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In Nutrition for a Better Life, one of the food industry´s leading experts takes a factual look into the past and future of food and nutrition. Former Nestlé CEO Peter Brabeck-Letmathe shows that while in the past forty years convenience was the selling point for many industrially produced foods, consumers have now come to demand specifically healthy products. Going forward, it is health that will drive innovation in the industry. Using cutting-edge technology and scientifically based nutrition standards, the food industry will play a decisive role in improving the wellbeing of entire population groups, offering effective and cost-saving personalized diets that will both prevent and administer to the acute and chronic diseases of the twenty-first century.

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Contents

Foreword9

Introduction15

The future of food-personalized, science-based, resources efficient, caring19

Chapter 1:

On the way to nutrition of the future21

Global megatrends on the consumer side22

The tasks of the new food science33

Life Sciences-A new dimension of science as a solution35

Chapter 2:

From the beginnings of industrial food production to today43

When the specter of hunger dominated the world44

With industrialization came prosperity47

What has changed since the baby boomer period65

The international food industry72

The development of research from its beginnings to nutrigenomics76

Chapter 3:

How can a growing world population stay healthy and live longer?85

Societal changes affect the global food industry87

Food to stay healthy and fit93

How the global food industry is structured101

Chapter 4:

Life Sciences and the revolution of biology, nutrition and health 109

The mission statement-A personalized diet for different population groups109
Understanding how the body really works 111

Living a long and healthy life as a research target 125

Chapter 5:

The responsibility of the food industry129

The consumer is the focus from the very beginning129

The growing market for specialty and wellness food131

Nutrition as therapy139

Solutions for certain life situations and risk groups 140

Chapter 6:

The responsibility of policy143

Preventive health systems as part of global health 145

Ensuring fair competition as a political task147

Chapter 7:

The responsibility of each individual149

What can we decide and what not?149

Traditions, diet myths and ideological trends154

How the social environment shapes our eating habits160

The influence of diet on health163

Chapter 8:

Milestones on the way to the future175

What is conceivable, what is possible?176

Appendix 181

Notes 189

Literature199

Internet 211

Acknowledgements217

Index 218

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Contents

Foreword 9

Introduction 15

The future of food-personalized, science-based, resources efficient, caring 19

Chapter 1:

On the way to nutrition of the future 21

Global megatrends on the consumer side 22

The tasks of the new food science 33

Life Sciences-A new dimension of science as a solution 35

Chapter 2:

From the beginnings of industrial food production to today 43

When the specter of hunger dominated the world 44

With industrialization came prosperity 47

What has changed since the baby boomer period 65

The international food industry 72

The development of research from its beginnings to nutrigenomics 76

Chapter 3:

How can a growing world population stay healthy and live longer? 85

Societal changes affect the global food industry 87

Food to stay healthy and fit 93

How the global food industry is structured 101

Chapter 4:

Life Sciences and the revolution of biology, nutrition and health 109

The mission statement-A personalized diet for different population groups 109

Understanding how the body really works 111

Living a long and healthy life as a research target 125

Chapter 5:

The responsibility of the food industry 129

The consumer is the focus from the very beginning 129

The growing market for specialty and wellness food 131

Nutrition as therapy 139

Solutions for certain life situations and risk groups 140

Chapter 6:

The responsibility of policy 143

Preventive health systems as part of global health 145

Ensuring fair competition as a political task 147

Chapter 7:

The responsibility of each individual 149

What can we decide and what not? 149

Traditions, diet myths and ideological trends 154

How the social environment shapes our eating habits 160

The influence of diet on health 163

Chapter 8:

Milestones on the way to the future 175

What is conceivable, what is possible? 176

Appendix 181

Notes 189

Literature 199

Internet 211

Acknowledgements 217

Index 218

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