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Ensuring Safe and Healthy Food in the 21St Century

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Ensuring Safe and Healthy Food in the 21St Century Editorial overview .: ’ We are what we eat: Ensuring safe and healthy food in the 21st centuy Carl Keen Chair, Department of Nutrition, UC Davis Bennie Osburn Dean, School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis lthough there is an abundance of food in A the industrialized world, hunger continues to occur here and around the globe. The current population of over 5.5 billion people will in- crease to 8 billion in the next quarter-century. In California alone, the population is expected to increase by 15 million people in the next 20 to 25 years. The growing need for food production in our state comes at the same time that prime farmland is being converted to housing and businesses (see p. 47). The implications of these dramatic increases in population and land re- quired for food production will require that food be produced by the global community. The major food suppliers of the future may well be a relatively few multinational companies that will dictate the sources, quality and quantity of foods that we eat in this new century. Previous issues of the California Agriculture special series, “Future in Focus: 2000-2025,” have addressed the impact of demographic change (January-February 2000), environmental and natural resource problems (March-April 2000) and agricultural technology and sustainability (July-August 2000). This issue ad- dresses food security and the challenges we face to provide a high-quality food source that is safe and nutritious. Nutrition and health As we enter the 21st century, there is the expectation by many that changing one’s diet can markedly reduce the risk for a multitude of diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular .- disease, macular degeneration, osteoporosis and senile dementia. In addition, many expect v) = that modest changes in diet will translate into if improvements in cognition, mood, physical Foodborne illnesses can have severe economic and political ramifications. All the cider mills in Apple performance and general well-being. While Hill, in the Sierra foothills around Camino, are par- the hypothesis that certain changes in the diet ticipating in a proactive quality assurance plan to will influence physical states is a reasonable prevent contamination of their fresh, unpasteurized one, the probability that all of these benefits apple juice and cider. At Kids, Inc. ranch, Peter and Christine Delfino enjoy the fruits of their family’s can be achieved simultaneously by diet is farm. very low. 4 CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE, VOLUME 54, NUMBER 5 Nutrient-disease interactions. Specific di- government etary recommendations are not cure-alls. While agencies. How- the investigation of dietary factors that can in- ever, the ultimate fluence one’s risk for the development of cer- reward will be tain diseases will be an exciting area of research the creation of a for decades to come, progress in this area is diet that may likely to be slow. First, for most diseases we still markedly en- have only a poor understanding of the actual hance the quality E biochemical mechanisms that contribute to their of life for all. ii occurrence and advancement. In the absence of -> Food safety 2 this information, well-focused investigations on Y nutrient-disease interactions are difficult to con- Theeconomic 4 struct. Further confounding the situation is and political im- Nutritionists and the lack of good biomarkers for most dis- plications of a safe food supply have been un- government agencies eases, or for that matter, nutritional status! As have recommended derestimated until recently. The most dramatic major dietary a consequence, dietary intervention studies recent example of a foodborne problem with changes. However, are often shaped by epidemiological observa- major negative repercussions has been bovine our understanding of tions that identify associative rather than spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), known as nutrient-disease interactions is still causative factors. “mad cow” disease, which afflicted cattle in the limited. Furthermore, while epidemiological studies United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and can provide interesting clues regarding nutri- Ireland) in epidemic proportions starting in the tion and health, numerous questions remain. mid-1980s. This problem was followed by the For example, a wealth of epidemiological stud- appearance of a new variant of Creutzfeldt- ies suggest that diets rich in fruits and veg- Jakob disease (CJD),chiefly in British young etables are associated with a reduced risk for people who consumed contaminated beef, with certain cancers (see p. 26). However, the iden- the first human fatality reported in 1996. Both tity of the compounds present in these foods of these diseases are associated with an agent Although it has that are responsible for protective effects has re- thought to be derived from affected cattle, mained elusive. The identification of which causes a fatal nervous-system disorder. often been stated phytonutrients and the quantification of the There is no known treatment. that