Design in the Food Industry: Culture, Products, Communication

Abstract

How to deal with the delicate relationship between design and food? The title of the special issue of the magazine does not reserve too many surprises with respect to the contents. We are living in a moment in which the term food design, a category with uncertain boundaries and on the definition of which we are still discussing, together with the more general theme of food is absolutely widespread, and sometimes even abused. This general and specialist interest in food/project and the food supply chain emerges from the thrust of growing mass attention around food and at the same time coexists with the proliferation of a series of publications and exhibitions on the subject, nourished today more than never from the direct relationship with the theme of Expo 2015. Going a little against the tide, we decided to adopt the terms "food" and "nutrition" in place of the more high-sounding food design, often characterized by a certain indefiniteness, at least as regards the heterogeneity of the sectors and professionals involved in this sector. We have thus aligned ourselves with the choice of some designers dedicated to the study of food culture, preparation processes and forms of food intake, who today prefer to define themselves as eating designers.