Biotechnological tools have been used in food production for millennia, and a number of food products such as bread, beer, yeast, alcohol, cheese, and fermented meat and fish products have always been produced with the aid of biotechnology. Modern biotechnological developments, including the continual development of new biotechnological methods and tools, have created opportunities to design better primary produce, more predictable and precise processes, new inspection methods, healthier and safer foods, and products that taste better.
The general goal of a biotechnological research strategy for the food area is to analyse the opportunities and barriers that exist in relation to utilising biotechnology in this sector in the future. The strategy identifies important focus areas and initiatives where opportunities exist, within the next 10 years, to produce higher quality and safer food products with greater nutritional value through biotechnology. It is expected that the strategy will provide the necessary framework to allow biotechnology to contribute to the sustainable production of healthy, safe and appetising food products, in a way that is ethically responsible and acceptable to consumers.
3.1 Background
The strategy is based on the expectation that there in the future will be consumer demand for high quality food products, i.e. appetising products that are healthy and free of pathogenic microorganisms and undesirable substances, but which have also been produced in a manner that is acceptable to the consumer. In addition, it is expected that there will be an increasing demand for food products that are quick and easy to prepare, and for health-promoting food products (functional food). Biotechnology is an important tool for designing, developing and producing such food products.
Denmark has been a pioneer in the area of ”classic” biotechnology, for example, in relation to the use of microorganisms and enzymes in food production, and in the area of plant breeding. We have also accumulated significant industrial and research skills in relation to the production of microorganisms, enzymes and additives. We therefore have a strong starting position in terms of expert research environments and a world-class biotechnology-based industry. In order for Denmark to retain a leading position in this field, it is vital that we make substantial and farsighted investments in the area of modern biotechnology.
The general visions for biotechnological research in the food industry are:
3.2 Health-promoting food products
Vision:
Large groups of the population currently suffer from a new form of “malnutrition”; primarily due to too high an energy intake compared to the body’s needs and energy expenditure, and some population groups may lack certain nutrients. This leads to health problems such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Biotechnology can contribute to solving these problems, for example by more research in relation to nutrition, to identify and investigate healthy dietary components that can prevent health problems. The new knowledge acquired from such research activities can be used to develop new, healthier food products, including health-promoting food products, containing higher levels of beneficial substances.
Investigation of the interplay between human genes and diet could also contribute to a better understanding of the significance of specific individual dietary components for health and disease. New biotechnological marker technology will provide completely new opportunities for measuring how the body reacts to different dietary elements. Biotechnological research is also expected to lead to the development of new strains of microorganisms that are beneficial to food production and health, and to microorganisms and plants being used to actually produce health-promoting substances.
Research into the application of biotechnology-based principles for the production of food ingredients, into how the formation of health-promoting substances in primary produce and food items can be promoted, and into what happens to health-promoting substances during the processing of primary produce, may make it possible to develop healthier food products.
3.3 Safe food products
Vision:
Biotechnology can be used to improve the safety of our food products. Using biotechnology, primary produce can be developed that contains fewer harmful substances and fewer pathogenic microorganisms. Today, plant and animal infections are controlled using pesticides and antibiotics. A better understanding of the ecology and physiology of pathogenic microorganisms will permit the use of new, more environmentally and consumer friendly control methods. The utilisation of biotechnological principles will significantly improve analysis of the behaviour of pathogenic organisms and the design of new control methods. Together, these factors will lead to improved food safety.
Beneficial microorganisms and enzymes can be used in new preservation methods, and it will be possible to develop faster and more effective methods to inspect food products for undesirable substances and microorganisms. Biotechnology can be used for the development of plants and animals that are resistant to infections, new and better vaccines, and beneficial strains of bacteria that can control pathogenic microorganisms in live production animals and plants.
The development of resistant plant varieties will also reduce the use of pesticides, and hence the quantity of pesticide residuals and, for example, mycotoxins, in food products.
3.4 Better eating quality
Vision:
The ability to produce the food products which consumers are expected to demand in the future is dependent on more fundamental knowledge about the significant factors for eating quality of food. Biotechnological research into the conversion processes that take place in primary produce and food products, and into the role that an organism’s genes play in eating quality is therefore required, i.e. research into the genetics, biochemistry and physiology of microorganisms, crops and livestock. Once the necessary knowledge has been acquired, it can be used to develop new processes and products in the food production sector. This will lead to improvements to food products such as new taste variations, better flavour preservation, better appearance and consistency, and better health properties.
Biotechnology will also make it possible to replace chemical additives used in food production with biological processes, and to develop new methods to monitor quality progress during food production.
3.5 Sustainable production methods
Vision:
Efficiency improvements to agriculture, fish breeding and food production have led to growing environmental impact and impoverishment. Biotechnology holds great potential for making primary production and preparation processes more sustainable.
