Determining nanomaterials in food

Abstract

Nanotechnology has emerged as one of the most innovative technologies and has the potential to improve food quality and safety. However, there are a few studies demonstrating that nanomaterials (NMs) are not inherently benign. This review highlights some current applications of NMs in food, food additives and food-contact materials, and reviews analytical approaches suitable to address food-safety issues related to nanotechnology. We start with a preliminary discussion on the current regulatory situation with respect to nanotechnology in relation to foods. We cover sample preparation, imaging techniques (e.g., electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microscopy), separation methods (e.g., field-flow fractionation and chromatographic techniques) and detection or characterization techniques (e.g., light scattering, Raman spectroscopy and mass spectrometry). We also show the first applications of the analysis of NMs in food matrices.