Controversy surrounds Nanotech food supply experiments

Responding to the Guardian report, Julian Hunt, FDF's director of communications, said, “Given that nanotechnology is in its infancy in the food and drink sector and that bringing new innovations to market is a long and complex process, we are surprised that the report seems to criticize the food industry for an apparent reluctance to communicate extensively on this subject." 

“Understandably, there are many questions and unknowns about the potential future uses of nanotechnologies in our sector, and there is much work still to be done by scientists, governments and regulators, as well as the food and drink industry,” he is quoted as saying.

However, he added: “We support the report's recommendation for the formation of an open discussion group to bring more transparency that we know is important to consumers, indeed we are already engaged in such initiatives, both at UK and EU level.”

Because of the far-ranging claims that have been made about potential applications of nanotechnology, a number of serious concerns have been raised about what effects these will have on our society if realized, and what action if any is appropriate to mitigate these risks.

In the forefront of nanofood development in the United States is Kraft Foods, which took the lead when it created the Nanotek Consortium, a collaboration of 15 universities and national research labs. Kraft’s focus is on "interactive" foods and beverages. These products will be customized to fit the tastes and needs of consumers at an individual level. Possible products include drinks that change colors and flavors to foods that can recognize and adjust to a consumer's allergies or nutritional needs, according to a Kraft press release. Other large American-based companies, such as Nestlé and Unilever, are exploring improved emulsifiers that will make "food texture more uniform." 

These huge Western companies are responsible for the bulk of the food industry’s research and development, however the nanofood industry is truly a global phenomenon and while U.S. lawmakers and government officials seem uninterested or ignorant of nanofood experimentation, Europeans seem to be questioning what they've characterized as "nanotachnology secrecy."

There are possible dangers that arise with the development of nanotechnology. The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology suggests that new developments could result, among other things, in untraceable weapons of mass destruction, networked cameras for use by the government, and weapons developments fast enough to destabilize arms races ("Nanotechnology Basics").

One area of concern is the effect that industrial-scale manufacturing and use of nanomaterials would have on human health and the environment, as suggested by nanotoxicology research within the private sector.

The report highlights “significant gaps” in the understanding of how nanomaterials impact on the human body, and that it is not currently possible to predict what risks specific nanomaterials may present.

It is now urging the government and research councils to adequately fund research into potential health and safety risks arising from the use of nanomaterials in the food sector.

The CRN recommends that the Food Standards Agency should maintain a publicly available register of food and food packaging containing nanomaterials, rather than the blanket labeling of nanomaterials, to help consumers make informed choices.

According to Dr. Becker, Nanotechnology, shortened to "nanotech", is the study of the controlling of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally nanotechnology deals with structures of the size 100 nanometers or smaller in at least one dimension, and involves developing materials or devices within that size.

One nanometer (nm) is one billionth, or 10⁻⁹, of a meter. By comparison, typical carbon-carbon bond lengths, or the spacing between these atoms in a molecule, are in the range 0.12–0.15 nm, and a DNA double-helix has a diameter around 2 nm. On the other hand, the smallest cellular life-forms, the bacteria of the genus Mycoplasma, are around 200 nm in length.

To put that scale in another context, the comparative size of a nanometer to a meter is the same as that of a marble to the size of the earth.Or another way of putting it: a nanometer is the amount a man's beard grows in the time it takes him to raise the razor to his face.

There has been much debate on the future implications of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has the potential to create many new materials and devices with a vast range of applications, such as in medicine, electronics and energy production. On the other hand, nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as with any introduction of new technology, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials, and their potential effects on global economics, as well as speculation about various doomsday scenarios. These concerns have led to a debate among advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is warranted.