Hearing Held on Nanotechnology in Food

On Tuesday, Professor Ken Donaldson from the University of Edinburgh and Dr Qasim Chaudhry attended a hearing with the U.K. House of Lords to discuss the risks of using nanotechnology in food.

As part of the evidence given, the scientists discussed the following issues:

i) the ability of nanoparticles to cross the gut wall and other cellular barriers;
ii) the potential novel toxic effects of such nanoparticles in the human body;
iii) the possibility that other materials in the gut (e.g. bacteria or other contaminants) may attach to the nanoparticles and be transported across the gut wall (the Trojan Horse Effect).

There are over 200 nanotechnology-based products available commercially on the global market, according to SAFENANO, a watchdog group.

Regional governments in Australia are considering mandatory nanotechnology risk labels. The European Parliament is also revisiting how nanotechnology is regulated. And organic trade groups in the United States have been calling for bans of nanotechnology-based foods.