Newcomer Food Security and Safety

Food is not only an essential of human health but it also is a crucial component of culture. What we eat, how we eat, and when and with whom we eat is shaped by wide range of social and cultural arrangements. To maintain their sustenance, humans enter into complex relations with each other and with nature. Food enters into our lives as nutrient, an important part of our culture, a commodity, and an identity badge. Most human interactions involve producing, preparing, and consuming food. From birth to death, almost all human rituals involve food. Food is an important element that unites family members around the table. It denotes ethnic, regional, and national identity. It helps us to develop friendships and provide hospitality, and serves as a gift. It is an important part of holidays, celebrations, and special occasions. It carries an important role in many religious rituals and taboos. It can be used as a marker of status (Koc, Sumner, and Winson 2012).