The feed utilisation efficiency of livestock and fish can be increased based on research into the significance of feed for the health and welfare of animals, the significance of genetic factors in feed utilisation, and how enzyme food additives can improve feed utilisation in animals. Better feed utilisation would also help reduce the environmental impact from nitrogen and phosphor. The application of biotechnological methods would further more facilitate the development of crops with better feed properties.
Research into the genetics and biochemistry of livestock, fish and crops is required to acquire the necessary knowledge to be used in breeding activities. It will be possible to develop plants with better resistance to disease and insect infestations. This will help reduce the use of pesticides. It will also be possible to breed livestock and fish which are more resistant to infectious and production diseases. One of the benefits of this will be a reduction in the use of antibiotics in agriculture and fish breeding. It will also be important to carry out research into how plants absorb and utilise nutrients in the soil. Knowledge about these factors could lead to increased yields, without a corresponding increase in environmental impact.
The application of biotechnological processes to food production is expected to lead to gentler and less energy-intensive production methods. In addition, the characterisation of genes and genetic variations will generate knowledge that can be utilised to develop crops with better nutritional properties for the third world.
3.6 Diagnostics, inspection and process control
Vision:
With the help of biotechnology it will be possible to develop completely new measurement methods for use throughout the entire food production chain – from primary produce to finished food products. These methods will make measurements of the levels of both desirable substances such as nutrients and beneficial microorganisms, and undesirable substances such as toxins and pathogenic microorganisms possible.
Such methods are vital to the production of healthy, safe, and high quality food products, and research efforts are needed to develop these methods. In addition, new methods need to be developed to distinguish genetically modified materials in food products from materials that do not come from genetically modified plants or animals.
To facilitate better monitoring of pathogenic microorganisms, there is a need for research into the incidence, spread, and pathogenic mechanisms of microorganisms, and their interplay with the organism being infected. With the help of biotechnology, it should be possible to develop much more effective vaccines to control infections, but this also requires more research to gain a better understanding of, for example, how the immune systems of livestock function.
3.7 Expectations and ethical considerations related to the use of biotechnology
Elements of the public are worried about, or have a negative attitude towards, food products produced with the use of biotechnology. These concerns relate to the potential risks associated with the use of biotechnology, particularly in relation to the use of GMOs. For many, the risks are not limited to potential negative health or environmental impacts, but also include social, economic, cultural and moral dimensions. The public debate on biotechnology also focuses on value (what are the benefits of a new technology and for whom), and naturalness (does biotechnology violate the natural order). The public expects increased sustainability and greater consideration for the environment and animal welfare in food production. It seems vital for consumer acceptance that they can see an advantage in using biotechnology in food production.
There is a requirement for research focusing on what it will take for society to feel comfortable with and accept the use of new forms of biotechnology in food production. The ethical issues need to be examined as part of this process. This will lead to a better understanding of the public’s attitudes and clarification of the disagreement that exists between the various players (such as consumers, researchers and the biotechnology industry), and hence to a better understanding of the principles and values upon which the various perceptions and attitudes are based.
This social research is important as it will help identify the socio-economic advantages and disadvantages of biotechnology, including the social and business-related consequences of biotechnological alternatives, and why the perceptions and choices of the public in relation to biotechnology are as they are. Research should also be carried out into how a technological development that to a higher degree involves consumers and citizens should be organised, and how the benefits of new biotechnological products should be weighed up against the risks associated with them.
Finally, there is a need for economic research to investigate the potential impacts of biotechnology and its regulation on the competitiveness of the food sector, employment, structural development in food sector enterprises, price formation, and business incentives for innovation. The interplay between biotechnology and wider food policy, environment policy, and industrial development policy is also central to the consideration of the socio-economic consequences of biotechnology. Research into the legal aspects is also important with respect to legislation and the regulation of food biotechnology, including the economic consequences of such legislation and regulation.
3.8 Focus areas and recommendations
Biotechnological research in the areas of agriculture, fisheries, and food products in Denmark should be stepped up. A number of large multidisciplinary biotechnological research groups should be established with strong leadership, long-term contracts, and more flexible as well as mobile researchers. Each centre should be under an obligation to disseminate information and be engaged in social dialogue and ethical discussion.
These biotechnological research groups should provide a framework for high quality post-graduate and researcher training. Furthermore, Danish biotechnological research and knowledge should be utilised, whenever possible, in developing countries and in connection with development and aid projects.
Suggested focus areas:
If Denmark is to get the most out of biotechnology in the future, and if the competitiveness of Danish enterprises and their leading position in the food sector is to be maintained, it is essential that focused biotechnological research is carried out in areas such as the following: