Nanotechnology

This is one of the growth areas in the food industry. It involves the inclusion of extremely small (1,000 of them stacked together would be approximately the thickness of a piece of office paper) specialized particles in the food to provide specific benefits.

This technology is already commonly used in medicines and skin care, as well as in the energy and biotech industries. It is only recently that the inclusion in foods has started.

As with genetically modified crops, there has been much discussion about this technology and it will surely continue to grow as a hot topic in the food industry. There is some potential secrecy by companies about any research into nanotechnology, as there are distinct competitive advantages, however, this is making it difficult for regulatory agencies to determine the risks and to develop laws that will manage and control this new technology.

The following are some of the potential advantages to using nontechnology in foods;

• Contamination Sensor - the nano particles could be set up to change colour or appearance if there are contaminations, including specific food poisoning bacteria, in the food. This would significantly reduce current delays in waiting for microbial test results.
• Antimicrobial Packaging - nano particles of certain metals can be laid onto packaging materials to give antimicrobial properties.
• Tracking and Tracing - using nano particles, the stripes on barcodes have been made smaller, which gives significantly more variations and also better traceability in food poisoning outbreaks.
• Enhanced Nutrient Delivery - by using nano-encapsulation, nutrients can become more soluble which allows for quicker and better absorption by the body.
• Reduction in Food Additives - by using nanotechnology, mouthfeel in products like low fat Mayonnaise seems similar to that in standard fat products , reducing the need to add thickened and emulsifiers.

For more information about this emerging area of the food industry go to www.foodstandards.gov.au