However, much of this evidence is incomplete and underpinning research is required to elucidate the mechanisms involved. The research supported in this area will include studies of macronutrients and micronutrients together with components present in the diet which have no nutritional role but may have beneficial physiological effects. It will also include some studies of how dietary components may interact to give a better understanding of the effects of total diet. Other topics could include the effect of food processing on the structure and availability of nutrients in foods, the role of the gut flora, and understanding the needs of specific groups within the population. Health, innovation and risk Innovation is the outcome of complex inter-action between technological 'push' and market 'pull'.
Perceptions of risk are central to the future of food choice.
A third level is the way perception of risk relates to public understanding, risk communication and scientific advice. An additional factor is the perceived risk that changes in food intake affect personal well being in the long or short term, thus influencing food choice. There is a need to understand the mechanisms by which individual factors influence choice and the interactions between different factors. In sensory terms there is a need to expand the ways in which assessment of taste, smell, texture and appearance can be correlated with objective laboratory measurement systems as a guide to improved product design. The latter will better enable knowledge gained about factors influencing food choice to be integrated into practical methods for the food industry to use.