Das Projekt "Europaeische Aspekte bei der Ernaehrungs- und Gesundheitsentwicklung: Hin zu einer Oeko-Trophobiose" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Bremen, Fachbereich 2 Biologie,Chemie durchgeführt. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore issues in the field of human nutrition food production and manufacture from a life science point of view and, on the basis of this, to make recommendations concerning European food policy in the broad sense. General information: The information was obtained from scientific and technological literature, by answers to a questionnaire, and by interviews with scientific staff in the food industry. The report gives a short description of the food system in Europe and its main compartments, agriculture, food processing, distribution and consumers and consumption. It summaries the current approaches to the qualitative assessment of food and food systems, including food poilicy, food quality and food ecology. In creating the term 'ecotrophobiosis' man's place in the food web of the biosphere is described and conditions are derived which put human nutrition in an ecological context. It is argued that the current use of the term 'food quality' is based on the molecular concept of a 'chemically defined diet' and that this use is suitable for scientific discussions on the level of organisms and ecosystems the molecular approach to assess food quality is inadequate. Food as one of the basic consitions of life is inseparably interconnected with health according to the world health organisation 'health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity'. Food can only qualify as being healthy if all demand deducible from this definition of health are fulfilled. Food quality, therefore, has to be judged according to its contribution to physical, mental and social well-being.