From detrimental to beneficial constituents in foods: tracking the publication trends in JAFC

Abstract

A large part of the research focus on food constituents in the 20th century was toward health-detrimental contaminants-pathogens, toxins, chemical residues, and some food additives. This is reflected in the publications in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and other journals. This era witnessed the formation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the rise and fall of DDT and other synthetic chemicals, as well as a number of artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and coloring/flavoring agents that attracted consumer and government attention. During the past 25 years or so, the emphasis in food chemistry and biochemistry has trended more toward health-beneficial chemicals in foods, as their examination yields information on naturally occurring components-polyphenolic antioxidants, unsaturated fatty acids, soluble fibers, and many other classes of constituents that may ward off chronic diseases. This perspective addresses the changes in emphases in published research to the present and trends that indicate the directions that food chemistry/biochemistry and related sciences might follow in the future.