Nanofood As Weapons Of
Mass Destruction
Norma L. Rangel
Nanotechnology in Food Science
image from :
http://members.ift.org/NR/rdonlyres/5F
641E00-290A-4EB0-93D7C02171FF5D17/0/1203moraru.pdf
APPLICATIONS OF
NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD

Food Packaging
- ‘Active’ or ‘intelligent’ packaging

Food Processing: Taste and Texture
- For example, nanoparticle emulsions to improve
texture (trickling agents) and reduce fat content

Functional Foods
- Nanocapsules enclosing nutrients such as
vitamins or Omega 3 fatty acids
(‘nanoceuticals’) for release into body when
required
Selected Categories of Nanotechnology
Applied to Food and Agriculture
Bio-Energy or
Products
Agrochemical
Delivery
Agriculture
Food
Animal
Production
Animal or
Plant Health
Animal
Medicine
Plant
Production
Delivery of growth hormone in a controlled fashion.
Identity preservation and tracking.
Detect animal pathogens, such as foot and mouth disease virus.
Detect plant pathogens early.
Deliver animal vaccines.
Sensing
Detect chemicals or foodborne pathogens; biodegradable sensors
for temperature, moisture history, etc.
Selectively bind and remove chemicals or pathogens.
Prevent or respond to spoilage. Sensing features for
contaminants or pathogens.
Better availability and dispersion of nutrients, nutraceuticals, or
additives.
Safety
Packaging
Healthy Food
Kuzma, JNR
2007
Single molecule detection to determine enzyme/substrate
interactions (e.g. cellulases in production of ethanol). Materials
from biomass
Delivery of pesticides, fertilizers, and other agrichemicals more
efficiently (e.g. only when needed or for better absorption).
Smart and certain
precision ag
Delivery of DNA to plants towards
tissues (i.e. targeted
genetic engineering).
Nanotechnology in the Food Market

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Nanotechnology offers considerable
opportunities for the development of
innovative products and applications for
agriculture, water treatment, food
production, processing, preservation and
packaging
It is expected that nanotechnology-derived
food products will be increasingly available
to consumers worldwide in the coming
years.
Human Health

The impact on human health will
depend on whether and how the
consumer is exposed to such
materials eventually, and whether
these materials will behave differently
compared to their conventional,
larger dimensioned, counterparts .
Assessment of human health risks

As the size of the particles decreases, the specific
surface area increases

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This results in novel features that are determined by the
high surface-to-volume ratio, which may also give rise to
altered toxicity profiles.
The effects and interactions of engineered
nanomaterials are characterized in the relevant
food matrix.
Consider life cycle aspects in the risk assessment
of engineered Nanomaterials which may result in
indirect human exposure
Steps in Risk Assessment
•
Hazard Identification- scientific review
•
Specify Dose response- establish upper level
•
Intake /Exposure assessment
•
Risk characterization- public health impact
•
Too little nutrients and too much nutrients – both
are safety issues
•
Nutrient risk assessments have to be life stage
specific eg adolescents, lactating.
OUTBREAK HANDLING MECHANISMS,
EARLY DETECTION AND TRACEABILITY

Enhance surveillance and build an early warning system.

Equip Central and other state health departments with
state of the art technology – Rapidly Diagnose, Track,
Communicate, Control and Prevent

Create a national electronic network for rapid finger print
comparison.

Improve responses to food borne outbreaks -states and
other governmental bodies with expertise and resources
should share responsibility for outbreak response.

Establish inter-state governmental food borne outbreak
response coordinating group

Impose risk assessment and establish an interagency risk
assessment consortium.
OUTBREAK HANDLING MECHANISMS,
EARLY DETECTION AND TRACEABILITY

Develop new research methods that are rapid cost effective for
presence of food pathogens.

Document emerging pathogen resistance and
techniques for prevention and control of pathogens.

Improve inspection, compliance

Strict implementation of HACCP wherever necessary
(processed foods, meat products). Preventive measures for
fresh fruits, juices, milk, milk products and other high risk
commodities.

