Nanotechnology Is the New Frontier for the Food Industry

Nanotechnology, the science of building things on a molecular or atomic scale, is invading the food industry, creating a buzz that thus far has been confined for the most part to the electronics industry. But now the food industry is joining a host of other industries from pharmaceuticals to materials in investigating how nanotechnology can be applied in innovative ways. In fact, it seems all facets of the food industry from ingredients to packaging to food analysis methods are already looking into nanotech applications. We asked Nerac Food Science Analyst Brenda Van Goethem to give us a perspective.

Nerac: First, what’s a nanometer?
Brenda Van Goethem: A nanometer is miniscule, just one billionth, or 1/109 of a meter. To put that into perspective, a DNA double-helix has a diameter around two nanometers. the smallest cellular life form, the bacteria of the genus Mycoplasma, are around 200 nanometers long. According to a 2006 National Geographic article, a nanometer is to a meter as a marble is to the earth. Another way of putting it is that a nanometer is how much a typical man’s beard grows in the time it takes him to raise the razor to his face.

What is nanotechnology?
According to the National Nanotechnology Initiative, nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of one to 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. Nanotechnology can be seen as an extension of existing sciences, or as a recasting of existing sciences using a newer, more modern term. It is a highly multidisciplinary field, drawing from fields such as applied physics, materials science, interface and colloid science, device physics, supra-molecular chemistry (which refers to the area of chemistry that focuses on the non-covalent bonding interactions of molecules), self-replicating machines and robotics, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, biological engineering, and electrical engineering. Most of the current applications of nanotechnology are in electronics, automation, super-materials, or life sciences such as pharmaceuticals and medicine. Real commercial applications have mainly used the advantages of colloidal nano-particles in bulk form, such as suntan lotion, cosmetics, protective coatings, drug delivery systems.

How is nanotechnology being applied in the food and beverage industry?Nanotechnology will allow food scientists to understand better how food components are structured and interact with each other. As a result, nanotechnology may translate into food product innovations applied to shelf stability and the formulation of safer, nutritious food. For example, a recent German food innovation applied nanotechnology to stabilize light- and oxygen-sensitive beta-carotenes before being added to foods and beverages as colorants and health ingredient. This innovation, recently published in the Journal of Food Science, formulated beta-carotene within a nano-structured lipid carrier (NLC), which allows the normally hydrophobic beta-carotene to be easily dispersed and stabilized in beverages.

Besides ingredients, how else can nanotechnology benefit the food and beverage industry?
In light of the recent E. coli outbreaks inv lettuce, spinach, and ground beef, nanotechnology may provide a fast and easy method to ensure food safety or aid in plant sanitation. In 2006, researchers at Purdue University discovered tiny structures called nano-cantilevers that could be crucial in designing a new class of ultra-small sensors for detecting viruses, bacteria and other pathogens. The nano-cantilevers, which resemble tiny diving boards made of silicon, vibrate at different frequencies when contaminants stick to them. Two cantilevers can be placed in a sensor and liquid is then passed through them. When the molecule or microbe of interest binds to the surface, the board bends and its electrical resistance is altered. Detection is achieved by measuring the change in resistance. The device can be designed to search for specific things, for example, if the organism to be detected was E. coli, the cantilever could be coated in antibodies specific to E. coli cells. Many different molecules or organisms can also be recognized simultaneously.

Another exciting application of the nano-cantilever technology is the colorimetric lid device. Lid devices have a flexible board or “lid” placed atop a tiny box containing marker molecules that produce visible colors. An organism binds to the lid, which then opens and releases the color, indicating the presence of the organism. This technology could be an economical laboratory analysis or could be used as part of a food packaging system to show the microbial quality of food during its shelf life.
Nanotechnology has also been used in the area of surface sanitation. Nano-emulsions have been developed to disinfect sensitive equipment. These nano-emulsions consist of oil droplets that are able to fuse with and subsequently disrupt the bacterial walls of different pathogens, such as bacteria, spores, enveloped viruses, and fungal spores.

Will nanotechnology uses in food be regulated in a special way?
In 2006, the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) identified possible deficiencies in current regulations regarding the impact of nanotechnology on food and food packaging. The IFST stated that nanoparticle ingredients may affect toxicity; therefore when ingredients or food-approved additives have been replaced with nanoparticles of the same chemical composition, the safety dossiers should demonstrate how the effects of the ingredient’s particle size have been considered. In fact, food scientists debate whether nano-size food ingredients should be labeled as “new” or unnatural materials compared to their larger, natural counterparts. Nanotechnology applications in food processing, packaging, toxicity should be studied more to fill these types of current knowledge gaps.

In February 2008, the European Commission put in place a voluntary nanotechnology code of conduct that places responsibility for consumer safety on industry in an attempt to prevent the knowledge gaps in nanotechnology from endangering consumers’ health. It sets forth seven general principles:

• Precaution: Researchers should anticipate the possibility of negative results and take due care.
• Meaning: Research should be comprehensible to the public, respect fundamental rights and be carried out in the interest of the well-being of individuals and society.
• Sustainability: Nanotechnology research should be safe, ethical and contribute to sustainable development.
• Accountability: Accountability for the social, environmental and health effects of nanotech research should lie with those conducting it.
• Inclusiveness: All stakeholders should be allowed to participate in research and be able to access information.
• Excellence: Research should meet the best scientific standards.
• Innovation: Governance of research activities should encourage maximum creativity, flexibility and planning ability for innovation and growth.

Recently, the UK Soil Association, a leading certifier of organic products, banned the use of nano-materials from organic foods. The organization is the first in the world to take action against nanotechnology, stating that nano-particles, although they offer advantages in formulation, are made by “potentially toxic technology that poses a serious new threat to human health.”

What’s next for nanotechnology in food?
Nanotechnology is a new frontier and will be a key source of innovation in the food industry, particularly in food formulation, processing, packaging, storage, and quality. The use of nanotechnology in food applications is controversial due to the potential environmental, health and safety risks of some nano-scale materials, yet according to NutraIngredients, more than 600 nano-food products are already available on the global market. Since nanotechnology is an emerging science, as more information is gathered on its effects on food, nutritive properties, and storage, more food companies will be finding innovative means to mainstream nano-materials into food formulations and packaging.