the United amounts needed in the diet to provide optimal Initially, more than 150,000 cattle were af- protection presents an important research chal- fected by eating contaminated animal-protein States has the lenge for the next decade (see p. 33). feed supplements. Then 80 people became in- safest food supply Genetics. A second major issue that will de- fected with the agent by eating the contami- lay progress is that an individual’s genetic nated beef. This large loss of cattle and the hu- in the world, the background can have a profound effect on their man fatalities have had severe adverse fact that one out susceptibility to a number of diseases and their economic and political ramifications in Britain, response to dietary manipulations. As a conse- and have resulted in significant changes in of four citizens quence, it is difficult at present to identify the what people eat. Economically, the losses from suffers from correct population in which a study should be cattle slaughtered, trade restrictions, bankrupt- conducted. Further, dietary recommendations cies and devaluation of land prices have cost foodborne illness may differ considerably depending on one’s ge- the United Kingdom over $5 billion. Consump- in a given year is netic constitution. These unknowns will also tion of beef has declined dramatically from provide significant challenges to public-health what it was 15 years ago, further affecting farm significant. officials involved with food delivery programs. livelihoods. Politically, the British Conservative Although numerous challenges must be Party lost the parliamentary elections in 1997, in addressed in the area of nutrition and health, large part because its members downplayed the we have made important strides in this field importance of this foodborne disease problem. during the last decade and are poised for Even though the number of deaths from the rapid progress in many areas (see pages 12, new variant of CJD is low so far, projections in- 19,26 and 33). dicate an additional 136,000 deaths from the Armed with a better understanding of the disease could occur over the next 60 years. protectant nutrients in food, we will be able to Worldwide, there are 1.5 billion cases of turn attention to the development of new foods, foodborne illness each year; these illnesses rank and food products that increase the delivery of among the most common forms of disease in important nutrients. This will be a demanding the world. More than 3 million deaths are re- task that will take the concerted action of uni- corded per year. As many as 300,000 individu- versity scientists, food industry partners and als have been affected in a single outbreak. A CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE, SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2000 5 variety of disease- percentage (36%) of the outbreaks were associ- causing organisms ated with fresh fruits and vegetables. These are are involved. In foods that may not be suitable for cooking and the last 25 years, at therefore pose a greater risk of harboring micro- least 30 newly rec- bial causes of disease. ognized infectious NaturaVorganic foods and supplements. agents have been Interest in natural organic foods and supple- associated with ments continues to increase (see pages 26,33). food- and water- Herbal products sometimes may include poi- a E borne illnesses sonous plant extracts that have powerful toxins S (see pages 62,69 affecting organs such as the liver, kidneys and 2 and 78). In the heart, causing serious health problems. Organic Food preparation and United States, the foods, like all uncooked produce, may contain handling can have an Centers for Disease Control and Prevention re- contaminants that cause foodborne illnesses. impact on safety. At the Northern Califor- ports 76 million cases, 325,000 hospitalizations Oversight of natural and organic products will nia Food Service and and 5,000 deaths per year. Although it has often help assure safer products for consumers. Baking School in been stated that the United Stateshas the safest Emerging pathogens. The ability of mi- Butte work- food supply in the world, the fact that one out crobes to exchange genetic information - in- ers are trained in the art of sDecialtv bread of four citizens suffers from foodborne illness in cluding disease-causing traits and antibiotic re- baking. a given year is significant. sistance - is now well known. The exchange of Globalization of the food supply. For a va- disease-causing genetic material helps innocu- riety of reasons, including loss of agricultural ous microbes become virulent. Nonpathogens lands, increased labor and production costs, and can become pathogens or develop antibiotic re- year-round consumer demand for fresh fruits sistance through gene transfer. These new and vegetables, agricultural products are being agents affect not only the digestive system but brought into the United States and Europe on a other organs as well. Serious, chronic health larger scale each year (see p. 54). These products problems may follow certain food- and water- are raised in environments where microbial borne illnesses, including arthritis, kidney fail- agents new to the United States may be intro- ure and degenerative neurological disease.
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