The
Nano Foods
Over
the last decade, the uses of nano scale structures in the food sector is
increasing, where popularity, interest and activities in the area of research have
greatly focused. The rapidly evolving nanotechnology will create impact on
every aspect of the food system from production to processing, packaging,
transportation, shelf life and bioavailability. As technology advances, nano-biotechnology
devices or materials used on technology become smaller and more sensitive,
whereas applicability in the areas of food packaging and food safety are exceptional.
Nonetheless, food preservation using nanomaterial is expected to be promising and
catch up the commercialization as fast as possible which will protect food from
the moisture, lipids, gases, off-flavors, and odors, because of their unique
and novel properties. The nanotechnology can be used as an excellent vehicle to
deliver bioactive compounds to the target tissues, but issues on the
consequences of nanotechnology need to be addressed in order to alleviate
consumer concerns. As a matter of fact, the advances in nanotechnology are
paving new paths day by day, yet there are many challenges and opportunities to
improve the current technology. The major consumer concerns, such as transparency
of safety issues and environmental impact should be thoroughly tested before
they are released to the market while uniform international regulatory
framework for food nanotechnology is a must.
Potential of Nanotechnology
in Food Processing, Quality and Safety
Applications
of nanotechnology in the food sector is continuously evolving, where
nanostructured food ingredients are being developed with the claims that they
offer improved taste, texture, and increased the shelf-life of different kinds
of food materials. The nanotechnology also help to brought down the extent of
wastage of food due to microbial infestation. Nano-encapsulation is a major
area of nanotechnology application in the food sector, where nanoparticles are
manufactured to encapsulate food ingredients and additives to mask their
unpleasant odour, tastes or flavours. The encapsulation further control
interactions of active ingredients with the food matrix, control the release of
the active agents, ensure availability at a target time and specific rate, and
protect them from moisture, heat, chemical, or biological degradation during
processing, storage, and utilization, improve dispersion of water-insoluble
food ingredients, which also exhibit the compatibility with other compounds in
the system. Hence, these delivery systems possess the ability to penetrate
deeply into tissues due to their smaller size and thus allow efficient delivery
of active compounds to target sites in the body. Another major focus of
application of nanotechnology in food processing involves the development of
nanostructured food ingredients and additives, which claims that they offer
improved taste, texture and consistency, enhanced bioavailability and permit
mixing of previously "incompatible" ingredients in food matrix.
Examples of nanostructured foodstuffs include spreads, ice cream, yoghurt,
nano-salt, etc. Other indirect applications of nanotechnology in food area
include the development of nano-sized agrochemicals and veterinary medicines. Nanoparticles
are offering better properties for encapsulation and release than traditional
encapsulation which improve the efficacy of the process. 
There
are various encapsulating delivery systems including synthetic and natural
polymerbased have been developed for the improved bioavailability and
preservation of the active food components. The nanotechnology in food
processing has been considered with its role in the improvement of food
products in terms of;
Food texture
Food appearance
Food taste
Nutritional value of
the food
Food shelf-life
The
nano-carriers are currently being utilized as delivery systems to carry food
additives in food products without disturbing their basic morphology. Particle
size may directly affect the delivery of any bioactive compound to various
sites within the body as it was noticed that in some cell lines, only submicron
nanoparticles can be absorbed efficiently but not the larger size
micro-particles. An ideal delivery system is supposed to have following
properties: (i) able to deliver the active compound precisely at the target
place (ii) ensure availability at a target time and specific rate, and (iii)
efficient to maintain active compounds at suitable levels for long periods of
time (in storage condition). Nanotechnology being applied in the formation of
encapsulation, emulsions, biopolymer matrices, simple solutions, and
association colloids offers efficient delivery systems with all the
above-mentioned qualities. Nano polymers are trying to replace conventional
materials in food packaging. Nanosensors can be used to prove the presence of
contaminants, mycotoxins, and microorganisms in food.
Nonetheless,
nanotechnology has also enabled significant alterations in food products with
novel qualities. The application of nanoparticles is not limited to
antimicrobial food packaging but nanocomposite and nano-laminates have been
actively used in food packaging to provide a barrier from extreme thermal and
mechanical shock extending food shelf-life. In this way, the incorporation of
nanoparticles into packaging materials offers quality food with longer
shelf-life. The purpose of creating polymer composites is to have more
mechanical and thermostable packing materials. Many inorganic or organic
fillers are being used in order to achieve improved polymer composites. The
incorporation of nanoparticles in polymers has allowed developing more resist
packaging material with cost effectiveness. Use of inert nanoscale fillers such
as clay and silicate nanoplatelets, silica (SiO2) nanoparticles,
chitin or chitosan into the polymer matrix renders it lighter, stronger, fire
resistance, and better thermal properties. Antimicrobial nanocomposite films
which are prepared by impregnating the fillers (having at least one dimension
in the nanometric range or nanoparticles) into the polymers offer two-way
benefit because of their structural integrity and barrier properties.
Nanomaterials for use in the construction of
biosensors offers the high level of sensitivity and other novel attributes. In
food microbiology, nanosensors or nanobiosensors are used for the detection of
pathogens in processing plants or in food material, quantification of available
food constituents, alerting consumers and distributors on the safety status. The
nanosensor works as an indicator that responds to changes in environmental
conditions such as humidity or temperature in storage rooms, microbial
contamination, or products degradation. Various nanostructures like thin films,
nanorods, nanoparticles and nanofibers have been examined to their possible
applications in biosensors. Thin film-based optical immunosensors for detection
of microbial substances or cells have led to the rapid and highly sensitive
detection systems. In these immunosensors, specific antibodies, antigens, or
protein molecules are immobilized on thin nano-films or sensor chips which emit
signals on detection of target molecules. A dimethylsiloxane microfluidic
immunosensor integrated with specific antibody immobilized on an alumina
nanoporous membrane was developed for rapid detection of foodborne
pathogens Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus with
electrochemical impedance spectrum. Nanotechnology can also assist in the
detection of pesticides, pathogens, and toxins serving in the food quality
tracking–tracing–monitoring chain.
Biosensors
based on carbon nanotubes also gained much attention due to their rapid
detection, simplicity and cost effectiveness and have also been successfully
applied for the detection of microorganisms, toxins, and other degraded
products in food and beverages. Toxin antibodies attached to these nanotubes
causes a detectable change in conductivity when bound to waterborne toxins and
therefore are used to detect waterborne toxins. Further, the use of electronic
tongue or nose which is consists of the array of nanosensors monitor the food
condition by giving signals on aroma or gases released by food items. The
quartz crystal microbalance (QCM)-based electric nose can detect the
interaction between various odorants and chemicals that have been coated on the
crystal surface of the QCM. Many studies on small molecule detection have used
quartz crystal surfaces that have been modified with different functional
groups or biological molecules, such as amines, enzymes, lipids, and various
polymers.
