Table Of ContentGesunde Ernährung
Schriftenreihe der Dr. Rainer Wild-Stiftung
Springer
Berlin
Heidelberg
NewYork
Barcelona
HongKong
London
Milan
Paris
Singapore
Tokyo
1. H. Grimme · S. Dumontet (Eds.)
Food Quality, Nutrition
and Health
5th Heidelberg Nutrition Forum/Proceedings
of the ECBA - Symposium and Workshop,
February 27 - March 1, 1998 in Heidelberg, Germany
, Springer
L.H.Grimme S.Dumontet
ECBA Commissioner for Biotechnology ECBA
University of Bremen Ordine Nazionale dei Biologi
P.O. Box 330 440 Via Icilio 7
28334 Bremen, Germany 00153 Rome, Italy
ISBN -13: 978-3-642-64063-6
Cataloging-in-Publication Data applied for
Die Deutsche Bibliothek -CIP-Einheitsaufnahme
Food quality, nutrition and health : proceedings of the ECBA symposium
and workshop, February 27 -March 1,1998 in Heidelberg, Germany / 5th
Heidelberger Ernährungsforum. L. H. Grimme; S. Dumontet (ed).
Berlin ; Heidelberg; NewYork; Barcelona; Hong Kong; London;
Milan; Paris; Singapore ; Tokyo : Springer, 2000
(Gesunde Ernährung)
ISBN -13: 978-3-642-64063-6 e-ISBN -13: 978-3-642-59639-1
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-59639-1
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is
concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting,
reproduction on microfilms or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or
parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9,1965, in
its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer-Verlag. Violations are
liable for Prosecution under the German Copyright Law.
Springer-Verlag is a company in the specialist publishing group BerteismannSpringer
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2000
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2000
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the
absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations
and free for general use.
product liability: The publisher cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information ab out dosage and
application contained in this book. In every individual case the user must check such information by con
sulting the relevant literature.
Production Editor: Renate Albers, Berlin
Typesetting: Data conversion by Fotosatz-Service Köhler GmbH, Würzburg
Coverdesign: Struve & Partner, Heidelberg
SPIN: 10575544 52/3020 ra -5 4 3 2 1 0
Foreword
Food Quality, Nutrition and Health - these topics are of vital interest for a
foundation dedicated to healthy nutrition. Thus it was only logical to deal with
them in our yearly conference called the "Heidelberg Nutrition Forum".
During the first four years, a growing number of speakers were preoccupied
with subject matters dealing with the relationship between physicians and
nutrition as weH as questions of consumers' scepticism, while new methods for
an educational system concerning nutritional issues were also discussed. As
the forums grew larger, the audience changed. The first forums were events
designed only for experts, but since the 4th Heidelberg Nutrition Forum, we
have deliberately invited scientists and practical experts to the discussions.
The 5th Heidelberg Nutrition Forum "Food Quality, Nutrition and Health"
foHowed this new concept while the ensuing ECBA workshop which we
sponsored stood in the tradition of workshops reserved for specialised aca
demics.
For this forum, we looked for experts of a particular profession as it has been
our original concept right from the beginning. Thus we chose to invite main
ly biologists, mostly because of their increasing importance to healthy nutri
tion issues within the fast developing branch of biotechnology. Biologists also
impart their knowledge about nutrition to many other sectors of society and
industry, for example, agriculture and education. This is why we intended to
give ECBA a discussion platform, taking the opportunity to reconsider our
own attitude towards nutrition by discussing the problems of "Food Quality,
Nutrition and Health" anew. We would like to thank aH of the participants,
especially the editors Prof. Dr. Grimme and Prof. Dr. Dumontet for committing
themselves to our joint venture.
Simple questions constitute the focal points of this book: What does food qual
ity really mean regarding a rapidly changing technological, social and ecolog
ical environment? What kind of effects do biotechnological processes have on
healthy nutrition? What are the opportunities and where are the risks? What is
the biologists' position in this debate that is largely dominated by physicians
and biochemists? Considering the new specialised techniques, are we not sup
posed to find more comprehensive answers to nutritional questions which in
any case should be put forward in a holistic way?
v
It was our major goal to find basic answers to these questions and at the same
time allow different opinions to be expressed. Accordingly this book allows
everyone to shape his own individual opinion. This is why we think that the
book might have a stimulating effect on the general and public discussion
about biotechnology.
This anthology on hand is a joint project. Representing the Dr. Rainer Wild
Stiftung, Dr. Norbert Schröder and Ms. Birgitt Fuchs were involved in the
conceptional work, the initial adaptation and the first check of the essays. The
final editing was done by Ms. Friederike Busse M.A., Dipl. oec. troph. Gesa
Schönberger and Dr. Uwe Spiekermann. We would also like to express our
gratitude to the Springer-Verlag, i.e. Mr. P. Enders, Ms. R.Albers, Ms. B. Benner,
Ms. B. Kollmar-Thoni, and Mr. E. Fulford for the uncomplicated and friendly
teamwork. Last but not least, we want to express our special thanks to the
editors because one could always feel that a new and biological vision of
healthy nutrition was for them an affaire de creur.
Dr. Rainer Wild-Stiftung
December 1999
VI
Preface
In response to dramatic scientific and technological developments in the
agro-food sector and in response to enormous public concern about novel
food products and novel food ingredients of the food industry provoking
Council Regulations at the EEC-Ievel, the European Countries Biologists
Association (ECBA) decided to organise a workshop to define, classify and
reassess the quality of food with regard to human nutritional needs aimed at
health.
