Feeding the world into the future - food and nutrition security: the role of food science and technology

By mid-century, the world population will surpass 9 billion people, meaning higher demand for available food, water, arable land and environmental impacts. Food safety issues, nutrition deficiencies, postharvest losses, regulation inconsistencies and consumer attitudes are all striking challenges which must be met in maintaining food security and sustainability. Possible solutions include advancements in food processing technologies, nanotechnology, innovative food formulations and the use of genomic approaches manifested in examples such as alternative protein sources, insect flour, nutrigenomics, 3D food printing, biomimicry, food engineering and merging technology. International organizations like the International Union of Food Science and Technology also play important roles in securing the world's food supplies by providing expertise through their respective country memberships. The present review addresses the food science and technology roles in meeting current challenges and investigates possible solutions to feed the world in the near future.