Identify preventive measures to address public health
problems associated with produce, eg. Staphycococcus,
salmonella in khoa, hepatitis A in frozen strawberries. These
measures will be identified by inspection, sampling and
analytical methods.

Mandatory Food safety education and licensing of all stake
holders, starting from producers to consumers.
develop
FOOD SAFETY AND
BIOTERRORISM
The US FDA has listed the following pathogens or pathogen products
that could be used in biological warfare:
•
Smallpox (variola)
•
Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis)
•
Plague (yersinia pestis)
•
Tularemia (Francisella tularensis)
•
Brucellosis (Brucella abortus)
•
Q fever (Coxiella burnellii)
•
Botulism toxin (produced by clostridium botulinun)
•
Staphylococcal enterotoxin B
New products to diagnose, counter and treat these public health
threats
Creation of civil emergency group to tackle emergencies.
Create awareness among food handlers and follow practices of basic
food safety handling
SAFETY CONCERNS FOLLOWING FOOD
PROCESSING
Safety of bottled water

Water source

Piping
treatment
process
equipment

GMP

Packaging

Quality control system
and
bottling
Safety of soft drinks

Microbial contamination

Packaging material

Chemicals, additives

Equipment used in processing

Formation of mutagens / carcinogens like
Nitrosamines in foods and beverages
SAFETY OF BOTANICALS IN
TRADITIONAL FOODS
Different types of products fall under the umbrella
of “natural products with health benefits”.
Supplements or foods containing high levels of
nutrients or other compounds can have effects on
presence of
other
nutrients
in
adequate
amounts. This can occur as a result of




destruction of nutrients
reduction of availability of nutrients
inference with utilization of nutrients
decrease in food intake
SAFETY OF BOTANICALS IN
TRADITIONAL FOODS
Traditional foods are considered safe as they have long
history of use. However, if they are modified by
processing or by any other method their substantial
equivalence and nutrient content analysis has to be
done.
Method for safe preparation of some plants such as
cassava are known in cultures that depend on it as a
staple but its introduction into a naïve market place
could cause cyanide poisoning.
Canned ackee fruit is prohibited into US until a quality
assurance that toxic levels of hypoglycin is not
present in product is given
FOOD CONTACT WITH
SUBSTANCES
Packaging innovation to ensure food safety as certain
components of packing like printing inks, labels,
colours, seals can affect food quality.
Innovative packaging like vaccum packaging, controlled
atmosphere or modified atmospheric packaging (CAP
or MAP).
MAP involves sealing package under
vaccum or one time gas flushing and sealing. Three
types of gases may be used singly or in combination
namely nitrogen, carbondioxide and oxygen.
Active Packaging – includes additives capable of
scavenging or absorbing oxygen, CO2, ethylene,
moisture, odour and flavours. May have powder
sachet of iron and calcium hydroxide.
Intelligent Packaging
Provides way to monitor and relay
information regarding the status of
contents and verifies information. Food
packaging
manufacturers
have
developed several innovative intelligent
packages that include time, temperature
indicators, antitheft and use RFID
devices.
Toxicity testing of food packaging materials
have to be done in animals as human
data are rarely available.
Materials other than plastic

Glass – has been used for many years, may
result in leaching of lead.

Ceramics – may result in leaching of heavy
metals particularly when in contact with acidic
beverages like fruit juices.

Cans – food packed in tin cans with lead
soldered
seams are a source of a
number of metals, including lead, chromium,
tin and cadmium.

Safety assessment of food packaging material
requires knowledge of chemical toxicity,
migration and technological developments.

