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NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

Presentation · January 2019

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 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND
Nanotechnology
Nanotech in foodinworld……………………………………………………
food
NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

SYNOPSIS

1. Introduction
2. Potential food applications
3. Nanotechnology food processing
 Nanoemulsions
 Nanostructured multilayer emulsions
 Biopolymeric nanoparticles
 Nanolaminates
 Nanocochleates
4. Nanotechnology in food packing
 Nanoplastic packing
 Nanocomposites
 Active packaging
 Intelligent packaging
 The electronic nose (e-nose) technology
 The electronic tongue technology
 Nanofibers and nanotubes
5. Nanofoods pose new health risks
6. Regulation nanotech in food industry
7. Conclusion
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

INTRODUCTION
The current global population is nearly with 4 billion people in Asia, which is than 60% of the
world's current human population. A large proportion of those living in developing countries face
daily food shortages as a result of environmental impacts or political instability, while in the
developed world there is a food surplus. For developing countries the drive is to develop drought
and pest resistant crops which also maximize yield. In developed countries, the food industry is
driven by consumer demand which is currently for fresher and healthier foodstuffs. This is big
business, for example the food industry in the UK is booming with an annual growth rate of
5.2% and the demand for fresh food has increased by 10% in the last few years.
The potential of nanotechnology to revolutionize the health care, textile, materials,
information and communication technology and energy sectors has been well-publicized. In fact
several products enabled by nanotechnology are already in the market, such as antibacterial
dressings, transparent sunscreen lotions, stain-resistant fabrics, scratch free paints for cars and
self cleaning windows. The application of nanotechnology to the agricultural and food industries
was first addressed by a United States Department of Agriculture roadmap published in
September 2003. The prediction is that nanotechnology will transform the entire food industry,
changing the way food is produced, processed, packaged, transported and consumed.

NANOTECHNOLOGY
The word “nano” meaning “dwarf” in Greek language refers to dimensions on the order
of magnitude of 10-9. Nanotechnology, focusing on special properties of materials emerging
from nanometer size, for e.g. in biological systems, the first level of organization occurs at the
nanoscale structure where all the fundamental properties and functions are systematically
defined.
Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize the scientific world by slowing
scientists to manipulate matter at the atomic or molecular scale using physics, engineering,
chemistry and biology. Nanotechnology is a broad and interdisciplinary area of research and
development activity that has been growing at a rapid pace worldwide in the past few years. It
enables researchers to understand the relationship between macroscopic properties and molecular
structure in biological materials of plants and animal origin. Using nanotechnology, scientitsts
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

are able to self assemble atoms into sturcutres with highly controlled properties e.g. nanowires,
self assembled molecules and particles.

POTENTIAL FOOD APPLICATIONS

Nanotechnology has the potential to impact many aspects of food and agricultural
systems. Food security, disease treatment delivery methods, new tools for molecular and cellular
biology, new materials for pathogen detection, and protection of the environment are examples
of the important links of nanotechnology to the science and engineering of agriculture and food
systems. Examples of nanotechnology as a tool for achieving further advancements in the food
industry are as follows:
 Increased security of manufacturing, processing and shipping of food products through
sensors for pathogen and contaminant detection.
 Systems that provide integration of sensing, localization, reporting and remote control of
food products (smart/intelligent systems) which can increase efficacy and security of
food processing and transportation.
 Encapsulation and delivery systems that carry protect and deliver functional food
ingredients to their specific site of action.
Most nanotechnological research focuses on the development of applications in biosciences
and engineering. Strategies to apply nanoscience to the food industry are quite different from
these more traditional applications of nanotechnology. Food processing is a multi technological
manufacturing industry involving a wide variety of raw materials, high biosafety requirements,
and well-regulated technological processes. Four major areas in food production may benefit
from nanotechnology:
1. Development of new functional materials
2. Microscale and nanoscale processing
3. Product development,
4. Methods and instrumentation design for improved food safety and biosecurity.
Figure 1 and Table 1 depicts possible applications of nanotechnology in the food
industry.
NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

Figure 1: Application of nanotechnology in food science and technology

Table 1: Overview of nanotech application in food processing and
packaging
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACKAGING

NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING

During last year’s, food industries have witnessed that the nanotechnoloy has been really
integrated in a number of food and food packaging products. There are now over 600 nanofood
products available on the market worldwide. It is estimated that the nanotechnology will
influence over 40% of the food industries up to 2025. By 2015 Asia, with more than 50 percent
of the world population will become the biggest market for the Nanofood. The application of
nanotechnology in food processing and packaging are discussed in the forth coming chapters:
NANODISPERSIONS AND NANOCAPSULES
Functional ingredients (for example, drugs, vitamins, antimicrobials, antioxidants,
flavorings, colorants and preservatives) are essential components of a wide range of industrial
products which include pharmaceuticals, health-care products, cosmetics, agrochemicals and
foods. These functional ingredients come in a variety of different molecular and physical forms
such as polarities (polar, nonpolar, amphiphilic), molecular weights (low to high) and physical
states (solid, liquid, gas). Functional ingredients are rarely utilized directly in their pure form.
Instead, they are often incorporated into some form of delivery system. A delivery system must
perform a number of different roles.
 First, it serves as a vehicle for carrying the functional ingredient to the desired site of
action.
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

 Second, it may have to protect the functional ingredient from chemical or biological
degradation (for example, oxidation) during processing, storage and utilization; this
maintains the functional ingredient in its active state.
 Third, it may have to be capable of controlling the release of the functional ingredient,
such as the release rate or the specific environmental conditions that trigger release (for
example, pH, ionic strength, or temperature).
 Fourth, the delivery system has to be compatible with the other components in the
system, as well as being compatible with the physicochemical and qualitative attributes
(that is, appearance, texture, taste, and shelf-life) of the final product.
A wide variety of delivery systems have been used to encapsulate functional ingredients
including simple solutions, association colloids, emulsions, biopolymer matrices and so on. Each
type of delivery system has its own specific advantages and disadvantages for encapsulation,
protection and delivery of functional ingredients, as well as cost, regulatory status, ease of use,
biodegradability and biocompatibility. A number of potential delivery systems based on
nanotechnology are given in the Figure 2:
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

Figure 2: Nanoencapsulation materials in food processing

ASSOCIATION COLLOIDS
Surfactant micelles, vesicles, bilayers, reverse micelles and liquid crystals are all
examples of association colloids. A colloid is a stable system of a substance containing small
particles dispersed throughout. An association colloid is a colloid whose particles are made up of
even smaller molecule which is used for many years to deliver polar, nonpolar and amphiphilic
functional ingredients, association colloids range in size from 5 nm to 100 nm. The major
advantages of association colloid systems are thermodynamically favorable and typically
transparent solutions. On the other hand, the major disadvantage is that a large quantity of
surfactant (and in many cases, cosurfactant) is required to form them which may lead to
problems with flavor, cost or legality.

NANOEMULSIONS
An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids (such as oil and water) that do not easily
combine. The use of high-pressure valve homogenizers or microfluidizers often causes
emulsions with droplet diameters of less than 100 to 500 nm. Therefore, a nanoemulsion is an
emulsion in which the diameters of the dispersed droplets measure 500 nm or less.
Nanoemulsions can encapsulate functional ingredients within their droplets, which can facilitate
a reduction in chemical degradation. In fact, different types of nanoemulsions with more-
complex properties such as nanostructured multiple emulsions or nanostructured multilayer
emulsions—offer multiple encapsulating abilities from a single delivery system that can carry
several functional components.

NANOSTRUCTURED MULTILAYER EMULSIONS

Recent studies have shown that the use of multilayer emulsions can create novel delivery
systems. These systems typically consist of oil droplets (the core) surrounded by nanometer thick
layers (the shell) comprised of different polyelectrolytes. These layers are formed using a layer-
by-layer (LbL) electrostatic deposition method that involves sequential adsorption of
polyelectrolytes onto the surfaces of oppositely charged colloidal particles. Figure 3 shows an
example of the LbL approach to encapsulating oil droplets in an O/W emulsion. An ionic
emulsifier that rapidly adsorbs to the surface of lipid droplets during homogenization is used to
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

