Substitute foods—a practical alternative?

Abstract

Any practicable alternative food for human use must be highly acceptable to the consumer and must also fulfil man’s nutritional requirements. Substitute foods can consist of two types: synthetic, and reformed or modified. Synthetic proteins are unlikely to be produced by chemical techniques but biochemical techniques are currently being developed which allow the production of protein from inorganic nitrogen sources by the use of single cells. While much of the work is geared to the provision of animal food some are looking directly to human food. The requirements for these are reviewed and problem areas identified. Synthetic fats can be made and the chemical production and biochemical degradation is considered. There is unlikely to be a requirement for synthetic carbohydrates. Reformed or modified food has been of long standing use and recent developments in texturizing soya meal and in spinning vegetable proteins are discussed together with limitations of their use. Suggestions are made as to what might occur during the 1980s based on the opinions expressed by over forty members of the food industry (both scientific and commercial) in the course of a Delphi exercise predicting future trends in the food industry.