Nanotechnology applied to European food production – A review of ethical and regulatory issues

Emerging trends in European food, diets and food industry

“…In addition, because toxicity is specific for different nanoparticles, a safety and environmental assessment must be performed on a case by case basis (Handfordet al, 2014). Recent evidence do not allow to build a sounds science-based regulatory framework, and thus there are currently no specific regulations on nanotechnology food applications either in EU, USA or elsewhere, (Coles & Frewer;Magnuson et al, 2013). In addition, there is a lack of universal guidelines specifically developed for the safety and environmental assessment of nanotechnology food applications, even though experts from around the globe are working in bringing an international dimension and harmonization to "nanometrology" and standardization of approaches (Magnuson et al, 2013;Schoonjans & Chaudhry, 2017).…”

“…Recent changes in consumers' choices have been emphasized and the up to date knowledge has been reviewed so to suggest future direction for research agenda. As for the trends in the global food industry, the increasing use of functional foods (Siro et al, 2008), the development of novel foods industries (Dovey et al, 2008), and the emergence of nanotechnologies in the food sector (Coles & Frewer, 2013) are likely to represent new frontiers worth great attention.…”

Recycling and Elimination of Wastes obtained from Agriculture by using Nanotechnology: Nanosensors

“…However, despite these actions, it is difficult to know how widespread the application of nanotechnology is in the agri-food sector because there is limited research on the industry's actual awareness of nanotechnology or how it is being applied. So, that, several uncertain factors relating to health and safety, indicates that the incorporation of nanomaterials into food products and packagings may present an entire new array of risks for consumers [46].In the present, there is little regulation regarding nanotechnologies or nanoproducts [47]. There are a few government agencies from different countries have established regulatory frameworks for the use of nanotechnology; these are extensive enough to cover agri-food applications [48].…”

“…The [47]. Also, nanotechnology is used in a variety of food applications but there is not a printed list of food products that involve nanotechnology for that reason it is difficult to estimate the impact of nanotechnology in food and agriculture [57].…”

The contribution of non-thermal and advanced oxidation technologies towards dissipation of pesticide residues

“…Current research in nanotechnology has helped development of nano-particle pesticide applications to impart dose controllability and stability, thereby setting new standards in precision agriculture. While such novel class of nano-pesticides do not wash off readily and therefore are effective, they do pose a new order of risks to consumers of treated plants as the pesticides would consequently be more persistent on the plant (Coles & Frewer, 2013). In-depth information regarding the characterisation of pesticides, their regulatory aspects, and a comprehensive list of references and electronic links for details on agrochemicals in food systems can be found in Greene and Pohanish (2005).…”