Yau N J Newton
Sinew Consulting Group Ltd., 300 Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC.
Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2009;18(4):546-8.
In addition to product trade, technology trade has become one of the alternatives for globalization action around the world. Although not all technologies employed on the technology trade platform are innovative technologies, the data base of international technology trade still is a good indicator for observing innovative technologies around world. The technology trade data base from Sinew Consulting Group (SCG) Ltd. was employed as an example to lead the discussion on security or safety issues that may be caused by these innovative technologies. More technologies related to processing, functional ingredients and quality control technology of food were found in the data base of international technology trade platform. The review was conducted by categorizing technologies into the following subcategories in terms of safety and security issues: (1) agricultural materials/ingredients, (2) processing/engineering, (3) additives, (4) packaging/logistics, (5) functional ingredients, (6) miscellaneous (include detection technology). The author discusses examples listed for each subcategory, including GMO technology, nanotechnology, Chinese medicine based functional ingredients, as well as several innovative technologies. Currently, generation of innovative technology advance at a greater pace due to cross-area research and development activities. At the same time, more attention needs to be placed on the employment of these innovative technologies.
除了产品贸易，技术贸易已成为全球范围内全球化行动的选择之一。尽管并非所有在技术贸易平台上使用的技术都是创新技术，但国际技术贸易数据库仍是观察全球创新技术的一个良好指标。以新纽咨询集团有限公司的技术贸易数据库为例，来探讨这些创新技术可能引发的安全问题。在国际技术贸易平台的数据库中发现了更多与食品加工、功能成分及质量控制技术相关的技术。根据安全问题将技术分类为以下子类别进行综述：(1) 农用物资/成分，(2) 加工/工程，(3) 添加剂，(4) 包装/物流，(5) 功能成分，(6) 其他（包括检测技术）。作者讨论了每个子类别列出的例子，包括转基因技术、纳米技术、中药功能成分以及一些创新技术。当前，由于跨领域研发活动，创新技术的产生速度更快。与此同时，需要更加关注这些创新技术的应用。
