The future of food was discussed
The relationships between technology, nature, and humans, the legal status of new foods and new food technologies, and the issues of imitation and adulteration threatening food safety were discussed.
The Food Ethics Seminar, organized in collaboration with the Turkish Food Industry Employers' Association (TÜGİS) and the Agriculture and Food Ethics Association (TARGET), was attended by experts from academia and the industry. The seminar addressed the need for increased food production to feed the growing world population and the food technologies expected to meet this demand, along with ethical values. The seminar included sessions titled “New Technologies and Ethics in Food Production,” “New Foods, Alternative Protein Sources, Consumer Preferences, and Ethics,” and “Collaborative Robots as Human Alternatives and Ethical Limits.”
In his opening speech, TÜGİS Chairman Kaan Sidar stated, “Food producers must develop a more conscious and sensitive system regarding issues such as the environment, global warming, health, and animal welfare, and produce accessible, fair, and healthy products for consumers. In this seminar, we have come together with experts from the sector and academia to develop collective solutions with a sense of shared responsibility.”
TARGET Chairman Prof. Dr. Cemal Taluğ emphasized that food ethics is a very new and practical field of ethics, stating, “This concept has only been discussed globally for the past 20-25 years. Technology is a crucial part of our lives, but science and technology should serve as our ethical compass. Science and technology do not always inherently carry good and right values. If we can combine technology and ethics, we can build a bright and fair future.”
"We must build systems that consider our values"
TARGET Founding Member Prof. Dr. Yasemin Yalım, in her framework presentation, referred to the term “techne” from Ancient Greek as the root of the word technology, saying, “Technology always stands against nature, with humans at its center. According to technology, a 'problem' is something that needs solving. However, as humans, we must protect our values and build systems that accompany developing technology and safeguard our values.”
Following the framework presentation, sessions were conducted where Prof. Dr. Yeşim Ekinci, Prof. Dr. Meral Kılıç Akyılmaz, Assoc. Dr. Erdal Yılmaz, Numan Akkuş, Ussal Şahbaz, and Ergün Carus gave their speeches.
"Legal regulations for new foods are needed"
Highlighting the need for increased food production to meet the nutritional needs of the growing global population, Prof. Dr. Yeşim Ekinci from Yeditepe University’s Food Engineering Department said, “Twenty-five percent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from animal and agricultural production, and 70% of water resources are used for food production. As a key to creating a sustainable food system, the whole world is discussing technology and innovation. On one hand, we want to produce good food to feed the entire population, and on the other hand, we want to uphold our ethical values. Today, the task of all stakeholders in the food system is harder than ever to achieve this.”
With the increase in world population and urbanization, the search for new food sources and production has become a necessity due to the diminishing natural resources, stated Prof. Dr. Meral Kılıç Akyılmaz from ITU’s Food Engineering Department. She said, “The first new food, Enova oil, was produced in Japan in 2004. Unlike other vegetable oils that contain triglycerides, Enova oil, made from soybean and canola oil, contains high levels of diglycerides. Another new food, shrimp peptide concentrate, was produced in 2018, and mealworm powder in 2021. Since 2023, cell-based production has been under discussion. The new foods produced must not only have high nutritional value but also sustainability, ease of production, and be healthy foods that consumers can easily access.”
Numan Akkuş, Food Safety Director at Yıldız Holding, in his presentation, addressed the risk factors in food. He emphasized the importance of adhering to regulations in the food industry and highlighted dangers such as contamination by heavy metals and plastics, non-compliance with hygiene rules, pest problems, and allergen management.
