ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION As we enter the millennium, it is difficult to buy packaged food that does not display information about energy, fat, protein, salt, or many other food components. Even when the product is unprocessed, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, raw meat or fish, advertising often makes substantial claims about the product’s composition-rich in this or low in that. In earlier times, cheeses were simply cheeses bought on price and flavor, and rump steak was rump steak bought on similar criteria. In recent history several factors have conspired to create an awareness of food composition that pervades all affluent societies. The factors include a major decrease in the cost of food production, reduced physical activity, and medical advances that have increased life spans. A significant outcome in affluent societies has been an increase in obesity and associated diseases, particularly in the United States. As a consequence, the composition of foods has become a national obsession.
