V Parry Times 21st October 2006
“Food fight on a tiny scale”
Article prepared in advance of a major conference on the use of nanotechnology in the food industry.
Reported developments include:
o Nano filters for removing viruses and bacteria from liquid foods such as milk.
o Nano sensors to indicate the condition of food
o Nano labelling to ensure traceability
o Nano coatings to reduce the effect of ultra violet spoilage
o Nano particle containers to enhance vitamin content.
o Nano emulsifiers to increase the miscibility between oil and water; reduces fat content.
Comment
Developers have not yet been making the results of toxicological research available in the scientific literature.
For packaging the key issue is migration into food.
For direct inclusion, the issues are redistribution in the host, biodegradability, toxicity to specific tissues, accumulation, synergy with other agents etc.