Prof. Anna Gramza-Michałowska, Ph.D., MBA, heads the Department of Gastronomy Science and Functional Foods at the Poznań University of Life Sciences. She is an expert in food science and food technology, with extensive experience in the sustainable development of food products, functional foods, and innovation in the food industry. Her research focuses on combining scientific knowledge with practical applications in the food industry, including new ingredients, processing technologies, and consumer oriented product design. She has supervised numerous interdisciplinary projects and has a strong track record in translating scientific results into food solutions tailored to market needs. She has authored over 300 scientific articles in the fields of food production technology, food chemistry, nutrition, and agriculture, holds 22 patents related to functional food technology, and has been ranked among the world’s top 2% most influential scientists (Stanford University and Elsevier). Her research and international collaborations have taken her to Berkeley (USA), British Columbia (Canada), and the Institute for World Health Development (Japan)
Summary
Rethinking food for tomorrow: health, technology and resilience in a changing world
Innovation in the food industry is rapidly evolving, driven by technology and lifestyle changes, as longer lifespans, reduced physical activity, and shifting nutritional needs reshape future food expectations. At the same time, artificial intelligence, fermentation, advanced bioprocesses, and new processing technologies offer possibilities that were unavailable to food industry just ten years ago.
Consumers have higher expectations for individual products. Nutritional density, high-quality protein, fiber, and specific health benefits must increasingly go hand in hand with good taste, convenience, affordability, and environmental responsibility. This presents an interesting challenge. We want food to be more versatile, but at the same time, we prefer products that are perceived as natural and less processed. Perhaps, then, the question should not be solely whether a product is processed, but what processing actually adds to the product.
During the lecture, we will discuss how aspects such as nutritional value, functionality, processing, the circular economy, and consumer expectations can be taken into account together when developing the food of the future. As examples, we will highlight the use of byproducts as valuable ingredients, functional formulations, and processing methods that can improve safety, shelf life, and resource efficiency. We will also consider the connection between these changes and the ongoing debate about highly processed foods.
However, there is another dimension to future innovations in the food sector: resilience. We increasingly recognize the need to maintain food quality, safety, and availability during supply chain disruptions. This opens up an interesting prospect for dual-purpose food products suitable for everyday consumption but also useful in crisis situations. The food of the future will therefore need to strike a balance between health, technology, and sustainability, while remaining appealing to consumers and sufficiently resilient to global changes.