Nano and Food

The use of nanomaterials in food is of growing interest and was reviewed but the UK's House of Lords Science and Technology Committee in 2009/2010. Nanomaterials have a range of potential applications in the food sector that may offer benefits to both consumers and industry. These include creating foods with unaltered taste but lower fat, salt or sugar levels, or improved packaging that keeps food fresher for longer or tells consumers if the food inside is spoiled. At present the number of food products that contain nanomaterials appears to be small, but this may well change over the next five years or so as the technology develops.

The committee, which drew heavily on the IOM's EMERGNANO report, was concerned about the lack of research into the ingestion of persistent nanoparticles which do not break down in the stomach and may have the potential to leave the gut, travel throughout the body, and accumulate in cells with long-term effects as yet undetermined. They also called for more clarity concerning the use of nanomaterials in food and more sharing of information and recommended that the Food Standards Agency develop, in collaboration with the food industry, a database of information about nanomaterials in development to anticipate future risk assessment needs, to help the development of appropriate risk assessment procedures, and to aid in the prioritisation of research.