Human exposure data can be collected wherever
possible
PRODUCTS
Agrifood Nano-Products on
Market
Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies
consumer inventory
www.nanotechproject.org

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Storage of food with Ag antimicrobial
Cocoa delivery with little sugar
Cooking Oil Quality--nanoceramic
Nanoclay barriers to O2 and CO2
Omega-3 bakery products
Lycopene BASF
Glycerin micelles to remove pesticides
Micelles for functional food
Geohumus Soil wetting agent
PrimoMAXX Syngenta (plant growth
regulator)
Several dietary supplements
Nano Encapsulation
‘Tip-Top Up’ - Omega 3
Bread
- nanocapsules with
tuna fish oil
- nanocapsules break
only in the stomach
Canola Active
Oil
- nanoencapsulation
of fortified
phytosterols
- reduce cholesterol
intake by 14%
Source: Shemen Industries, Israel
Source: Tip Top Bakery, Australia
Nano Composites
Lighter and
stronger
Minimizes loss of
CO2 from Beer
Nano food-packaging film
(Bayer Polymer Inc)
Nanoclay particle based
Beer Bottle (Nanocor Inc)
Nano Bioluminescence Detection
Spray
Nanoengineered luminescent protein emits a visible glow to the
surface of Salmonella and E.Coli
Source: AgroMicron Ltd.
Nano-Electronic Tongue
Nano- Electronic
Tongue
Source: Kraft foods
Quality control for
beverages by electronic
tongue
Nano Agro- chemicals
• Timely released
• Time controlled
• Spatially
targeted
• Regulated
Nano Fungicide
• Responsive and
effective Delivery
Source: Syngenta Corporation
Nano Plant Growth Regulator
Nano Management for Farm
Production
• Injectable Nano-chips for Animal Tracking
• Nano-Eugenics - Remotely Regulating Animals
• Nanosensors and Drug Delivery Systems for Animals
• Nano-Bo-Peep for health monitoring of Crops and
Animals
• Nanosystems for Identity Preservation and Tracking
CURRENT REGULATION OF
NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD



No dedicated EU or US legislation (for food
or otherwise)
Indirect regulation of products or processes
incorporating nanotechnology, not of nanotechnology component itself
Existing ‘precautionary approach’ prior
approval food legislation (process/product
specific)
FUTURE RESEARCH
Pathogen and Contaminant Detection
Imagine using nanotechnology to
create self-healing materials or
coatings that can modify agricultural
materials or packaging to prevent
microbial contamination;
Or sensors which can
slow decomposition
and detect pathogens
before your nose does.

http://64.202.120.86/upload/image/news/stopping-thebacteria-from-talking/stopping-the-bacteria1-.jpg
Tracking Crops and
Products



Traceable
nanotags and food
quality sensors
could
Improve food
quality, taste and
nutritional value
Preserve foods
and extend
nutritional stability
http://nano.foe.org.au/image/view/222
Food Poisoning
In the wake of widespread food
poisoning scares in spinach,
tomatoes, cilantro, and
peppers,
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-02/ir-tfp020706.php
http://www.braintree.gov.uk/Braintree/environment/food/Food+Poiso
ning.htm
http://www.nfis.com.au/foodbiz/Dec2005/images/food_cafe420.jpg
scientists are eager to
develop nanosized
geotracers that enable
users to locate
precisely the origin of
agricultural products.
Nanoscience in Molecular and Cell
Biology
Nanotechnology is making revolutionary changes
within cells which will improve agriculture and the
food industry in amazing ways.

Develop better soil additives, fertilizers,
pesticides, and soil conditioners.

Develop surfaces that select, reject or
bond to molecules based on
nanotechnology.
References
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FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on the Application of
Nanotechnologies in the Food and Agriculture Sectors:
Potential Food Safety Implications, Meeting 2009.
Nanotechnologies and Food, Authority of the House of
Lords. January 2010. Volume I & II
Regulation of Nanotechnology in Food, Craig Simpson,
Attorney, 14 June 2007
Nanotechnology in Agriculture and Food Technology
Emerging Issues in Food Safety, Dr Kalpagam Polasa, Ph.
D. Scientist and Dr. B. Sesikeran
Nanotechnology for Food, Agricultural, and Biosystems
Industry, Suresh Neethirajan, 2007
Agrifood Nanotechnology: Upstream Assessment of Risk
and Oversight, Prof. Jennifer Kuzma, Center for Science,
Technology, and Public Policy Humphrey Institute,
University of Minnesota. 2008