Functional Food Fictions by Helge Fischer from germany

The more scientists understand the effects of various ingredients of our food, the higher the likelihood of developing and commercialising specifically tailored foodstuffs that address individual and collective needs and desires. Using thermal, mechanical, chemical or biotechnological processes we will soon be in the position to alter our food to have functionality that goes way beyond the mere provision of nutrients.

Together with students from the Emil-Fischer-Schule (a school for food technologies in Berlin) Berlin-based studio Bold Futures developed seven speculative food products that embody possible developments. These proposals refer to aspects of future scenarios by implicitly asking how a society would need to be structured (economically, culturally, politically) to allow for their very existence. The feasibility – and desirability – of these scenarios is open for debate. To facilitate discussion, the proposals were branded as fictitious products and selected edible mockups were also presented as finger food for attendees of the Technologiestiftung’s annual reception.