Excerpt

On December 10, 2008, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) held a oneday workshop to further explore the use of nanotechnology in food. Specifically, the workshop was organized around three primary topic areas: (1) the application of nanotechnology to food products (“Session 1”); (2) the safety and efficacy of nanomaterials in food products (“Session 2”); and (3) educating and informing consumers about the applications of nanotechnology to food products (“Session 3”). Ten experts who have been involved in food nanotechnology since its inception and who are recognized as world authorities in the field were invited to give presentations. Each session comprised three or four presentations, followed by open discussion.

Contents

• The National Academies
• Planning Committee for a Workshop on Nanotechnology in Food Products: Impact on Food Science, Nutrition, and the Consumer
• Food Forum
• Reviewers
• Overview
• 1. Introduction
  • MAJOR WORKSHOP THEMES
  • NANOTECHNOLOGY: A NEW FRONTIER IN FOODS, FOOD PACKAGING, AND NUTRIENT DELIVERY
• 2. Application of Nanotechnology to Food Products
  • APPLICATIONS OF NANOSCIENCES TO NUTRIENTS AND FOODS
  • MICRO AND NANOTECHNOLOGIES FOR PROCESS CONTROL AND QUALITY ASSESSMENT
  • USE OF NANOMATERIALS TO IMPROVE FOOD QUALITY AND FOOD SAFETY: NUTRIENT ENCAPSULATION AND FOOD PACKAGING
  • OPEN DISCUSSION
• 3. Safety and Efficacy of Nanomaterials in Food Products
  • A BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON NANOSTRUCTURES IN FOODS
  • FDA OVERSIGHT OF NANOTECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS IN FOODS, FOOD PACKAGING, AND NUTRIENT DELIVERY
  • REGULATORY ISSUES CONCERNING FOOD AND NUTRIENT PRODUCTS CONTAINING NANOMATERIALS
  • OPEN DISCUSSION
• 4. Educating and Informing Consumers About Applications of Nanotechnology to Food Products
  • NANOTECHNOLOGY AND FOOD: THE PUBLIC KNOWS “NANO”
  • CHALLENGES IN EDUCATING CONSUMERS ABOUT EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
  • CONSUMER INTEREST IN AND CONCERNS WITH EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
  • PANEL DISCUSSION ON CURRENT ISSUES
• Appendixes
  • A Workshop Agenda
  • B Workshop Participants
  • C Speaker Biographies
  • D Acronyms and Abbreviations

Leslie Pray and Ann Yaktine, Rapporteurs.

This study was supported by Contract Nos. AG-3A94-C-09-0025 (U.S. Department of Agriculture), N01-OD-4-2139 (National Institutes of Health), and HHSF223200811169P (Food and Drug Administration) between the National Academy of Sciences. Additional support came from Abbott Laboratories, Cargill, Coca-Cola Company, ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Kellogg Company, Kraft Foods, Mars, McDonalds, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Monsanto, and PepsiCo.

Suggested citation:

IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2009. Nanotechnology in food products: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.