The safety of nanomaterials in food production and packaging

• Published in: Current research in food science Vol. 5; pp. 763 - 774
• Main Authors: Onyeaka, Helen, Passaretti, Paolo, Miri, Taghi, Al-Sharify, Zainab T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.01.2022; Elsevier
• Subjects: employment; food industry; Food production; food safety; Health; human health; medicine; nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Packaging; Review; risk; Safety; shelf life; Toxicity; traditional foods; Packaging; Food production; Safety; Toxicity; Health; Nanotechnology
• ISSN: 2665-9271; 2665-9271
• DOI: 10.1016/j.crfs.2022.04.005

Nanotechnology involves developing, characterising, and applying structures ranging in size from 1 to 100 nm. As a key advanced technology, it has contributed to a substantial impact across engineering, medicine, agriculture and food. With regards to their application in food, nanomaterials posses the ability to lead the quantitative and qualitative development of high-quality, healthier, and safer foods by outperforming traditional food processing technologies for increasing shelf life and preventing contaminations. Although rapid progress has been made in nanotechnology in food products, the toxicity of nanoparticles and nanomaterials is not very well known. As a result, nanomaterials are potentially toxic, therefore, considering the constantly increasing employment in food science, they need to be further characterised, and their use must be better regulated. We may face a crisis of nanotoxicity if the molecular mechanisms by which nanoparticles and nanomaterials interact with food and within living organisms is not fully understood. Food safety can be guaranteed only if we are thoroughly aware of nanomaterial properties and potential toxicity. Therefore, it is urgently necessary to have in the food sector a regulatory system capable of managing nanofood risks and nanotechnology, considering the health effects of food processing techniques based on nanotechnology. This present review discusses the impact and role nanotechnology play in food science. The specific application of Nanomaterials in food science, their advantages and disadvantages, the potential risk for human health and the analysis to detect nanocomponents are also highlighted. [Display omitted] •Nanotechnology can be used in food and feed processing at any level.•Nanocomposite materials have been used in active packaging to prevent the passage of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and moisture into the food.•Nanomaterials must be used with caution because they have the potential to cause toxic effects.•Nanomaterials can travel deeper into the nucleus of cells and damaging the DNA.•Analytical methods are required to reliably detect and characterize nanoparticles.