Food problems, coping with

Let us put aside for a moment the food problem, and let us assume that the descendants of the first cells had to cope with a transformation of the ancient potassium seas into sodium-dominated oceans. In this case the threat was represented by the osmotic effects of sodium, and cells could counterbalance it in two ways either by developing a rigid external wall that prevented the cell membrane from swelling, or by building an internal net that could bind the plasma membrane from within. Each solution, however, could be realised only under certain conditions. 

Detoxification of dietary alleochemicals, which can be achieved by symbiotic bacteria or protozoa living in the rumen or intestines, or by liver enzymes which are specialized for the chemical modification of xenobiot-ics. This evolutionary trait is very helpful for Homo sapiens, since it endowed us with a means to cope with our man-made chemicals which pollute the environment. Carnivorous animals, such as cats, are known to be much more sensitive toward plant poisons (505). It was suggested that these animals, which do not face the problem of toxic food normally, are thus not adapted to the handling of allelochemicals. 

How will such changes affect world issues, and how can they be coped with The world s food system is already stressed, more by disparity of income and increase in human numbers than by adverse climate. The major implication of the above sketch is that some countries may gain from the impending changes, but many will lose. Fundamental strategic issues will arise. Africa, already facing intolerable losses of productivity from protracted drought, is unlikely to be rescued from the decline in food supply experienced in the past two decades. South America — especially northeastern Brazil — faces some of the same problems. 

The character of AR/TS is changing. Materials, equipment and applications are all increasingly sophisticated. There is more need for expert personnel, yet flexibility and breadth of outlook are required to cope with new situations. How does one predict the weatherability of plastics when twenty years service is the objective The organizers of a 1967 symposium on the subject felt obliged to conclude that after a century the problem is still far from a satisfactory solution (9). How does one predict with reliability the hazard to a large population of a new food additive or soap bacteriostat over a long period of time How does one deal with subjective properties of chemicals such as taste and flavor The synthetic sweeteners in use today have all been discovered accidentally is this the way to run a chemical business How are reluctant old timers weaned from visual color matching to computers ... 

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN HEALTH AND NUTRITION. The governments of many of the developing countries lack the resources needed to cope with their widespread health and nutritional problems. Hence, it may often be necessary for them to seek help from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture organization (FAO). Also, sometimes assistance... 

SUMMARY. Enrichment is not a panacea—only a tool. All nutrient requirements cannot be ensured with any enrichment program. Rather, to be sure people receive adequate amounts of the 45 to 50 nutrients required for good nutrition, the best advice is sound nutrition education so individuals will choose from a variety of nutritious foods. Moreover, people s eating habits change as do their nutrient intakes hence, relying on enrichment to cope with malnutrition would require constant re-evaluation of enrichment levels. Another problem with enrichment is manipulation for economic benefit. Unscrupulous manufacturers may boast of a product with a much higher content of some... 

The necessary behavioral response to a repellent has received little attention In the literature of repellency. On the surface It seems obvious that the required response Is a cessation of feeding on the protected source. The physiological-psychological mechanism to achieve this result Is less obvious. Most species have developed a behavioral mechanism with which to cope with toxic substances In their food. A brief reading of the vast literature concerning the use of toxicants against rats demonstrates this phenomenon. The major problem In the field use of rat poisons Is that those animals receiving sublethal doses of the toxicant refuse to consume any more of the poisoned food (26). 

Human achvity generates an enormous amount of waste that has for years simply been discharged to the air, water or soil. Unfortunately nature cannot always cope and improper treatment can store up serious problems for future generahons. Landfill site capacity is becoming scarce in many countries with some countries banning landfill completely. Waste disposal has polluted seas and waterways, and caused heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium, to enter the food chain. Uncontrolled or ill-considered waste disposal has killed fish and other aquatic life, and... 

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