in nutritional physiology or may enrich available foods by offering progressive developments.