Conventional food

Micro-organisms are rich in protein. Microbial cells can contain as much protein as conventional foods. Bacteria can contain 60-65% (as a % of dry weight) protein whereas fungi and algae contain about 40%. In addition, microbial cells can be a rich source of fibre, unsaturated fats, minerals and vitamins. They are low in saturated fats and sodium. 

What are they like to eat Humans are particular about the organoleptic properties of their food. Microbial cells may have little taste or smell, or even smell or taste unpleasantly to some people. The texture may not be the same as in conventional foods, particularly with unicellular organisms. These draw-backs can be overcome by adding a proportion of SCP to manufactured foods. However, even when SCP is incorporated into manufactured foods it may not have suitable characteristics such as stability, ability to bind water or fats, or ability to form gels, emulsions or foams. SCP for feed does not have to meet such strict requirements. 

Table 4.5 The nutritional quality of Quorn and some conventional foods...

CAM is unlikely to be useful for any of the conventional food crops. Nevertheless, further study of those plants in which CAM is inducible could prove useful since isolation of, for example, the PEP carboxylase gene will permit the isolation of its controlling sequences. This will provide us with another set of stress-specific (drought) promoters and enhancers. Furthermore the PEP carboxylase gene has proved amenable to cloning via the cDNA route (Harpster Taylor, 1986). 

The products should always be of high quality. This is even more important with organic than with conventional food the organic apple has been derided as the one with the caterpillar for too long. If the produce is found to be substandard by the consumer, he or she may come back for a replacement once, but not twice. 

However, quantitative surveys comparing the incidences of foodbome diseases and/or mycotoxin related illnesses between consumers of organic and conventional food are currently not available. This makes it difficult to compare the relative risks associated with different organic and conventional production systems. 

Finamore A, Britti MS, Roselli M, Bellovino D, Gaetani S and Mengheri E (2004) Novel approach for food safety evaluation. Results of a pilot experiment to evaluate organic and conventional foods . Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 52, 7425-7431. 

The Action Plan notes, for example, that in Sweden farmers are encouraged to produce organic for its public good attributes even though they sell into a conventional food chain. The private benefits are reaped by consumers who have organic foods available to them, but private benefits should be subject to market rules. Given that any organic product embodies both these benefits, analysis of the market becomes very complex indeed. 

Denmark Motives reflect a lifestyle choice environmental protection Own health Support of, and contribution to, a better world Poor quality, no perceptible difference between organic and conventional food... 

The paradox generated by these findings is further illustrated by a comparative study of Denmark and Britain, a country with the fastest growth of organic food consumption in Europe (Weir et al., 2005). Demand in both markets is shown to be sustained primarily by the private good attributes, that is health and safety, of organic foods. However, in both countries, much of the organic food is produced and handled in concentrated and industrialised sectors characteristic of the conventional food systems that consumers are... 

Dietary exposure to pesticides from organic and conventional food production systems... 

All 23 children had OP insecticide metabolites in their urine in phase one testing, while levels were below the limit of detection during phase two, following the consumption of mostly organic food for just five days. Once the children were back on their normal, conventional food in phase three, the levels of insecticide metabolites in urine returned to those found in phase one. 

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