This seemed timely because a number of scientific conferences, symposia and
workshops on national, European and world-wide level focussed mainly and
only on food safety, the process of safety evaluation and how to deal with novel
foods, how to guarantee consumer protection and how to win consumers con
fidence.
Most of these sessions of scientific committees, expert panels and working
groups came to the conclusion, that the EU-Novel Food Regulation and its
accompanying guidelines rest on solid scientific foundations and will provide
protection of consumer health in Europe: a uniform legislation in all Member
States of the European Union will contribute to consumer protection and will
help to dismantle trade barriers. Consumers, in any case, are fuHy responsible
persons, they can decide for themselves whether they want or do not want
geneticaHy modified food.
For ECBA, however, pervasive technologies like genetic engineering modifica
tions of plants, animals and micro-organisms, should not be implemented
without prior public consent.
Additionally to possible negative effects, gene modifications of organisms
might have - according to public discussions - diverse consequences:
Allergenic potential;
Undesirable effects from marker genes for antibiotic resistance;
Spread and vertical gene transfer;
Horizontal gene transfer of transgenic DNA to bacteria and fungi;
Formation of new viruses;
Effects on non-target organisms;
Effects on genetic resources.
VII
ECBA is much more concerned with the overall change in the agro-food sec
tor towards standardised primary food production and food processing level
ling out all cultural differences of tradition al agricultural practices. Food pro
duction and food processing aimed at human health is a much broader con
cept than just food safety. Likewise "animal health" is a much broader concept
than "veterinary health" .
Food quality, nutrition and health need and include an agriculture and food
processing that is ecologically compatible, ecologically sustainable and eco
nomically sound.
The 5th Heidelberg Nutrition Forum/ECBA-Symposium on "Food Quality,
Nutrition and Health" was, therefore, designed to get information about the
driving forces of the present food market, the food industry, the food policy,
and the consumer association.
Dr. Claus Conzelmann, Nestle (Lausanne), Dr. Liam Breslin (DGXII, Brussels)
and Ms. Margrit Krüger (Swiss Consumer Forum) gave insights into their
actual policies.
Other speakers were asked to give measures to evaluate food quality and nutri
tion aimed at health: from a historical (Dr. Spiekermann, Heidelberg), an ecolog
ical (Dr. Ammann, Bern), a regulational (Dr. Casadei, Rome), a functional (Dr.
Bornet, Vilvoorde), and a biological perspective (Dr. Grimme, Bremen).
Additionally in the documentation of the Symposium contributions from
Dr. Käferstein and Dr. Jonas (Geneva) and of Dr. Riese (Karlsruhe) were taken
up to widen the safety and regulatory aspects.
The ECBA-Workshop following the Symposium took up the information pre
sented and discussed in three Working Groups:
1. Food Production and Food Processing
2. Food Safety
3. Physiological Food Quality.
Conclusions and recommendations were drawn resulting in a food policy
statement for future work of European Biologists.
Symposium and Workshop were convened in Heidelberg, one of Europe's
"Healthy Cities", generously invited by the Dr. Rainer Wild-Stiftung.
ECBA expresses its gratitude to the Dr. Rainer Wild-Stiftung and its professio
nal staff, especially Dr. Norbert Schröder and Ms. Birgitt Fuchs, for their
extremely helpful, charming, persevering organisation before and during the
events.
Furthermore, ECBA acknowledges the financial help of DGXXIV of CEC in
Brussels, which made it possible to bring expert delegates from most European
Countries to the Workshop in Heidelberg.
L. Horst Grimme
ECBA Commissioner for Biotechnology
VIII
Contents
Part A: Contributions to the 5th Heidelberg
Nutrition Forum/ECBA-Symposium ..... . .. . . 1
Welcome Addresses
Rainer Wild
(Chairman of Dr. Rainer Wild -Stiftung, Heidelberg) 3
Beate Weber (Lady Mayoress of Heidelberg) . . 7
Stefano Dumontet (Chairman of ECBA, Rome) 9
Modern Bio-and Gene Technologies and the Future
of Food Production
Claus Conzelmann . . . . . . . 11
European Agro-Food Research
Liam Breslin . . . . . . . . . . 19
Consumer Demands on Food Quality
Margrit Krüger .. . ....... . 29
Food Quality in aChanging Soda I Environment:
A Historical Perspective
Uwe Spiekermann ............. . 37
Gene Technology, Food and the Environment
Klaus Ammann .............. . 49
Risks,and Chances of Genetic Engineering in Agriculture:
The Impacts of Sdence and the Sdence of Impact Assessment
Jens Riese ................ . ......... 53
Hygienic Aspects of Food Quality
Enrico Casadei . . . . . . . . . .
IX
Genetic Modification and Food Safety:
Views of the World Health Organization
Fritz K. Käferstein . D. A. jonas ..... 93
Health Enhancing Food Ingredients Developed
for the Functional Food Market: A Concerted Strategy
Francis R.j. Bornet ............. . 101
Food Quality and Nutrition Aimed at Health:
A Biological Perspective
L. Horst Grimme 105
Contributors 117
Part B: Report of the Workshop 119
Foreword to the Workshop
L. Horst Grimme· Stefano Dumontet 121
Address
Stefano Dumontet 125
Introduction to the Workshop
L. Horst Grimme . . . . . . . 135
Working Group I: Food Production and Food Processing
Daniel Ramon et al. ................. . 145
Working Group 11: Food Safety
Stefano Dumontet et al. . . . . 153
Working Group 111: Physiological Food Quality
L. Horst Grimme et al.
Synopsis 181
Conclusions and Recommendations
x
