This book explores how Generation Z (born 1995-2010) is influencing and reshaping food systems based on health, sustainability and innovation. It uses original interviews with Gen Z representatives from Australia and beyond to examine their concerns about the environmental and health costs of food, industry practices and the need for transparency. Attitudes toward novel proteins, plant-based diets, cultured meat and seafood, insects, fungi and algae, precision fermentation, AI and other emerging technologies, and Gen Z's role in the global protein transition to 2050 are highlighted.
Going beyond nutrition, it unpacks Gen Z's ethical, emotional and identity-based connections to food. Designed for researchers, educators, policymakers and industry leaders, the book offers actionable insights on engaging Gen Z as consumers, cultural innovators and sustainability advocates, and considers the legacy they may leave for the future of food.
Contents:
- Gen Z: The Generation Shaping Food's Future
- What Matters to Gen Z: Values, Societal Concerns and the Planet
- The Food Style of Today and Tomorrow: Gen Z's Food Preferences
- The Plant-Based Revolution: Gen Z and the Rise of Green Eating
- Cultured Meat and Seafood: A Brave New World for Gen Z
- Bug Bites: Gen Z and the Potential of Insects as Food
- Fungi, Algae and the Future of Food
- Beyond Dairy: Gen Z and Alternative Milks
- Precision Fermentation: The Science Behind Gen Z's Food Choices
- Personalised Nutrition: Gen Z's Search for Tailored Wellness
- Transparency is Key: Gen Z and Food Safety Standards
- The Cutting Edge: AI, AlphaFold and New Food Technology
- Packaging and the Planet: Sustainability Beyond the Plate
- Gen Z's Sober Curiosity Beyond Nutrition
- Redefining the Future: Gen Z and the Food Landscape of 2050
- Passing the Plate: How Generation Alpha Could Adapt and Learn from Gen Z's Food Trends
- Conclusion: The Legacy of Gen Z Shaping the Future
Readership: Academics, food science scientists, researchers and students, social scientists in the area of nutrition and behaviour change, sustainability professionals and researchers, generational researchers, food science specialists and technologists, representatives of food industries, national and international food safety specialists, authorities involved in setting up food safety standards.