produce a primary emulsion containing

small droplets; then an oppositely
charged polyelectrolyte is added to the
system, which adsorbs to the droplet
surfaces and produces a secondary
emulsion containing droplets coated with
a 2-layer interface. This procedure can be
d repeated to form oil droplets coated by
interfaces containing 3 or more layers. Under certain circumstances, emulsions containing oil
droplets surrounded by multilayer interfaces have been found to have better stability against
environmental stresses than conventional oil-in-water emulsions with single-layer interfaces. In
addition, it is possible to develop smart delivery systems by engineering the properties of the
nanostructured shell around the droplets.
A functional component trapped within the core of a multilayer emulsion delivery system
could be released in response to a specific environmental trigger by designing the response of
the shell to the environment as in the following examples:
1. Complete Shell Dissociation: Weakening electrostatic interactions can cause shells to
completely dissociate under specific solution conditions (pH, ionic strength). For instance,
changing the pH can cause one or more of the polyelectrolytes to lose its charge or increasing the
ionic strength can weaken the electrostatic attraction of a polyelectrolyte to the next layer,
thereby promoting desorption.
2. Modulation of Shell Porosity: The thickness and porosity of shells can change with exposure
to pH and ionic strength. This determines the rate at which functional components trapped inside
the core will diffuse into the surrounding medium.

BIOPOLYMERIC NANOPARTICLES
Food-grade biopolymers such as proteins or polysaccharides can be used to produce
nanometer-sized particles. Using aggregative (net attraction) or segregative (net repulsion)
interactions, a single biopolymer separates into smaller nanoparticles. The nanoparticles can then
be used to encapsulate functional ingredients and release them in response to distinct
environmental triggers. One of the most common components of many biodegradable
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

biopolymeric nanoparticles is polylactic acid (PLA). PLA is often used to encapsulate for deliver
drugs, vaccines and proteins, but it has limitations: it is quickly removed from the bloodstream,
remaining isolated in the liver and kidneys. Because its purpose as a nanoparticle is to deliver
active components to other areas of the body, PLA needs an associative compound such as
polyethylene glycol to be successful in this regard.
NANOLAMINATES
Besides nanodispersions and nanocapsules, another nanoscale
technique is commercially viable for the food industry i.e.
nanolaminates. This Consist of two or more layers of material with
nanometer dimensions, a nanolaminate is an extremely thin food-
grade film (1–100 nm/ layer) that has physically bonded or
chemically bonded dimensions.
Because of its advantages in the preparation of edible films, a
nanolaminate has a number of important food-industry
applications. Edible films are present on a wide variety of
foods: fruits, vegetables, meats, chocolate, candies, baked
goods and French fries. Such films protect foods from
moisture, lipids and gases and they can improve the textural
properties of foods and serve as carriers of colors, flavors,
antioxidants, nutrients and antimicrobials. Currently, edible
nanolaminates are constructed from polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids. Although
polysaccharide- and protein-based films are good barriers against oxygen and carbon dioxide,
but they are poor at protecting against moisture. On the other hand, lipid-based nanolaminates
are good at protecting food from moisture, but they offer limited resistance to gases and have
poor mechanical strength.
For now, coating foods with nanolaminates involves either dipping them into a series of
solutions containing substances that would adsorb to a food’s surface or spraying substances
onto the food surface (figure 4). While there are various methods that can cause adsorption, it is
commonly a result of an electrostatic attraction between substances that have opposite charges.
The degree of a substance’s adsorption depends on the nature of the food’s surface as well as the
nature of the adsorbing substance. Different adsorbing substances can constitute different layers
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

of a nanolaminate; examples are polyelectrolytes (proteins and polysaccharides), charged lipids,

and colloidal particles (figure 5). Consequently, different nanolaminates could include various
functional agents such as antimicrobials, anti-browning agents, antioxidants, enzymes, flavors
and colors.

