Documents European Food Safety Authority, Parma 1 results

"This opinion addresses engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). Food and feed are addressed together, since the basic aspects (applications and potential impacts) are expected to be similar. This opinion is generic in nature and is in itself not a risk assessment of nanotechnologies as such or a survey of tentative applications or possible uses thereof or of specific products.
It is claimed that nanotechnologies offer a variety of possibilities for application in the food and feed area - in production/processing technology, to improve food contact materials, to monitor food quality and freshness, improved traceability and product security, modification of taste, texture, sensation, consistency and fat content, and for enhanced nutrient absorption. Food packaging makes up the largest share of current and short-term predicted markets.
Formulation at the nanosize may change the physico-chemical characteristics of materials as compared to the dissolved and micro/macroscale forms of the same substance. Their small size, high surface-to-mass ratio and surface reactivity are important properties, both for new applications and in terms of the associated potential health and environmental risks."