Evolution of the conceptual and categorical apparatus of food safety

Abstract

The article examines the evolution of the conceptual and categorical apparatus of food security, which is an important stage for understanding changes and trends in this area. The issue of food security has always been important throughout human history. At all stages of social development, ensuring adequate levels of food production and distribution has been critical to the survival and prosperity of nations. Research on the definition of food security has been reviewed and systematized and found to have evolved significantly, from an initial focus on food sufficiency to a more comprehensive approach that includes aspects of availability, utilization, and sustainability. In the early stages, the main emphasis was on providing a sufficient number of products to meet the basic needs of the population. In this context, food security was reduced to the availability of food resources at the national or regional level. The main attention was paid to the volume of food production and supply, which met the economic and demographic challenges of the time. Over time, in response to global changes and challenges such as economic crises, climate change, political instability, and growing inequality, approaches to food security have become more complex. In the 1970s, the concept of food security began to include the economic availability of food, which involved taking into account the ability of the population to purchase sufficient food. This expansion of the concept reflected the growing importance of socio-economic aspects in ensuring food security. In the 1980s, the concept of food security was supplemented by the aspect of food use. This included the proper storage, preparation, and consumption of food to ensure optimal nutrition for the population. This meant that food security issues went beyond the simple availability of food and began to encompass food quality and safety. In the early 21st century, a sustainability aspect was added to the concept of food security. It offers its own approaches to defining the concept of “food security” at different levels, which contributes to a deeper understanding of this multifaceted problem and can be useful for the development of effective strategies for ensuring food security in modern conditions.