I have chosen nanotechnology as my topic area of choice from the food innovation module.
Nanotechnology is science, technology and engineering that is conducted at the nanoscale. The nanoscale is about 1 to 100 nanometres.
Figure 1: Image of the nanoscale, this illustration shows how small things at the nanoscale really are (nano.gov, 2013).
Nanotechnology has found many potential applications in the area of functional foods by engineering biological molecules toward functions very different from those they have in nature, opening up a whole new area of research and development.
The food industry has been using nanotechnology for a little over a decade now to change the way we grow and maintain our food. Nanotechnology uses in food has many advantages – it can give the producers the power to control how food looks, tastes and even how long it lasts. Listed below are the top ten uses of nanotechnology in foods:
1. Contamination Sensor: This flashes a light to reveal the presence of the bacteria E.coli.
2. Enhanced Nutrient Delivery: Nano-encapsulating improves the solubility of antioxidants, vitamins, healthy omega oils and other neutraceuticals
3. Green Packaging: Nano fibres can be constructed from organic corn or lobster shells and are both antimicrobial and biodegradable.
4. Antimicrobial Packaging: Edible films are produced which incorporate cinnamon, zinc, calcium, oregano oil or other materials that can kill bacteria.
5. Improved Food Storage: Nano- enhanced barriers are used to keep oxygen sensitive foods fresher.
6. Flavour: The tongue can be tricked with bitter blockers or sweet/salty enhancers.
7. Texture: Nano sized crystals and lipids improve certain foods spreadablity and stability.
8. Pesticide Reducti...
... middle of paper ...
...esity is becoming an epidemic, nanotechnology could be used to create foods which are low in fat, salt and sugar but are still nutritionally dense and taste great. Food is naturally nanostructured material – simply boiling an egg causes many changes; the proteins in the egg white change shape and tangle together to form a solid. We now have the opportunity to study what exactly happens in these nanoscale changes. Nanotechnology gives us many ways to ensure our food is safe and waste is cut down. However, there are many concerns that this form of processing is another way to put more power into the hands of large food companies- yet food has never been safer than it is today largely due to the strict hygiene and sanitation practices these companies follow. As the population continues to grow – so too will the importance of new food technologies like nanotechnology.
They found that surface bacterial counts were significantly diminished when treated with nanocrystalline dressing. Bacteria are known to damage tissue leading to poor healing, thus lower bacterial load as a result of silver nanocrystalline dressing, facilitates wound healing, while growth factors are crucial in healing, as they attract cells necessary for epithelial cell migration and fibroblast growth and they initiate the formation of new blood vessels in the injured area. [14] Moreover, studies on a mouse model reveal that wounds treated with silver nanoparticle dressings resemble more to normal skin when it comes to collagen configuration and tensile properties, compared to untreated control
Chemical advancement in modern science is a contributing factor to “better”, faster, and cheaper food production. Although the ideas of GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms) that scientists thrive for are theoretically beneficial, they are corrupting the natural methods for farming and food that consumers will purchase. Nowadays, around 70% of food has a genetically modified ingredient. What is being consumed in mass quantities across the country barely constitutes as food in some instances. A prime example lies in the tomato. Tomatoes are sold year round in grocery markets nationwide....
First things first, what exactly are nanotechnology and biotechnology? There has been some less than mild discussion of late about what constitutes legitimate nanotechnology, and suffice it to say that it doesn’t include things like laundry detergents, chemical additives, makeup micro-beads or anything of the like that may be claimed by some companies that are looking for an advantage over their competitors. Also, neither of these growing scientific disciplines includes any of the many terrifying, often alien technologies that swarm and smother, seek and destroy, or otherwise attempt to eradicate the human race from the face of the earth, ad nauseam. Here is a concise definition from The American Heritage Science Dictionary: “Nanotechnology is the science and technology of precisely manipulating the structure of matter at the molecular level. The term nanotechnology embraces many different fields and specialties, including engineering, chemistry, electronics, and medicine, among others, but all are concerned with bringing existing te...
Just what is it that makes up nanotechnology? Atoms and molocules are so small they invented new word to describe them, “nano”, which is a greek prefix meaning dwarf. “In 1981, the development of a powerful microscope allowed people to visualize the nanoscale on metals. Called the scanning tunneling microscope (STM), the microscope magnifies images of the shapes of atoms on the metal's surface.” (Nelson) Manufacturers create ultrafine nanoparticles from common compounds like carbon, silver and titanium dioxide. They can change strength, produce a desired color or even create an antibacterial effect.
