The search for the best sustainable foods requires accurate and comprehensive functional assessment oriented to health.

Abstract

To meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) (SDGs https://sdgs.un.org/goals ), we need to overcome the concept of merely increasing food availability. A modern food system must include the delivery of healthy and sustainable functional foods, i.e., foods built with minimal environmental impact which delivers enhanced health benefits. These foods must support human physiology by positively influencing food intake regulation, food liking, satiety, digestion, as well as metabolic homeostasis, in the absence of negative environmental outcomes. Yet, their success hinges not only on their nutritional profiles, but also on sensory acceptability and a deep understanding of food-body interactions starting from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and beyond. In this point of view, we add to existing reviews and consensus statements, integration of sensory perception, gastrointestinal physiology, and gut-brain signaling into the design of sustainable functional foods. While previous work has often considered these elements separately, we explicitly connect them within the context of the SDGs, emphasizing that sustainable foods must not only be nutritionally beneficial and environmentally responsible, but also physiologically effective and sensorially acceptable. This multidimensional approach highlights the need for interdisciplinary strategies that go beyond traditional definitions of functional foods and sustainability.