The future of nanotechnology in food safety

Manufacturing processing create significant changes in food substances

Marc Swainson, from the University of Lincoln’s National Centre for Food Manufacturing, told FoodQualityNews.com that without solid legislation surrounding the use of nanotechnology in the food sector, commercialization will be solved.
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) draft guidance on the use of nanotechnology in food and food contact substances represents only “marginal process” towards regulation of the technology.
The document, which provides guidance on the use of nano particles in processing practices and food contact substances (FCS), details safety concerns that have not been an issue with traditionally manufactured products.
That should be considered when trying to determine whether manufacturing processing changes create significant changes in food substances.
For example, so called nano-engineered food substances can have significantly altered bioavailability and may, therefore, raise new safety issues that have not been seen in their traditionally manufactures counterparts.
Future consequences
The document added that the consequences-both to costumers and the food industry- later recognized to present a safety concern, could be significant.
The discussion in this document of nanotechnology primarily addresses circumstances in which there has been a manufacturing change to a food substance already used in food.
In response of the FDA guidance, the Center for Food Safety (CFS), Friends of the Earth (FoE), the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (LATP) and the International Center for Technology Assessment (ICTA) have called for the introduction of further regulations to cover the food sector’s use of the new technology.
The Center for Food Safety (CFS), which campaigns against harmful food production technology, has urged the FDA to issue more than just voluntary guidance on the issue.
“Marginal process”
The campaigners, which are all currently working on nanotechnology oversight, have called on the FDA to further the marginal process toward regulation of products made with his new technology.  FDA acknowledged that there are differences between nanomaterials and their bulk counterparts, and the nanomaterials have potential new risks and may require new testing.
Source:  www.foodqualitynews.com
Aporte: Julia Lissek