Food science and technology substantially contribute to food systems striving for more sustainable outcomes, which are presented at the annual EFFoST conferences and in food science-oriented journals. Unfortunately, the perception of food science and technology is not always positive, witnessed in the discourses on ultra-processing, unhealthy food products, food waste and spoilage, and the environmental impact of food packaging materials. Despite the fact that food science is particularly well-suited to contribute to more sustainable solutions because it deals with all elements of complex systems as well as with the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability. Therefore, Hugo de Vries, the EFFoST president encourages food scientists to be more actively involved in current societal debates that will provide policymakers the ingredients for support innovation.

Read the full article on the Trends in Food Science and Technology website, accessible for all for free till November 2021.