Bhat, Z.f., and Hina Bhat. "Animal-free Meat Biofabrication." American Journal of Food Technology 6.6 (2011): 441-59. Print.
Nanotechnology is defined as “ a technology executed on the scale of less than 100 nanometers, the goal of which is to control individual atoms and molecules, especially to create computer chips and other microscopic devices” (Webster’s Dictionary, 1999). In the early 1970’s an MIT student by the name of K. Eric Drexler came up with the idea of manufacturing things, both biological and non-biological, from the molecular level up. Drexler noticed the amazing talents of natural biology and wondered if humans could mimic biology on a mechanical level,
The National Nanotechnology Initiative defines nanotechnology as “science, engineering, and technology conducted at a nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers.” In a calculative sense, there are 25,400,000 nanometers in an inch and a sheet of newspaper is about 100,000 nanometers thick. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter, putting that into perspective, if a marble were a nanometer, a meter would be the size of the Earth. Due to the miniscule size of the work of nanotechnology, it can be used throughout all fields of science, including chemistry, biology, physics, materials science and engineering to study and apply microscopic objects and abstractions.
Nanotechnology could boost crop yields. This is a goal more for undeveloped countries, but will still do the developed and growing countries good. Not only can they help with yield but also could help in the efforts of increasing pesticides and fertilizer effectiveness. There is also the use in animal husbandry. One major benefits would be the benefits of food with Nanotechnology by genetic manipulation creating a better nutrition delivery. Nanotechnology will be the driving force of food industries in sustainability and protection. New technologies like nanoformulations for fertilizers and pesticides have been developed to increase effectiveness. Nanosensor that help to detect diseases and residue identification on crop for protection. Also nanotech to genetically modify food to help with nutrients and health factors. Not only those technologies but there is also attempts to help with post harvest management, animal health, breeding, and poultry production. The nanotech industry seems to have the ability to cover all of food
Reville, William. "Let's Open Our Minds and Mouths to GM Food." Irish Times. 17 Oct. 2013: p. 12. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.
Biotechnology in food and food components currently is significantly relevant to global society and scientific aspects.
Nanotechnology deals with matter that cannot be seen with the naked eye, nor the typical classroom microscope because it involves objects with the dimensions of 100 billionths of a meter or less. It is hard to truly imagine how small nanotechnology is. There are 25,400,000 nanometers in an inch. A sheet of newspaper is approximately 100,000 nanometers thick. Due to its extremely small
Nowadays, there is great interest in the development of functional foods and beverages containing lipophilic bioactive agents that exhibit health benefits, such as oil-soluble vitamins and nutraceuticals. Microencapsulation has been utilized as a technique for the fortification and controlled release of functional food components such as antioxidants, flavors, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and so on (Estevinho and others 2013; Aguiar and others 2016; Gonçalves and others 2016, 2018). A number of microencapsulation techniques for bioactive compounds such as functional edible oils are applied which can be generally divided into 2 separate categories physical (for example, spray-drying) and chemical (for example, complex coacervation) techniques
Biotechnology in food uses genes of plants,microorganisms and animals that have desired production or nutrition related characteristics. The tools that are used in food biotechnology include traditional breeding ,such as cross breeding,and many modern techniques that have to do with using what is known about genes or orders for specific traits to better the quality and quantity of plant species. Food biotechnology modifies the production of fruits and vegetables that ripen on the vine for a better fresher taste. Different type of foods also benefit from food biotechnology .Foods that are developed using biotechnology are studied very carefully and judge by many governing agencies, health expects and scientists all over the world. Biotechnology can assist in the improve ment of the safety of food by reducing the naturally occurring toxins and allergens in different types of food .Food biotechnology is one of many tools farmers and food producers can use to give a food supply that is affordable,safe,convenient and sustainable
Nanotechnology is the study of extremely small things and is used in the fields of chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, and engineering. Nanotechnology is measured on what is called a nanoscale, also known as a nanometer which is one billionth of a meter. The important 3 steps of nanotechnology are “small size, measured in 100s of nanometers or less, unique properties because of the small size, and control the structure and composition on the nm scale in order to control the properties.” Nanostructure is found in nature, like in animals and plants, it is also found in other things in nature such as minerals and etc.
Our body is in need for many nutrients in order to maintain a good health and a healthy immune system; some of these nutrients are introduced in food via nanotechnology. There are nano-sized capsules designed to carry omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, enzymes, and providing the solubility of some vitamins that are being used in food ...