Why should we eat in the dark? GM, BSE, sewage. What will be put in our food next? How can we know more about what is going on down the food chain. The answer is traceability and this is one of the key messages of The New Foods Guide.

The British public want to know more about the food they are eating. They want greater transparency about where food comes from, where and how it is produced, and who does what to it through the food chain.

With food fights raging across the Channel, the authors of The New Foods Guide are uniquely placed to answer questions on what the Government and the food industry should be doing. The book includes a 10-point manifesto spotlighting what needs to be done to ensure 'future-friendly' food in the 21^st century.

The New Foods Guide probes behind the scenes, looking at what is happening to our food - and what is likely to happen in the near future. It focuses on the three most important elements of the new foods revolution: 'GM' foods, which are rarely out of the headlines; 'Functional' foods, a fast-growing range of products designed to give extra health benefits, and what the authors have termed 'New Organic' foods, increasingly mainstream products where demand is outstripping supply.

Amongst the issues highlighted are why:

• Guaranteeing 'GM-free' is not always easy.
• Organic standards vary.
• The routine use of antibiotics is still widespread.
• Cutting costs results in cutting corners and lower standards.
• 'Natural' does not necessarily mean 'healthy'.
• There is a growing interest in buying local.
• Some imported foods don't meet UK standards.
• GM foods will offer real health benefits.
• The internet may prove to be the answer to greater transparency in the food chain.

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