A review of Nano Food Safety

Abstract

Introduction of genetically modified (GM) foods generated a lot of controversy few years back, now it is 
the turn of nanofoods. There has been debate on the safety of foods that have been produced directly 
or indirectly with nanomaterials. Nanoparticles or nanotechnology procedures may be used to make 
food products, food additives, seeds and food packaging materials to give rise to a new and novel 
nanofood. While a lot have been written about the benefits of nanotechnology and nanomaterials in the 
food system, there is little research into the toxicological and possible hazard of nanofood. In this 
paper, the concept of nanotechnology, its diverse applications in the food industry and recent safety 
issues are considered. The paper concluded that it is necessary to do a thorough risk assessment of 
nanofoods before they are released to the market.