Current high levels of consumer confidence in Europe’s food industry could be damaged if the use of nanotechnology is not properly regulated or managed, the CIAA Congress in Brussels was told on Friday. In its final conference session, delegates debated the question of trust between food manufacturers and the public. Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, executive director of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) stressed a recent report by the EU’s Eurobarometer survey that had shown European... ...Read more »

The food sector in the UK has come in for criticism from a research committee for a lack of transparency when it comes to nanotechnology. The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee said that the food industry had “(failed) to be transparent about its research into the uses of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials”, a claim denied by the sector. In their report, Nanotechnologies and Food, the Committee noted that transparency and honesty are key components for ensuring public trust... ...Read more »

The use of nanotechnology in food could lead to food tasting and looking better, but knowledge regarding any possible negative health affect is scarce. Leading Australian consumer group Choice believes nanotechnology is already used in around 800 non-food products, with food manufacturers now exploring its potential behind closed doors. “(There are) invisible sunscreens, where there’s a nano-scale titanium dioxide, which gives transparent protection from UV,” Choice spokesman Christopher... ...Read more »

People remain cautious about the emergence of new food technologies according to a review of existing research, published by the UK’s Food Standards Agency.The report, which looks at research since 1999, brings together knowledge from the UK and beyond, on public opinion about up-and-coming food technologies, such as nanotechnologies and cloning. According to the research, GM and animal cloning remain the areas of most concern for people. However, the review also showed that food technologies... ...Read more »

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC), which represents food and beverage manufacturers, has welcomed a public debate on the nanotechnology, which will kick off with the Nanodialogue – Nanotech and Food Regulation conference in Melbourne tomorrow, AFGC Chief Executive Kate Carnell said today. “We are pleased that Choice has accepted the invitation to attend this meeting and to participate in the discussions,” she said. “The food and grocery industry is not an advocate... ...Read more »

The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) Scientific Committee has concluded that current international approaches to risk assessment can also be applied to engineered nano materials (ENM) in food, with a case-by-case approach necessary. Given current data limitations and a lack of validated test methodologies, risk assessment of specific nano products remains very difficult and subject to a high degree of uncertainty, they added. Their opinion focussed specifically on the use of nanotechnologies,... ...Read more »