Figure 4: Schematic representation of coating an object with multilayers using a successive

dipping and washing procedure

Figure 5: Possible components that could be used to assemble multilayered edible films or
coatings

These functional agents would increase the shelf life and quality of coated foods. These
nanolaminated coatings could be created entirely from food-grade ingredients (proteins,
polysaccharides, lipids) by using simple processing operations such as dipping and washing.
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

NANOCOCHLEATES
In food and beverage industry, attempts have been made to add micronutrients and
antioxidants to food substances. But these antioxidants degrade during manufacturing and food
storage. Nano cocohleates delivery system
protects these substances from degradation.
Example, Polyphenols and Resveratrol are the
substances present in most foods and wine
respectively. They gets degraded and oxidized
when exposed to air. Nanocochleates solve
early oxidation by individually capturing and
wrapping them in a phospholipid wrap and
maintaining the internal nutrients secure from
water and oxygen.
BioDelivery Sciences International have developed nanocochleates which are 50nm
coiled nanoparticles that can be used to deliver nutrients such as vitamins, lycopene and omega 3
fatty acids more efficiently to cells, without affecting the colour or taste of food. The delivery
vehicle is made of soyphophatidylserine which is 100% safe. It provides a protective coat for
range of nutrient additives (Table 2).
Table 2: Nanomaterials in food additives
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PACKING

Nanotechnology derived food packaging materials are the largest category of current
nanotechnology applications for the food sector. The following main applications for food
contact materials (FCMs):
 FCMs incorporating nanomaterials to improve packaging properties (flexibility,
gas barrier properties, temperature/moisture stability).
 ‘‘Active’’ FCMs that incorporate nanoparticles with antimicrobial or oxygen
scavenging properties.
 ‘‘Intelligent’’ food packaging incorporating nanosensors to monitor and report the
condition of the food.
 Biodegradable polymer–nanomaterial composites.
The USAD investment in nanotechnology research has the potential to have major impact
on agriculture and food processing. One of their goals is to develop “smart” food packing with
built in nanosensors to detect pathogens or contaminations in the product.
FOOD PACKING: A MAJOR GOAL USING NANOTECH METHODS
Today, food packing and safety are the major goals of foods related nanotech research
and development. Food companies are working on packing that incorporates lighter and stronger
packages with embedded sensors that can alert a consumer to contamination or presence of
pathogen.
According to the industry analysts, the current U.S market for the nanotechnology of
packing foods & beverages is an estimated $38 billon and will grow to $54 billon before 2010.
The following includes a few examples that show nanoscale applications for food packing.
NANOPLASTIC PACKING
Several chemical companies are producing a nanotechnology transparent plastic film for
packing containing nanoparticles of clay. The nanoparticles are integrated throughout the plastic
and are able to block oxygen, carbon dioxide and moisture from heating also make the plastic
lighter, stronger and more heat resistance.
NANOCOMPOSITES
Nanocomposites have been reported to have improved properties with regard to
durability, temperature resistance, flame resistance, barrier properties, optical properties, process
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

ability due to lower viscosity and recycling properties. This has led to the development of a
variety of nanoparticle reinforced polymers, also termed as ‘‘nanocomposites’’.
Two types ofhybrids—intercalationandexfoliation—are ideal nanoscale composites
(Figure 6).

Figure 6 : Principles of formation of clay monolayer contatning nanocomposites with

enhanced mechanical and barrier properties.

Intercalation is the state in which extended polymer chains are present between the clay
layers, resulting in a multilayered structure with alternating polymer/inorganic layers at a
repeated distance of a few nanometers. Exfoliation is a state in which the silicate layers are
completely separated and dispersed in a continuous polymer matrix. The structure and properties
of the resulting nanocomposites can be altered by controlling subtle polymer-clay interactions.
The polymer composites incorporating clay nanoparticles are among the first
nanocomposites to emerge on the market as improved materials for food packaging. The
nanoclay mineral used in these nanocomposites is montmorillonite
(also known as bentonite), which is a relatively cheap and widely
available natural clay derived from volcanic ash/ rocks. Nanoclay–
polymer composites for potential use in a variety of food-
packaging applications such as processed meats, cheese,
confectionery, cereals, boil-in-the-bag foods, as well as in
extrusion-coating applications for fruit juices and dairy products, or
co-extrusion processes for the manufacture of bottles for beer and
carbonated drinks. The polymers used for clay–polymer nanocomposites are PA (polyamides),
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

