In Japan, as a super-aging society, the so-called functional foods have being attracting a special attention toward realization of construction a well-being society that aims to extend healthy life expectancy and a value-added quality of life.

　About 30 years ago, the functional food that Japan introduced was widely accepted internationally, contributing to the revolutionary development of "food and health" science and industry. In recent years, in addition to metabolic syndrome (lifestyle-related disease), stress relief, brain function activation such as memory and cognition, physical movement (locomotion) improvement function such as anti-sarcopenia, prevention of frailty due to aging are considered to be next-generation functional foods for human well-being.

　Although there are no subjective symptoms as yet, if it is possible to accurately grasp the pre-disease state as s a sign of abnormal physical condition, that would contribute to the maintenance and improvement of our health. Against this background, there is a high level of interest in the "pre-symptomatic disease marker" from industry, government, and academia, and the JSPS R021 "Food and pre-symptomatic marker" (until 2025) committee thus started in 2020.

　In 2015, the United Nations proposed SDSs (17 goals) as a sustainable social issue. Among them, there are nine issues related to agriculture and food. Above all, the WHO has considered the advocacy of "Issue 3: Good Health and Well-Being for All" to be the foundation of a well-being society. In particular, global issues such as food supply and demand, the impact of agriculture on the global system, food loss, food security, and food tech have been confronted. It is no exaggeration to say that the situation must be truly a "food revolution".

　This article introduces "trends in food issues around the world" and discusses the "future vision of functional food science" that aims to contribute to building a well-being society at a global level.

　Food functions are categorized into primary functions as nutrients, secondary functions to enjoy food through taste and flavor, and tertiary functions to maintain health. Food functionality is widely recognized by general consumers. In recent years, the metabolism-improving effects of many food-derived ingredients have become clear, and their mechanisms have been vigorously analyzed.

　The author has been conducting exploratory research using an evaluation system to identify food ingredients with anti-metabolic syndrome effects. The evaluation system is an experimental system constructed for easy screening of active ingredients. In this article, we will describe the evaluation system using a reporter assay with luciferase genes for FAS-Luc and LDLR-Luc. Using these evaluation systems, we found that xanthohumol and isoxanthohumol in hops and isothiocyanates, pungent components of cruciferous plants, inhibit SREBP activity, and that piperine, a pungent component of black pepper, and kaempferol, widely found in tea and many vegetables, increase LDLR expression and activity through enhancement of LDLR gene expression.

　Foods with Health Claims (FHC), which are defined according to food labeling standards specified by the Food Labeling Act, comprise three categories: Foods for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU), Foods with Function Claims (FFC), and Foods with Nutrient Function Claims (FNFC) currently. FHC is labeled with their food functions in accordance with the safety and efficacy standards established by the government. Unlike pharmaceuticals, FHC are intended to contribute to the maintenance and promotion of health, not to treat or prevent disease. FOSHU, which are labeled as being suitable for specific health uses, require approval from the Commissioner of the Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) according to the Health Promotion Act. FFC, which are labeled as being able to be expected for specific health purpose at the responsibility of the manufacturer, require to submit scientific documentation regarding their safety and function to CAA at least 60 days before sale according to food labeling standards. FNFC are a category of standardized foods by food labeling standards that can carry nutrient function claims such as Vitamin without submission of any notification to CAA. Through the public awareness activities of FHC, consumers themselves can appropriately select foods with evidence, improve their eating habits, and strive for primary prevention by establishing exercise habits, thereby it is expected that extending the healthy life expectancy of the people.

　We examined the cleaning and sterilization of cutting boards as well as the state of secondary and tertiary contamination on sponges and plates using ATP+ADP+AMP swab test method (A3 test) and stamp culture test.

　Three types of cutting boards were used: polyethylene, polypropylene, and wood. For each type, 3 boards were used, for a total of 9 boards. 50 g of chicken tenders were shredded on a 10 cm x 10 cm area of each cutting board, which was measured. A3 test showed significantly higher figures on the wooden cutting boards used sponges and dishes compared to the other boards used it. The stamp culture test found that wooden cutting boards alone were very lightly contaminated after washing.

　Wooden cutting boards were found to retain food residue more easily than other boards, which may lead to secondary contamination and tertiary contamination of sponges and plates. The use of wooden cutting boards was not found to be safe and was considered unsuitable especially for high-volume cooking, as their use may complicate business operations.

　We analyzed the meals of university students living alone during the period of coronavirus self-curfew and the period of easing of the self-curfew, in terms of cooking and dietary balance. Of the 20 participants, 18 who cooked at least once during the period of self-curfew and after the easing of the self-curfew were included in the analysis. The dietary balance of the subjects was as follows: fish and meat dishes and snacks, confection and beverages met the recommended amounts, while grain dishes, vegetable dishes, milk, and fruits did not. When they refrained from going out, they cooked an average of 1.5 meals per day, but this number decreased to 0.9 meals per day when the self-curfew was relaxed. The most frequently used cooking operation was "cutting". The group with a higher than average compliance score to the Dietary Balance Guide had a higher breakfast consumption rate and perceived health status than the group with a lower score, and the number of cooked meals and the number of "cutting" operations were higher than those of the group with a lower score. There was a positive correlation between "cutting" and vegetable dishes, suggesting that improving the skill of "cutting" and providing support to promote its practice during normal times may help improve the dietary balance of university students living alone in emergencies.