Food from synthetic cooking has no relationship with the fiction food that is discussed in the movie Soylent green

Opinion article

Food from synthetic cooking has no relationship with the fiction food that is discussed in the movie Soylent green

Hervé This vo Kientza1,2
1. Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR SayFood 0782, 91120 Palaiseau, France
2. Inrae-AgroParisTech International Centre for Molecular and Physical Gastronomy,  Campus Agro Paris-Saclay, 22 place de l’agronomie, 91120, Palaiseau, France.

*Correspondence: herve.this@inrae.fr

Abstract

The concept of “synthetic food”, produced from ingredients that are pure compounds rather than animal or plant tissues, has sometimes been compared to the dystopian food depicted in the film Soylent Green. This analogy is misleading: synthetic food is not derived from the human bodies. Synthetic cooking, and the associated culinary trend called “note by note cuisine”, expand the technical and art possibilities of cooking by enabling precise control over flavor and nutritional content. This article examines the historical roots of resistance to new culinary techniques, to better understand the scepticism surrounding synthetic food. Finally, strategies to improve public acceptance of synthetic cooking - emphasizing transparency, sustainability and education - are proposed.

Keywords
food, synthetic cooking, note by note cuisine, food neophobia, history

Received:
21 September 2025

Accepted : 
15 December 2025

Published: 
6 January 2026.

Section:
This article was published in the “Opinion” section of the International Journal of Molecular and Physical Gastronomy

Citation

This vo Kientza H. 2026. Food from synthetic cooking has no relationship with the fiction food that is discussed in the movie Soylent green, International Journal of Molecular and Physical Gastronomy, 12(1), 1, 1-11. doi: 10.17180/ijmpg-2026-art01.

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