29 Consumers and Food Choice: Quality, Nutrition and Genes L.M.M. Tijskens 1, a , I. Ostan 2 , B. Poljšak 3 and M. Simčič 4 1 Horticultural Supply Chains, Wageningen University, The Netherlands 2 Faculty for Maritime Studies and Transportation, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia 3 Faculty of Health Studies, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia 4 Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Keywords: genes, evolution, food quality, health Abstract The quantity and quality of food needed for reproduction differs from nutritional needs for health and longevity. The choice of food type and amount is driven by our genetic need for growth and reproduction, not for long term health. So, fast digestible food, rich in energy is searched for. We humans share that drive with almost all animals. The energy carrying nutrients in processed food are more accessible than in the same unprocessed food. That leads to an ever increasing level of processing, and an ever decreasing consumption of raw fruits/vegetables and home cooked meals. In the past, with alternating conditions of food shortage and food abundance, overeating in times of prosperity was a reproductive advantage. However, high energy food becomes a severe nuisance in the age of permanent food abundance. Obesity and heart diseases spread through the developed world. That behaviour is rooted in our genetic instincts. Cultural based sensorial preferences, induced mostly in childhood by an epigenetic mechanism, present a variation around the instinctive rooted preferences. Food choice based on reflective decisions appears of minor importance. Nevertheless, all government campaigns against over- eating appeal to reason, not to instinct. We are faced with a permanent dichotomy between what is good for reproduction and what is good for health. This occurs not only in what and how we eat, but also in all neighbouring areas on the edges of food science, biology, social science, medicine and ethics. INTRODUCTION Why do people eat what they eat? What is the relationship between food choice, health, nutrition and genes? Production of our food is mainly targeted at producing mass, harvest time is chosen based upon produce properties that are good for transportation and distribution. Retail outlets are considering product quality and health promoting compounds in our food to convince customers to buy the product again. And finally customers search for tasty food, to suite their budget and their preferences with respect to quality and health. Throughout the food supply chain, health, quality and nutrition are present in one way or another. All players within that supply chain have to deal with these issues to stay competitive, to stay commercially viable and to survive. So, for all players in the chain, from breeding, production, harvest, distribution, retail through to consumption, the question “Why do people eat what they eat?” seems rather important. Genetics and genomics are gaining more and more importance. A complete section in this conference is devoted to that. But that only concerns the effects of genes and genomics on the behaviour and properties of products. What about the human consumers of these products? Are they affected by their genes in their daily pattern of eating behaviour? Over years of evolution, we humans largely share our genetic information with the animals around us. There is strong evidence from decades of study on animal and human feeding behaviour, that the urge to consume energy rich food is driven by the urge to proliferate the genes (survive as a species): reproduction of genes is more important than the health of the individual body. And reproduction of genes is an energy consuming process. It is amazing how much young people eat every day. Energy is the basic driver a Pol.tijskens@wur.nl Proc. IS on Postharvest Pacifica 2009 Eds.: E.W. Hewett et al. Acta Hort. 880, ISHS 2010