nylons, polyolefins, polystyrene (PS), ethylene-vinylacetate (EVA) copolymer,

epoxy resins, polyurethane, polyimides and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
The known industrial applications of nanoclay in multilayer film
packaging include beer bottles, carbonated drinks and thermoformed containers.
Polymer nanocomposites incorporating metal or metal oxide nanoparticles have
been developed for antimicrobial ‘‘active’’ packaging, abrasion resistance, UV
absorption and/or strength. The nanomaterials used as UV absorbers (e.g.
titanium dioxide) can prevent UV-degradation in plastics such as PS,
polyethylene (PE) and polyvinylchloride. The metal and metal oxide
nanomaterials commonly used are silver (Ag), gold (Au), zinc oxide (ZnO), silica
(SiO2), titanium dioxide (TiO2), alumina (Al2O3) and iron oxides (Fe3O4, Fe2 O3).
Other semi-conductor nanoparticles (e.g. cadmium telluride/gallium arsenide)
have also been used in development of nanocomposites (Table 3)
Table 3: Nanocomposites in packaging

ACTIVE PACKAGING
Actively changes the conditions of the packaged food to extend shelf-life or to improve
food safety and quality.
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

Nano-based antimicrobial packaging and food contact materials

Distinct from trigger-dependent chemical release packaging, designed to release biocides
in response to the growth of a microbial population, humidity or other changing conditions, other
packaging and food contact materials incorporate antimicrobial nanomaterials, that are designed
not to be released, so that the packaging itself acts as an antimicrobial (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Schematic representation of antimicrobial active

packaging

These products commonly use nanoparticles of silver although some use nano zinc oxide
or nano chlorine dioxide (Table 4). Nano magnesium oxide, nano copper oxide, nano titanium
dioxide and carbon nanotubes are also predicted for future use in antimicrobial food packaging.
Table 4: Nano-based antibacterial food packaging and food contact materials
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

INTELLIGENT PACKAGING

Monitors the conditions of packaged food products and gives information about their
safety and quality during transport and storage

Specific Needs for Bio Sensors in Food and Drink Industries

 To determine specific components in the food and drinks such as sugars, proteins,
vitamins and fats.
 To detect and quantify chemical contaminants such as
pesticides, heavy metals and antibiotics.
 To detect pathogenic bacteria (e.g. E. coli 0157,
Listeria,Salmonella, Campylobacter, Vibrio) and viruses
(e.g. Small Round Structured Viruses).
 To detect food borne toxins (e.g. Staphylococcus
Enterotoxins, Botulinum neurotoxins, Mycotoxins and
Paralytic/Diarrhetic shellfish toxins). These biomolecules are considered powerful
weapons and "road map for terrorists" to destroy humans and livestock indiscriminately.
Monitoring the freshness of aquatic foods including fish and fermentation processes.
Nanobio sensors for detection of enzyme based hydrolysis in food and
pharmaceutical industries
 Multi-enzymatic sensors for sucrose determination
 Glutamate Sensors for measuring glutamate concentration in the production of mono-
sodium-glutamate (MSG).
 Amperometric mediated carbon nanotube biosensor for fructose determination.
 Ethanol Sensors-microbial sensors for measuring ethanol concentration in alcoholic
fermentation.
 Determination of malic acid in real samples by using enzyme immobilized reactors
amperometric detection.
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

Food packaging sensors in defense & security application

In the view of the U.S military, it is a national security priority to detect food borne
pathogens. With the present technologies, testing for microbial food
contamination takes 2 to 7 days for the results. The sensors that have
been developed to data are too big to be transport easily. Several groups
of researchers in the United States are developing biosensors that can
detect pathogens quickly and easily. These sensors can play a critical
role in the event of a terrorist attack on the food supply. With United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and National Science
Foundation (NSF) funding, researchers at Purdue University are developing handheld sensors
capable of detecting specific bacteria instantaneously from any sample.
Other kinds of sensors
Two sensors, called the electronic nose and the electronic tongue, can detect food
pathogen. Both the sensors have been used in laboratories, including NASA to detect trace
chemicals. Now the electronic nose and the electronic tongue will be applied to the food
industry, since both sensors are especially effective in recognizing contaminations and analyzing
the overall quality of foods.

