Nanomaterials In Food Under Scrutiny

The U.K.'s House of Lords Science & Technology Committee has released a report calling on the food industry to be more transparent about its use of nanotechnology. The committee acknowledged that food manufacturers are concerned about negative public reactions to the use of nanoscale materials in food, but it warned that hiding research on nanotech foods may backfire and lead to the type of public fear that companies are trying to prevent. The report offers several recommendations, including increased funding from the U.K. Government & Research Councils to investigate potential health and safety risks of nanomaterials in food and how nanomaterials behave in the body. It also urges the U.K Food Standards Agency to establish and maintain a publicly available registry of nanotech foods and food packaging. Nanomaterials can be used to create foods with reduced fat, salt, or sugar without altering taste, and they can be added to food packaging to keep foods fresher or warn consumers when a food is spoiled. Currently, the number of nanotech food products is small, but it is expected to grow rapidly.