# How Hydrogen (H\({}_{2}\)) Can Support Food Security: From Farm to Fork  
[PERSON]  
1 School of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 IQY, UK 1  
[PERSON]  
2 Water Fuel Engineering, Church Street, Wakefield WFI 5 QY, UK; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
[PERSON]  
1 School of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 IQY, UK 1  
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Oxidative stress and subsequent cellular and tissue damage can be caused by numerous factors, including environmental challenges (e.g., drought, pollution, increased soil salinity), human intervention (e.g., fertilisers, insecticides, paraquat) and natural senescence (e.g., cellular deterioration, microbial spoilage). These factors can affect the growth, yield and nutritional content of food [8]. Furthermore, oxidative damage can lead to the rapid deterioration of food quality, resulting in lipid oxidation, discolouration and alterations to both the nutritional profile and flavour of foods [8]. Lipid oxidation, in particular, is a primary consideration for the meat, fish and dairy industries as it affects the sensory attributes and shelf-life of produce [9].  
Antioxidants neutralise reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species (ROS/RNS, respectively), which can cause oxidative stress and damage to cells and tissues and disrupt essential functional physiological processes, including energy metabolism and the biosynthesis of proteins and peptides [10]. As an antioxidant, H\({}_{2}\) is demonstrated to quench cytotoxic free radicals, enhance endogenous antioxidant capacity and modulate both inflammatory responses (in animals) [11; 12] and stress responses (in animals and in plants) [11; 13]. Oxidation of biomolecules can also be inhibited with the post-harvest treatment of plant products (e.g., exposure to H\({}_{2}\) gas or treatment with hydrogen-rich water (HRW)). Additionally, exposing dairy products such as butter to H\({}_{2}\) during processing is shown to prevent biogenic amine formation due to microbial spoilage, a phenomenon attributed to the reducing effect of H\({}_{2}\)[14]. The ability of H\({}_{2}\) to traverse biological boundaries is likely to be highly influential, affecting fundamental organelle biochemistry as well as cytosolic reactions, a possible explanation as to why the application of H\({}_{2}\) has been demonstrated to have positive effects in numerous disease models in both plants and animals.  
When growing plants or rearing animals, H\({}_{2}\) can be used as an additive to water in the form of HRW or hydrogen-rich nanobubble water (HNW), or as a food or soil supplement in the form of hydrogen-forming magnesium (Mg) or calcium (Ca) powders. Additionally, HRW, HNW and H\({}_{2}\) gas can also be used as a topical preparation on fruits and foliage (Figure 1).  
As a gas, H\({}_{2}\) can be used during the dehydration processes of fruits and pulses, for example, and as hydrogen-infused packaging films in modified packaging atmospheres (Figure 1). Such processes are likely to reduce the oxidation of produce and prolong the shelf-life of foods [10]. Furthermore, foodborne pathogens also pose a significant risk to food security; here, H\({}_{2}\) is documented to inhibit the growth of such bacteria as _Escherichia coli_, _Salmonella Listerosis_ and moulds [15], potentially reducing the risk of spoilage and foodborne illnesses.