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plants and animals, pesticide application and the detection of their residues in food, etc.) could be taken into account. Such improvements in unprocessed agricultural products are particularly appropriate for bulk production (standard­ized quality products) (Box 6-5).
     The overall objective of processing is to be able to design and produce food that meets a large set of criteria (safety,

Box 6-5. AKST options to improve the quality of unprocessed plant and animal products

AKST focused on the following issues could facilitate improv­ing the quality of unprocessed agricultural commodities: In the plant domain:
•   Understanding plant metabolism and developing plants containing higher levels of important macro- and mi-cronutrients (essential fatty acids, oils, vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, fibers, etc.) and reduced allergen levels;
•   Developing the taste and quality of products, particu­larly fruits and vegetables, while improving the post harvest quality and storage capacity; and
•   Selecting plants with low input requirements to reduce the risk of residues in plant-derived food, particularly pesticide residues, nitrates and other potentially toxic elements.

In the animal domain:
•   Understanding the functioning of the rumen ecosys­tem to underpin the development of improved animal nutrition strategies and technologies for the production of healthy milk and meat;
•   Improving the nutritional value and human health fea­tures (e.g., the fatty acid composition of meat and milk, the nutritional quality of eggs) as well as sensory quali­ties such as tenderness, flavor, visual appeal, and pro­cessing characteristics;
•   Improving livestock resistance to spreading zoonotic diseases, for example through improved immune sys­tem function, to improve food safety; and
•   Selecting animals that are more robust and able to adapt  easily to the  production  environment  (e.g., feeding system, climate, housing/grazing system), to reduce the need for medicines and thus the risk of resi­dues in animal-derived food.

In both plant and animal domains:
•   The influence of genetic factors, production methods and contamination by mycotoxins and pathogenic mi­croorganisms on the variability of raw materials and on human nutrition; and
•   The development and expansion of technologies that preserve foodstuffs germ-free without refrigeration, such as novel packaging technologies, irradiation, etc.

 

nutrition) and is accepted by consumers (Bruin et al., 2003). The "Preference, Acceptance, Need" set of expected proper­ties (PAN) is an important objective and tailor made food is one example that corresponds to these properties (Windhab, 2006). In addition to processing control, the conservation of properties on the shelf life appears to be of much impor­tance too. This includes packaging. An important goal is to control the processes in order to simultaneously reach all the objectives: food quality and energy and environmental considerations (Dochain et al., 2005). Finally, even if the control of specific properties (nutrition mainly) is of great importance, the ability to control food safety and hygiene appears to be equally essential (Napper, 2006).

Develop quality specific products distinguished by their place of origin

Options for research on these products could include:
•     Study the attributes of quality (Allaire, 2002);
•     Develop processes for the qualification of food prod­ucts according to their origin, methods of production or marketing (Bérard and Marchenay, 2004, 2007); and
•     Encourage the normalization of local knowledge and practices (Bérard and Marchenay, 2006).

Reinforce traceability: from raw materials to marketed products

Spurred on by recent food scares around the world, some governments are forcing the adoption of food traceability systems. The ability to trace products and their components throughout the food chain is becoming more important in markets for safety and quality assurance.
     Methodological  and technological  developments  re­quired for efficient traceability in standardized production could include among others:
•     Development of new generation of analytical meth­ods  based  on  micro  and  nanotechnology  solutions that comply with the requirements for ubiquity, fast response, low cost, simple use, etc. (European Com­mission, Framework Program VI Information society technology 2005-2006: Good Food project);
•     Development of microsystems technology solutions for the rapid detection of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins by natural bioreceptors, artificial receptors and nano-electrode devices;
•     Development and characterization of different sensors, based on innovative DNA sensing technologies for direct and real time measurement of target DNA sequences of pathogens present in the food matrix. (European Com­mission, Framework Program VI Information society technology 2005-2006: Good Food project); and
•     Promotion of innovations in DNA fingerprinting, nano­technology for miniature machines and retinal imaging and their increased integration into plant and livestock industries for improving the speed and precision of traceability (Opara, 2003).

6.2.5.2 Develop diversified, fair and equitable food and fiber supply chains
Many NAE food supply chains operate at the cutting edge of marketing  technologies   and   have   reaped   increasing profits and market-share. Trends in agricultural and food