Technology is creating new foods and changing our experience of eating. The way our culture and body have nurtured "eating" may offer hints for the future that differ from mass production. We will explore how society and technology can enrich the meaning of "eating" from an interdisciplinary perspective.
About Us
Who we are
A variety of food-related technologies have emerged in modern society, including cultured meat (cell-based food), precision fermentation, and genome-edited foods. New technologies transform our experiences and existing meaning systems and institutions in society. Cultured meat (cell-based food), which has attracted attention in recent years, can produce food from individual cells without killing animals. Will such technology enhance the value of meat? Or will it lose it? The definition of meat, the new supplemental technologies, and systems may also be changed. Interdisciplinary perspectives are necessary to consider the social and technological systems that support a “good eat.” Members with expertise in social psychology, economics, political science, tissue engineering, food science, and stomatology will work together.
What we do
We will clarify the interactions between emerging technologies, society, and the body related to eating, and propose a harmonious approach to good eating. When we examine the food issue focusing on the verb "eat," we can see that physical elements such as chewing and digestion are important. Production elements such as maintaining and processing food are also relevant. Each element has collective knowledge cultivated historically, and new scientific discoveries and technologies continue to emerge. By visualizing the network among technologies related to eating, we will discuss the value of each element from a cross-disciplinary perspective. We will also take cultured meat (cell-based food) as a case and investigate how cultural background influences the development of the technology.
Who we work with
We will work with industry communities, academic societies, and NPOs interested in food technology. We will also work with researchers in the UK and other countries to investigate the cultural background of cultured meat (cell-based food).