THE ELECTRONIC NOSE (E-NOSE) TECHNOLOGY

An electronic nose is a device that identifies the specific components of an odor &
analyzes its chemical make up to identify it. In a sense it mimics the human nose, but it has far
greater sensitivity to smell and can trace scents at the nanopartciles level.
Electronic noses were originally used for quality control applications in the food,
beverage and cosmetics industries. However the e-nose is longer & expensive to manufacture.
Current research is focused on making the e-nose smaller, less expensive and more sensitive.
The new and improved e-nose could be used to detect odors detection of pollutants and gas leaks
for environmental production.

THE ELECTRONIC TONGUE TECHNOLOGY

Similar to the e-nose technology the electronic tongue or e-tongue, mimics the human
tongue, but it us more sensitive to flavors in foods. The e-tongue sensors can detect substances
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

in parts per trillion (PPT) and could be used in packaging to trigger a color change that would
alert the consumer if a food has become contaminated or if it had begun to spoil.
Food researches believe the electronic tongue is going to be vital to food studies. As an
example, a meat package with a built in tongue can taste the first signs of spoilage and active a
color change as a warning to the consumer.
The electronic tongue is made from a silicon chip that has micro beads arrayed on it.
Each of the beads responds to different analytes. The different analytes of the e-tongue are
similar to the taste buds on the human tongue. The tongue responds to sweet sour, salty & bitter
tastes in a similar fashion as the taste buds on your tongue do.
The food and beverage industries may see the potential to use the e-tongue to develop a
digital library of tastes. The collection data would include tastes that have been proven to the
popular with consumers. The e-tongue could also monitor the flavors of existing products.

NANO BARCODES DETECT FOOD BORNE PATHOGENS:

Another kind of sensor technology is the nano barcode. Nano barcodes are similar to the
traditional barcodes that
are found on many
packaged food products
today. However, the
name bar codes,
contacting metal
nanoparticle could be
used to detect pathogens.
The nanoparticles have
specific, recognizable
chemical fingerprints that
can be read by a machine, an ultraviolet lamp or an optical microscope. Using these kinds of bar
codes, a super market checkout computer can identify thousands of different items by scanning
the tiny bar core printed on the package. The scanning of the barcodes could reveal spoilage or
pathogens within the food package.
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

Summarizing, nanosensors such as electronic tongues and electronic noses, the use of
nano barcodes have the potential to provide safe food products and packaging. The embedded
sensors in food packaging will respond to the release of particular chemicals when a certain food
begins to spoil. So, as soon as the food starts to go bas the packaging will change color to warn
the shopper. This system could also provide a more accurate and safer method.

NANOFIBERS AND NANOTUBES

Two applications of nanotechnology that are in the early stages of having an impact on
the food industry are nanofibers and nanotubes. Because nanofibers are usually not composed of
food-grade substances, nanofibers have only a few potential applications in the
food industry. Produced by a manufacturing technique using electrostatic force,
nanofibers have small diameters ranging in size from 10 nm to 1,000 nm, which
makes them ideal for serving as a platform for b acterial cultures. In addition,
nanofibers could also serve as the structural matrix for artificial foods and
environmentally friendly food-packaging material. As advances continue in the
area of producing nanofibers from food-grade materials, their use will likely
increase. As with nanofibers, the use of nanotubes has predominantly been for
non-food applications. Carbon nanotubes are popularly used as low resistance
conductors and catalytic reaction vessels. Under appropriate environmental conditions, however,
certain globular milk proteins can self-assemble into similarly structured nanotubes.

RFID- Radio Frequency Identification Display Technology

Attaching an RFID tag to a package makes it "intelligent" because this silicon chip
functions as a mobile database, holding valuable information, such as the product's history,
location and destination. The data that these tags contain can be updated and read in bulk by
radio waves.
These displays involve utilization of smart labels that will assist quick and accurate
distribution of a wide variety of goods with limited shelf-life. The RFID polymeric transistors
use nanoscale organic thin-film technology. The RFID systems will be designed to operate
automatically and will provide exception reports for temperature, short-life span products.
NANOTECHNOLOGY
NANOTECNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

Recently, lower-cost passive RFID

technology has inspired tremendous
development work as well. In this system, the
tags derive power from the radio frequency that
provides the means of communication with
scanners. RFID tags provide much more traceability in food packaging than bar code labels.

