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Modern food biotechnology: overview of key issues

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Genetic Modification in the Food Industry

Abstract

Apart from occasional outbreaks of bacterial contamination, the consumption of food in the developed world is generally associated with relatively little risk to the health of the population. In recent decades, the focus of attention in industrialized societies has been on improving food quality, particularly as it relates to sensory and nutritional properties. The reduction of post-harvest deterioration of food materials, particularly fruit and vegetables, which can lead to massive economic losses, has constituted another important preoccupation of food providers in the industrialized world. Recent developments in recombinant DNA technology offer the opportunity not only of better controlling existing food processes, but also of developing entirely new approaches to quality control and food product development. The potential of this new technology to benefit the food processing industry and to improve food quality (e.g. appearance, texture, flavour, shelf-life, ease of processing and nutritive value) is enormous and its true economic impact has yet to be realized.

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Roller, S., Harlander, S. (1998). Modern food biotechnology: overview of key issues. In: Roller, S., Harlander, S. (eds) Genetic Modification in the Food Industry. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5815-6_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5815-6_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7665-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-5815-6

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