A little hard to swallow? The use of nanotechnology in the food industry might be both boon and bane to human health.

Abstract

Eating a ‘grey goo’ of nanoparticles may seem unpalatable, but the food industry believes that nanotechnology could deliver commercial benefits for the processing and preservation of food (Fig 1). However, as with all new technologies, the question arises as to whether ingesting such particles—some of which are being used to kill microorganisms in food—might also have potential negative effects on human health. Because of major food‐producers' increasing interest in nanotechnology, the question is becoming relevant to researchers as well as regulators. Figure 1. Potential benefits of using nanotechnology in the food industry > … the food industry believes that nanotechnology could deliver commercial benefits for the processing and preservation of food Nanotechnology involves the use of extremely small particles that range from a few nanometres in size—roughly half the diameter of a DNA strand—to 100s of nanometres—about the size of cell organelles and viruses. Nanoparticles per se are not man‐made, as they occur naturally in various forms such as oceanic spray and fine sand. Human‐engineered particles have been around for years in cosmetics, sunscreens and cleaning products. Now, however, the food industry wants to use nanotechnology to extend the freshness of products, detect spoilage and inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Given this, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a non‐regulatory ‘guidance’ asserting the critical need to better understand the reactivity of engineered nanoparticles. The agency is specifically concerned about the ‘deliberate manipulation and control of particle size’ as such materials might have an impact on public health and safety (http://www.fda.gov/regulatoryinformation/guidances/ucm257698.htm). Many critics of the food industry's use of nanotechnology think the guidance document is not sufficient and that the US government should take regulatory action. Among them is J. Clarence Davies, who chaired the US National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Decision Making for Regulating Chemicals in the Environment and who was involved in creating the US …