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Makris KC, Chourdakis M. The Need for an Alternative Health Claim Process for Foods Based on Both Nutrient and Contaminant Profiles. Curr Dev Nutr 2024; 8:103764. [PMID: 38813480 PMCID: PMC11134546 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.103764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Most authorized health claims on foods have been established on the basis of single dietary components, mainly micronutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and possibly bioactives. Failure to sufficiently define and characterize the nutritional profile of a food product is one of the main reasons for rejection or incomplete status for thousands of health claim applications, whereas the food's contaminant profile is simply not accounted for. The objective of this work was to highlight the accumulating scientific evidence supporting a reform of the health claim evaluation process for foods toward more holistic approaches. This would entail the characterization of multiple nutrient-contaminant pairs and contaminant mixture profiles at contaminant levels currently considered "safe," including their interactions that would impact human health outcome(s) in a net positive or negative direction. The notion of a stable nutritional profile in food commodities has been challenged by studies reporting a variable food contaminant content and a declining content of proteins/micronutrients in crops due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. A holistic approach in the health claim process for foods would entail the incorporation of cumulative risk assessment and/or risk-benefit protocols that effectively combine health risks and benefits associated with multiple nutritional and contaminant attributes of the food/diet under evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Christos Makris
- Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Michael Chourdakis
- Laboratory of Hygiene, Social & Preventive Medicine and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Santillana Farakos SM, Heilman J, Abt E, Dennis S. Approaches to risk-benefit assessment of seafood consumption: lessons learned from an evidence scan. Front Nutr 2024; 11:1290680. [PMID: 38425480 PMCID: PMC10902146 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1290680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Qualitative and quantitative risk-benefit assessments (RBA) can be used to support public health decisions in food safety. We conducted an evidence scan to understand the state of the science regarding RBA in seafood to help inform seafood dietary advice in the United States. We collected published RBA studies assessing seafood consumption, designed inclusion and exclusion criteria to screen these studies, and conducted systematic data extraction for the relevant studies published since 2019. Our findings indicate the selection of health risks and benefits does not generally follow a systematic approach. Uncertainty and variability in RBAs is often not addressed, and quantitative RBAs making use of a single health metric generally have not been leveraged to directly support published regulatory decisions or dietary guidance. To elevate the role of RBA in supporting regulatory decision-making, risk assessors and risk managers must work together to set expectations and goals. We identified the need for a prioritization phase (e.g., multicriteria decision analysis model) to determine the risks and benefits of greatest public health impact to inform the RBA design. This prioritization would consider not only the degree of public health impact of each risk and benefit, but also the potential for risks and benefits to converge on common health outcomes and their importance to subpopulations. Including a prioritization could improve the utility of the RBAs to better inform risk management decisions and advance public health. Our work serves to guide the United States Food and Drug Administration's approaches to RBA in foods.
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Pereira LS, de Moraes BKB, Borba EM, Roldan BB, Padilha RL, Sant’Anna V. Consumers' Segmentation Influences Acceptance and Preferences of Cheeses with Sanitary Inspection and Artisanal Seals. Foods 2023; 12:3805. [PMID: 37893699 PMCID: PMC10606117 DOI: 10.3390/foods12203805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Food labeling serves as a crucial medium for industries to communicate product qualities to consumers. Sanitary inspection and artisanal seals are significant markers for traditional cheeses, yet current information on this topic is limited. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the impact of sanitary inspection and the ARTE seal on the acceptance of artisanal cheese. To achieve this objective, four hypothetical cheese labels featuring all combinations of sanitary inspection and ARTE seals were presented to 404 consumers. These consumers rated their acceptance of each label, a conjoint analysis was conducted, and the relative importance of each seal was calculated. Subsequently, consumers were segmented using hierarchical cluster analysis. Their socio-demographic profiles were statistically correlated to the clusters through a chi-squared method. The results revealed the existence of three distinct consumer groups: those who strongly prefer cheeses with a sanitary seal (assigning a relative importance of 80.2% to the seal), those who favor cheeses with an artisanal seal (assigning a relative importance of 52.5% to the seal), and those for whom the presence of either seal did not significantly affect acceptance. Consumers residing in metropolitan areas generally placed less value on both seals, whereas frequent purchasers of artisanal foods and residents of rural areas showed a preference for the artisanal seal. Other socio-demographic variables did not statistically correlate with cluster membership. In conclusion, consumer segmentation based on preferences for sanitary inspection and artisanal seals in food labeling is vital for developing effective marketing strategies and food safety education policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa Santos Pereira
- Life and Environmental Area, State University of Rio Grande do Sul, Encantado Campus, Encantado 95960-000, RS, Brazil; (L.S.P.); (B.K.B.d.M.); (E.M.B.); (R.L.P.)
