Foodomics: A lever to avoid the Darwinian boomerang of malnutrition and compromised nutritional value in the rapidly emerging green food transition

Abstract

Background

Since the 18th century, the industrial revolution has brought tremendous success in food production, enabling the feeding of more than 8 billion people. However, the success comes with consequences – what we call the Darwinian boomerang of industrialization. The consequences include accelerated global warming, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, water scarcity, overexploitation of natural resources, desertification, eutrophication, loss of biodiversity, and accumulation of alarmingly large amounts of industrial waste including plastics and resilient chemicals. Addressing these challenges and meeting the growing demand for sustainable and nutritious food necessitates a paradigm shift, known as the green food transition, supported by multidisciplinary foodomics research.

Scope and approach

This review discusses key enablers of the rapidly emerging green food transition, including a shift toward plant-based diets, gene editing, smart agriculture, cellular agriculture, gentle food processing, and circular economy models. The role of foodomics within each enabler is highlighted, providing examples of how multidisciplinary foodomics research can prevent a Darwinian boomerang characterized by malnutrition, compromised nutritional quality, emergence of novel foodborne diseases, and increased food intolerances.

Key findings and conclusions

Green food transition initiatives are essential for achieving future food security and environmental sustainability, but nutritional concerns persist. Only a minor fraction of current research integrates foodomics, despite its critical role in ensuring food safety and nutritional adequacy. Most discoveries of unforeseen harmful compounds come from inductive studies on industrial food processing or dietary interventions. Systematic foodomics assessments of emerging sustainable food systems are urgently required to evaluate both short- and long-term human health impacts.