528 THE JOURNAL OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS
JEAN C. BUZBY
Nanotechnology for Food Applications:
More Questions Than Answers
This article highlights the scientific evidence to date on a variety
of nanotechnology issues important to consumers with a focus on
food applications. Nanotechnology is technology at the atomic or
macromolecular levels on the scale of approximately 1–100 nm. There
are unlimited potential applications of nanotechnology for food,
dietary supplements and food contact materials. However, there are
more questions than answers about the safety risks of nanotechnology,
its environmental, health and other impacts, and its costs and benefits.
Benefits and costs will likely be specific to the nanomaterials used, the
application and other conditions (e.g., temperature).
Nanotechnology is the purposeful manipulation or engineering of
atoms and molecules at the nanoscale so that familiar materials have
new and often unique properties and behavioral traits that can be used in
new applications. Nanomaterials are designed to have at least one dimen-
sion (length, width, height) at the nanoscale of 1–100 nm. The nanoscale
dimension is a size so small that it is 1/100,000 of a typical sheet of paper
or 1/80,000 of a human hair. Nanomaterials that have a nanoscale length,
width and height are known as nanoparticles. Nanotechnology, with its
almost limitless range of novel food and other applications, has been
promoted by some as the driving spark for the next industrial revolution
(Priestly, Harford, and Sim 2007). For example, scientists can manipulate
silver on the nanoscale and create nanosilver, which has potent antimicro-
bial properties beneficial for many applications, including refrigerators
embedded with nanosilver.
Although many nano-sized particles occur in nature, such as lactose
and whey proteins found in human milk, the focus here is on those
purposely manipulated or engineered for new applications. This article
focuses on nanotechnology for food applications, such as for foods (with
new nano-ingredients and additives), nutritional supplements and food
contact materials. Here, food contact materials include materials used to
Jean C. Buzby (jbuzby@ers.usda.gov) is an Economist with the US Department of Agriculture’s
Economic Research Service. The views expressed here are those of the author and may not be
attributed to the Economic Research Service, or the US Department of Agriculture.
The Journal of Consumer Affairs, Vol. 44, No. 3, 2010
ISSN 0022-0078
Copyright 2010 by The American Council on Consumer Interests
,FALL 2010 VOLUME 44, NUMBER 3 529
produce, package, store, handle or serve food that comes or may come
into contact with food. As the first examination of nanotechnology in
the Journal of Consumer Affairs, this article contributes to a broader
understanding of issues associated with nanotechnology by openly dis-
cussing these issues using balanced information and scientific findings
in non-technical language. Because the science and marketing of nan-
otechnologies are evolving at a rapid pace, the aim here is to present the
current evidence to date in a way that addresses a series of questions
that will be important to consumers, industry, policymakers and others
in the United States as nanotechnologies for food applications become
increasingly developed and commercialized. These questions were cho-
sen to highlight the key issues that are likely to be of particular interest
to consumers. These issues range from safety of the technology, to con-
sumer acceptance of the technology, to legal and regulatory oversight for
food-related applications of nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology is a new and rapidly emerging field, with most of
the expansion occurring in the past decade. In 1997, worldwide nan-
otechnology research and development was estimated at $432 million,
but by 2005, this amount rose ninefold to around $4.1 billion (Roco
2005a). The Institute of Food Science and Technology (2006) estimates
that more than 200 companies are involved in nanotechnology worldwide
and identifies the United States, Japan and China as the world leaders
for food applications. The European Union is another world leader for
food and agriculture applications. According to Chaudhry et al. (2008),
a market-analysis report by Cientifica estimates that there were as many
as 400 companies used nanotechnology for food applications in 2006.
In 1996, the Nanotechnology Working Group estimated that the inter-
national market for products incorporating nanotechnology would reach
$1 trillion by 2015 (Roco 2005b). In the food and beverage packaging
sector alone, worldwide sales of products using nanotechnology grew
almost sixfold in two years from $150 million in 2002 to $860 million
in 2004 (Helmut Kaiser Consultancy 2009).
The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) by the Woodrow
Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Pew Charitable Trusts
was established in April 2005. On an ongoing basis, PEN compiles and
publishes an online inventory of nanotechnology-based consumer prod-
ucts currently marketed worldwide. This inventory is not comprehensive
and listed items are claimed by manufacturers rather than certified by an
independent third party as an actual use of nanotechnology. Nevertheless,
this inventory is believed by many to provide the most accurate account
of commercial nanotechnology applications worldwide. As of July 29,
, 530 THE JOURNAL OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS
2009, the inventory included slightly over 800 manufacturer-identified
nanotechnology-based consumer products, some of which were listed in
more than one product category. The listing included seventy-four food
and beverage applications, comprising forty-three supplements (57.3%),
such as colloids of zinc nanoparticles and other minerals; twenty storage
applications (26.7%); nine cooking applications (12%) (e.g., nanosilver
teapots and kitchen- and table-ware); and three foods (4%). The three
food and beverage items included: (1) a canola active oil from Israel
that is claimed to inhibit cholesterol transportation into the bloodstream
and allow greater penetration of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals
that are insoluble in water or fats; (2) a tea from China that is claimed
to provide health benefits; and (3) a chocolate shake drink from United
States that is claimed to use an advanced form of cocoa to enhance flavor
without the need for excess sugar. Although nanosilver is not claimed to
be in any commercially available food products, there has been a patent
application by a South Korean company to use nanosilver as an addi-
tive in the production of antibacterial wheat flour (Chaudhry et al. 2008).
In general, nanotechnology is used for many current and potential food
applications (Table 1).
KEY QUESTIONS ABOUT NANOTECHNOLOGY
FOR FOOD APPLICATIONS
Important questions for consumers, industry and policymakers in the
United States have been raised about nanotechnology for food applica-
tions. This article addresses six such questions.
Is Nanotechnology for Food Applications Safe?
The safety risks will likely depend on the specifics, such as the type
of nanotechnology used, the type of application (Bouwmeester and Sips
2007) (i.e., the specific food, nutritional supplement or food contact
materials) and other conditions (e.g., temperature). Broad statements that
nanomaterials are safe or not safe are meaningless just as it makes little
sense to claim that chemicals as a whole are safe or not safe (Magnu-
son 2008). In other words, nanoparticles “are structurally and chemically
diverse and should not be considered as a group of similar compounds” in
a safety assessment (ASCC 2006). Nevertheless, bearing this in mind, it is
useful at times, such as in this article, to provide basic and balanced infor-
mation to consumers, industry and policymakers to help the growing dia-
logue as nanotechnology applications are developed and commercialized.
