Bioguided Processing: A Paradigm Change in Food Production

Robert E. Ward, University of California - Davis
Heribert J. Watzke, Nestle Research Center
Rafael Jiménez-Flores, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
J. Bruce German, University of California - Davis

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Abstract

The effort to sequence the human genome, and subsequently to make the results publicly available, has created a new paradigm in the biological sciences. Now that we have access to the blueprint of our very structure and those of organisms from viruses to plants to animals, a mechanistic understanding of all the processes involved in our growth and metabolism is possible. Characterization of the genetic differences among us is underway, and should provide the information basis for a new approach to individual health. The challenge to the food industry will be to create product lines that will address individual dietary needs, and facilitate more personalized nutrition.