Food, Food Substitutes and Food Supplements

Abstract

<p>Distinguishing between food, food substitutes and supplements is common in everyday<br />life and academic work. The aim of this paper is to analyze this distinction.<br />The question is approached from the point of view of functions. The hypothesis<br />reads as follows: “Food has several nutritional, culinary, social, cultural, aesthetic<br />and other functions. These functions are necessary and sufficient for something to<br />be food. Food substitutes and supplements, serve some, but not many, functions of<br />food. Thus, food substitutes and supplements are not food”. The contemplations<br />of the paper speak against accepting the hypothesis. This negative view is reached<br />by defining the central terms, discussing the differences between eating and swallowing,<br />analyzing the different meanings of the term ‘edible’ and a throughout analysis<br />of functions of food, substitutes and supplements. As a part of the discussion<br />an idea of origin based functions is developed. If the hypothesis is false (as argued),<br />then the distinction between food and other edible entities must be based on something<br />else than differences in functions. Alternatively the distinction may lack metaphysical<br />justification. The view following this latter alternative is developed for<br />the purpose of further studies.<br /></p>