NANOFOODS POSE NEW HEALTH RISKS

The incorporation of manufactured nanomaterials into foods and beverages, nutritional

supplements, food packaging and edible food coatings, fertilisers, pesticides and comprehensive
seed treatments presents a whole new array of risks for the public, workers in the food Industry
and farmers.

Manufactured nanomaterials maypose serious health risks

Our bodies’ defensive mechanisms are not as effective at removing nanoparticles from
our lungs, gastro-intestinal tract and organs, as they are with larger particles. Nanoparticles are
also more adhesive than larger particles to surfaces within our bodies. As a result of these factors
and their very small size, nanoparticles are much more likely to be taken up into our cells and
tissues than are larger particles.
The potential for ingested nondegradable nanoparticles to cause long term pathological
effects in addition to short-term toxicity. A small number of clinical studies suggest that non-
degradable nanoparticles and small microparticles which do not provoke an acute toxic response
can accumulate in our bodies and over time result in the development of ‘nanopathologies’, for
example granulomas, lesions (areas of damaged cells or tissue), cancer or blood clots.
Table 5 provides a summary of the existing scientific evidence of the toxicity:
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

Table 5: Experimental evidence of the toxicity of selected nanomaterials now in commercial

use by the food industry
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

REGULATION NANOTECH IN FOOD INDUSTRY

While there are lots of opportunities for using nanotechnology to improve food production,
packaging and quality, there is also some concern about how this will play out. The nanotech
materials have “the potential for use in vast variety of products and may pose new and unique
safety issues”.

According to the research, nanotech in food packaging will bring benefits in the form of:

1. Reduced usage of energy and raw materials

2. Improvement of the mechanical properties of biodegradable polymers.
3. Beneficial for reusable packaging due to improved mechanical strength and
4. Help to reduce the amount of packaging waste and save resources at the same time.

There are however, risks associated with this. The first type of the risk deals with inconclusive
research on impacts and lack of effect data:

1. Knowledge about the effects of engineered nano-materials in the environmental is till

insufficient.
2. Risk of environmental pollution by nanoparticles whereas the rests of the risk are
common risks also found in normal chemicals which relates to pollution and waste:
a. Release of nanoparticles into the environment during the production and disposal
phases of a product,
b. Uncontrolled incineration of nanocomposites could cause emissions of nanoparticles
into environment and
c. Nanocomposites materials could disturb plastic recycling process. Recycles will have
to deal with nanoparticles fillers, which eventually will be found in recycled
materials.

In August 2006, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) formed a Nanotechnology Task
Force with goals that included:

1. Evaluate the effectiveness of the agency’s regulatory approaches and authorities to

meet any unique challenge that may be presented by the use of nanotechnology
materials in FDA-regulated products.
 NANOTECNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PACAKGING

2. Explore opportunities to foster innovation using nanotechnology materials to develop

safe and effective drugs, biologics, and devices and to develop safe foods, feed and
cosmetics.

In its February, 2007 meeting, the European Food Safety Authority Regulatory agency
announced that it was forming scientific panel to conduct a risk assessment of nanoparticles in
food and food packaging. This panel should be able to draw input and expertise from across
Europe. For example, Denmark’s National Food Institutes is working on a project together
toxicology information on nanoparticles and the UK Food Safety Authority has put together a
report that provided “an outline of potential areas for future regulation relating to the use of
nanotechnology and nanomaterials in food”.

While the regulatory agencies may be making these efforts a little late, because
some products are already available and development has been started on many more,
one can hope that discussions would help consumers to benefit from improved and safe
food products with a minimum of controversy.

CONCLUSION
The impact of nanotechnology in food industry which provides new methods to improve
foof safety and nutritional value of foods. Now –a – days the scientist had focused on the
nanoencapsulation in food processing and nanoclay polymer etc, in food packaging. But in
future the combination of DNA and nanotechnology research generates the new nutrition
delivery system, which brings the active agents more precisely to the wanted parts of the human
bodies and cells. There is lots of challenge in forthcoming food nanotechnology, which could
eradicate hunger. Nanotechnology in the food industry was currently valued at $410 million and
would grow to $58 billion by 2010.

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