| | - Bruna Klein Borges de Moraes
- Life and Environmental Area, State University of Rio Grande do Sul, Encantado Campus, Encantado 95960-000, RS, Brazil; (L.S.P.); (B.K.B.d.M.); (E.M.B.); (R.L.P.)
| | - Elizandro Max Borba
- Life and Environmental Area, State University of Rio Grande do Sul, Encantado Campus, Encantado 95960-000, RS, Brazil; (L.S.P.); (B.K.B.d.M.); (E.M.B.); (R.L.P.)
| | | | - Rosiele Lappe Padilha
- Life and Environmental Area, State University of Rio Grande do Sul, Encantado Campus, Encantado 95960-000, RS, Brazil; (L.S.P.); (B.K.B.d.M.); (E.M.B.); (R.L.P.)
| | - Voltaire Sant’Anna
- Life and Environmental Area, State University of Rio Grande do Sul, Encantado Campus, Encantado 95960-000, RS, Brazil; (L.S.P.); (B.K.B.d.M.); (E.M.B.); (R.L.P.)
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Baba FV, Esfandiari Z. Theoretical and practical aspects of risk communication in food safety: A review study. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18141. [PMID: 37539121 PMCID: PMC10395359 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, food safety hazards have introduced as one of the most important threats to public health worldwide. Considering numerous crises in the field of food safety at global, regional, and national levels, and their impact on the physical and mental health of consumers, it is very vital to evaluate risk communication strategies in each country. Food safety risk communication (FSRC) aims to provide the means for individuals to protect their health from food safety risks and make informed decisions about food risks. The purpose of this study is to present FSRC as one of the key parts of risk analysis, its importance considering the prevalence of food contamination and recent crises related to food. Additionally, the stages of implementation of FSRC are mentioned. In FSRC, it is essential to comply with the principles and prerequisites. There are various strategies for FSRC nowadays. Different platforms for FSRC are rapidly evolving. Choosing and evaluating the appropriate strategy according to the target group, consensus of stakeholders, cooperation and coordination of risk assessors and risk managers have a significant impact in order to improve and implement FSRC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zahra Esfandiari
- Corresponding author. Hezar Jarib St, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
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Rivero-Pino F, Villanueva Á, Montserrat-de-la-Paz S, Sanchez-Fidalgo S, Millán-Linares MC. Evidence of Immunomodulatory Food-Protein Derived Peptides in Human Nutritional Interventions: Review on the Outcomes and Potential Limitations. Nutrients 2023; 15:2681. [PMID: 37375585 DOI: 10.3390/nu15122681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The immune system is somehow related to all the metabolic pathways, in a bidirectional way, and the nutritional interventions affecting these pathways might have a relevant impact on the inflammatory status of the individuals. Food-derived peptides have been demonstrated to exert several bioactivities by in vitro or animal studies. Their potential to be used as functional food is promising, considering the simplicity of their production and the high value of the products obtained. However, the number of human studies performed until now to demonstrate effects in vivo is still scarce. Several factors must be taken into consideration to carry out a high-quality human study to demonstrate immunomodulatory-promoting properties of a test item. This review aims to summarize the recent human studies published in which the purpose was to demonstrate bioactivity of protein hydrolysates, highlighting the main results and the limitations that can restrict the relevance of the studies. Results collected are promising, although in some studies, physiological changes could not be observed. When responses were observed, they sometimes did not refer to relevant parameters and the immunomodulatory properties could not be clearly established with the current evidence. Well-designed clinical trials are needed in order to evaluate the role of protein hydrolysates in immunonutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Rivero-Pino
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Av. Sanchez Pizjuan s/n, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Álvaro Villanueva
- Department of Food & Health, Instituto de la Grasa (IG-CSIC), Campus Universitario Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. Utrera Km. 1, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Sergio Montserrat-de-la-Paz
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Av. Sanchez Pizjuan s/n, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Susana Sanchez-Fidalgo
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Av. Sanchez Pizjuan s/n, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Maria C Millán-Linares
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Av. Sanchez Pizjuan s/n, 41009 Seville, Spain
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Shi C, Zi Y, Huang S, Chen J, Wang X, Zhong J. Development and application of lipidomics for food research. ADVANCES IN FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH 2023; 104:1-42. [PMID: 37236729 DOI: 10.1016/bs.afnr.2022.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Lipidomics is an emerging and promising omics derived from metabolomics to comprehensively analyze all of lipid molecules in biological matrices. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the development and application of lipidomics for food research. First, three aspects of sample preparation are introduced: food sampling, lipid extraction, and transportation and storage. Second, five types of instruments for data acquisition are summarized: direct infusion-mass spectrometry (MS), chromatographic separation-MS, ion mobility-MS, MS imaging, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Third, data acquisition and analysis software are described for the lipidomics software development. Fourth, the application of lipidomics for food research is discussed such as food origin and adulteration analysis, food processing research, food preservation research, and food nutrition and health research. All the contents suggest that lipidomics is a powerful tool for food research based on its ability of lipid component profile analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiping Shi
- Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ye Zi
- Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National R&D Branch Center for Freshwater Aquatic Products Processing Technology (Shanghai), Integrated Scientific Research Base on Comprehensive Utilization Technology for By-Products of Aquatic Product Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquatic-Product Processing and Preservation, College of Food Science & Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shudan Huang
- Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National R&D Branch Center for Freshwater Aquatic Products Processing Technology (Shanghai), Integrated Scientific Research Base on Comprehensive Utilization Technology for By-Products of Aquatic Product Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquatic-Product Processing and Preservation, College of Food Science & Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiahui Chen
- Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National R&D Branch Center for Freshwater Aquatic Products Processing Technology (Shanghai), Integrated Scientific Research Base on Comprehensive Utilization Technology for By-Products of Aquatic Product Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquatic-Product Processing and Preservation, College of Food Science & Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xichang Wang
- National R&D Branch Center for Freshwater Aquatic Products Processing Technology (Shanghai), Integrated Scientific Research Base on Comprehensive Utilization Technology for By-Products of Aquatic Product Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquatic-Product Processing and Preservation, College of Food Science & Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Zhong
- Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National R&D Branch Center for Freshwater Aquatic Products Processing Technology (Shanghai), Integrated Scientific Research Base on Comprehensive Utilization Technology for By-Products of Aquatic Product Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquatic-Product Processing and Preservation, College of Food Science & Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China.
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Mihalache OA, Dellafiora L, Dall'Asta C. Risk–benefit assessment of shifting from traditional meat‐based diets to alternative dietary patterns. EFSA J 2022; 20:e200919. [DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2022.e200919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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8
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Boué G, Hoekstra J, Pires SM, Naska A. Editorial: Risk-benefit assessment of foods: Advances in public health. Front Nutr 2022; 9:1089870. [DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1089870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Jakobsen LS, Nielsen JO, Paulsen SE, Outzen M, Linneberg A, Møllehave LT, Christensen T, Ravn-Haren G. Risk–Benefit Assessment of an Increase in the Iodine Fortification Level of Foods in Denmark—A Pilot Study. Foods 2022; 11:foods11091281. [PMID: 35564002 PMCID: PMC9104615 DOI: 10.3390/foods11091281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Iodine deficiency is one of the most common nutritional disorders worldwide. In Denmark, the mandatory iodine fortification of salt of 13 ppm was introduced in 2000 to eradicate mild to moderate iodine deficiency and the fortification level was increased to 20 ppm in 2019. However, the optimal iodine intake is a narrow interval, and the risk of disease increases with intakes both below and above this interval. In this study, we quantified the risk–benefit balance in the Danish adult population by increasing the mandatory fortification level. We applied a risk–benefit assessment approach in which population-level iodine intakes before and after the increase in fortification were integrated with epidemiological evidence of the association between iodine nutrition status and risk of relevant diseases to estimate the number of cases caused or prevented and estimated health impact in terms of disability-adjusted life years (DALY). We estimated an overall beneficial health impact and prevention of 34.9 (95% UI: −51.6; −21.7) DALY per 100,000 adults in the population annually with the increase in fortification level. Prevention of low IQ in children due to maternal iodine deficiency was the primary contributor to overall health gain. The gain in healthy life years comes at the expense of extra cases of goiter due to iodine excess. Due to lack of data, hypo- and hyperthyroidism related to iodine status were not included. Neither were children as a population group. Because of this, as well as uncertainties inherent in the model and data used, results should be interpreted with caution. We argue that nation-specific, quantitative assessments of the public health impact of fortification programs provide transparent, evidence-based decision support. Future research should aim to enable the inclusion of all relevant health effects as well as children in the assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Sletting Jakobsen
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (J.O.N.); (S.E.P.); (M.O.); (T.C.); (G.R.-H.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Josefine Ostenfeld Nielsen
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (J.O.N.); (S.E.P.); (M.O.); (T.C.); (G.R.-H.)
| | - Sophie Egesø Paulsen
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (J.O.N.); (S.E.P.); (M.O.); (T.C.); (G.R.-H.)
| | - Malene Outzen
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (J.O.N.); (S.E.P.); (M.O.); (T.C.); (G.R.-H.)
| | - Allan Linneberg
- Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark; (A.L.); (L.T.M.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Line Tang Møllehave
- Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark; (A.L.); (L.T.M.)
| | - Tue Christensen
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (J.O.N.); (S.E.P.); (M.O.); (T.C.); (G.R.-H.)
| | - Gitte Ravn-Haren
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (J.O.N.); (S.E.P.); (M.O.); (T.C.); (G.R.-H.)
