Is nanomaterial in food a health hazard?

Nanotechnology has already made a tremendous impact in various fields of human activity. This has made an impact on several aspects of the food industry, from how food is grown to how it is packaged. Use of nanomaterials in food packaging, nanosensors in plastic packaging to detect gases given off by food when it spoils, to detect bacteria and other contaminates, to deliver vitamins or other nutrients in food and beverages without affecting the taste or appearance, nanocapsules containing nutrients to release when nanosensors detect a deficiency in human body, to improve the taste, color, and texture of foods, nanoparticle emulsions in ice cream and various spreads to improve the texture and uniformity are some of the applications in food.

European food scientists use nanotechnology to create structures in foods that can deliver nutrients to specific locations in the body for the most beneficial effects. It is feared that use of metal, usually silver, nanoparticles in packaging to slow spoilage could move from the packaging material into the food itself. While there is greater public acceptance on the biomedical side, there is greater public resistance to nanomaterial inclusion in food because people think there is great risk for health and the persistent metal or metal oxide nanoparticles could move into the bloodstream, and research has shown they can migrate into cells or in some cases even into the nucleus of cells.

More research is necessary to understand the kinetics and dynamics of these particles before large-scale applications in food are developed.