The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) requested a review of the already marketed and in-development applications of nanomaterials in the agri/feed/food sectors. The results of the review are published in the August 2016 issue of Trends in Food Science & Technology in an article entitled “Nanomaterials for products and application in agriculture, feed and food.” The article highlights include:
- Nanotechnology is applied in agricultural production, animal feed, food processing, additives, and food contact materials;
- Nano-encapsulates, silver, titanium dioxide, and silica are the most often mentioned nanomaterials in the literature;
- A comparison between marketed and in-development applications indicates a trend moving from inorganic to organic nanomaterials; and
- Nanotechnology is an enabling technology, therefore product description should contain the function of a nanomaterial in the product.