Workshop Report on Naturally Occurring and Health Compromising Substances in Plant-derived Foods : Do we Have a Problem ?

Tanulmány 14-11-2008

There is a wide variety of readily available food products on the market in the developed world today, which can provide necessary nutrition. The issue that has so far not been much focused upon and on which this study has focused is naturally-occurring substances in food, which may compromise health through, for example, toxic effects, allergenic effects or inhibition of nutrient assimilation. In particular, new knowledge has been accumulated with regard to naturally-occurring and health-compromising substances in plant-derived food. Also, substances that are not added or taken in from environmental pollution, but may be health compromising by their own nature, through, for example, toxic effects, allergenic effects or inhibition of nutrient assimilation. The study explores and debates new developments in basic research: industrial food processing, novel and functional food, and consumer knowledge and behaviour in order to determine whether there are problems which can be identified and which need to be dealt with by the European Union in the years to come.