"People are understandably sensitive about changes to the food that they eat. In the past the introduction of novel technologies in the food sector has sometimes met with resistance or even hostility. The public's attitude toward food is influenced by a number of considerations including a fear of novel risks, the level of trust in the effectiveness of regulation, and other wider social and psychological factors (shaped by views on health, the environment and science). The development of nanotechnologies in the food sector may well elicit some of these concerns. However, as many new technologies have in the past, they may offer consumers and society a number of benefits. We launched this inquiry into the use of nanotechnologies in the food sector to investigate whether nanotechnologies may indeed play a valuable role in the food sector, whether effective systems are in place to ensure that consumers are aware of and protected against any potential risks, and to understand and address some of the concerns that the public may have about these new technologies.

Nanotechnologies enable scientists to manipulate matter at the nanoscale (one thousand millionth of a metre). Within this size-range, materials can exhibit new and unusual properties, such as altered chemical reactivity, or changed electronic, optical or magnetic behaviour. Such materials have applications across a breadth of sectors, ranging from healthcare to construction and electronics.


Nanomaterials have a range of potential applications in the food sector that may offer benefits to both consumers and industry. These include creating foods with unaltered taste but lower fat, salt or sugar levels, or improved packaging that keeps food fresher for longer or tells consumers if the food inside is spoiled. At present the number of food products that contain nanomaterials is small, but this may well change over the next five years or so as the technology develops. For these reasons, we make a series of recommendations that are intended to support the responsible development of nanotechnologies in the food sector and to ensure that potential benefits to consumers and society are supported, where appropriate, by Government. [...]"

Support: Digital