This paper wants to shed light on some aspects of the food system which are particularly relevant for the understanding of the consequences of the globalization process. This task is carried out in reference to both the intensification of accumulation in the sphere of preparation and consumption of food in developed countries, and the destruction of local diets and of local social systems in less developed countries. It is argued that these consequences are better understood from the point of view of the social and symbolic relevance of food consumption. This approach advocates the integration at the analytic level of the different segments of the food system: production, distribution, preparation and consumption. The analysis of the social and symbolic significance of food consumption (how we eat and why we eat what we eat) may also create the premises for a revision of the "food security" concept articulated in national and international food aid policies.