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Strategies to mitigate food safety risk while minimizing environmental impacts in the era of climate change. Trends Food Sci Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2022.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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11
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A vision on the ‘foodture’ role of dietary exposure sciences in the interplay between food safety and nutrition. Trends Food Sci Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2022.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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12
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Boehm E, Borzekowski D, Ververis E, Lohmann M, Böl GF. Communicating Food Risk-Benefit Assessments: Edible Insects as Red Meat Replacers. Front Nutr 2022; 8:749696. [PMID: 34977112 PMCID: PMC8716732 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.749696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Risk-benefit Assessment (RBA) is an emerging methodology in the area of Food and Nutrition that offers a simultaneous evaluation of both risks and benefits linked to dietary choices. Communication of such research to consumers may present a challenge due to the dual nature of RBA. We present a case study of a communication strategy developed for the NovRBA-project. The NovRBA-project (Novel foods as red meat replacers—an insight using Risk Benefit Assessment methods) performed a risk-benefit assessment to evaluate the overall health impact of substituting red meat (beef) by a novel food (house cricket), considering the microbial, toxicological and nutritional characteristics of the respective dietary choices. A literature review of risk perceptions and acceptance of beef and insects as food formed the basis of the communication strategy for the study's results, drawing on environmental and emotional as well as health-related motivations to consume or avoid either food and considering the sociodemographic characteristics of likely consumers. Challenges and future directions for consumer protection organizations communicating findings of risk-benefit analyses on food safety are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Boehm
- Department Risk Communication, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dan Borzekowski
- Department Risk Communication, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ermolaos Ververis
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, Italy.,School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Athens, Greece
| | - Mark Lohmann
- Department Risk Communication, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gaby-Fleur Böl
- Department Risk Communication, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany
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Grieger KD, Merck AW, Cuchiara M, Binder AR, Kokotovich A, Cummings CL, Kuzma J. Responsible innovation of nano-agrifoods: Insights and views from U.S. stakeholders. NANOIMPACT 2021; 24:100365. [PMID: 35559824 DOI: 10.1016/j.impact.2021.100365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
To date, there has been little published work that has elicited diverse stakeholder views of nano-agrifoods and of how nano-agrifoods align with the goals of responsible innovation. This paper aims to fill this research gap by investigating views of nano-agrifoods, how well their development adheres to principles of responsible innovation, and potential challenges for achieving responsible nano-agrifood innovation. Using an online engagement platform, we find that U.S. stakeholder views of responsible innovation were dominated by environmental, health, and safety (EHS) contexts, considerations of societal impacts, opportunities for stakeholder engagement, and responding to societal needs. These views overlap with scholarly definitions of responsible innovation, albeit stakeholders were more focused on impacts of products, while the field of responsible innovation strives for more "upstream" considerations of the process of innovation. We also find that views of nano-agrifoods differed across applications with dietary supplements and improved whitening of infant formula viewed least favorably, and environmental health or food safety applications viewed most favorably. These findings align with the larger body of literature, whereby stakeholders are expected to be more supportive of nanotechnology used in agricultural applications compared to directly within food and food supplements. Overall, participants indicated they held relatively neutral views on research and innovation for nano-agrifoods being conducted responsibly, and they identified key challenges to ensuring their responsible innovation that were related to uncertainties in EHS studies, the need for public understanding and acceptance, and adequate regulation. In light of these results, we recommend future research efforts on EHS impacts and risk-benefit frameworks for nano-agrifoods, better understanding stakeholder views on what constitutes effective regulation, and addressing challenges with effective regulation and responsible innovation practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khara D Grieger
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, USA; Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, USA.
| | - Ashton W Merck
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, USA; Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, USA
| | - Maude Cuchiara
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, USA
| | - Andrew R Binder
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, USA; Department of Communication, North Carolina State University, USA
| | - Adam Kokotovich
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, USA; Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, USA
| | - Christopher L Cummings
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, USA; Gene Edited Foods Program, Iowa State University, USA
| | - Jennifer Kuzma
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, USA; School of Public and International Affairs, North Carolina State University, USA
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