Nanotechnology and food reports
- Expert reaction
Nanomaterials currently used in food additives and packaging do not appear to pose a health risk but we will need to
keep an eye on newer materials in the pipeline, reports Trans-tasman food regulator.
FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) has released two reports reviewing the evidence for the safety of nanotechnologies in food packaging and food additives.
Certain compounds, when engineered as particles measuring on the nano scale (one billionth of a meter), can exhibit
certain properties; for example, nano-silver particles have antimicrobial properties.
The new reports find that for the most common compounds (nanoscale silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide and silver) "the
weight of evidence does not support claims of significant health risks for food grade materials." Although there some
areas that may need further research.
Newer nanomaterials patented in the US are not in currently use in Australia or New Zealand. However FSANZ notes that
their conclusions "may need to be reviewed as the sophistication and application of nanotechnologies to food and food
packaging advances."
More information about nanotechnology and food can be found on the FSANZ website.
The SMC collected the following commentary. Feel free to use these quotes in your reporting. Full comment available here, and expert contact details are available on Scimex (must be logged in).
Prof Simon Brown, Professor of Physics at the University of Canterbury, comments:
"FSANZ has commissioned reports on the issue of whether it is safe to use nanoparticles in food additives and food
packaging. FSANZ’s first key finding is that these reports indicate that the weight of evidence does not support claims
of significant health risks. At first sight this is good news for the consumer, and so it is a shame that many readers
will stop reading at this point, believing that there is no issue.
"In fact the Executive Summaries of the reports are much more balanced and highlight some significant issues, and in
particular the lack of concrete evidence about the safety of these materials, and the fact that we don't even know very
well how to measure if they are present. Very little is known about the effects of long-term exposure to low doses of
these materials and such studies are notoriously difficult.
"Given the very significant scientific uncertainties, I think these reports sound an appropriate note of caution: the
situation is not nearly as simple as FSANZ's key finding suggests.
"FSANZ should be congratulated for commissioning these reports, but its response is glib. It will remain the case for
many years to come that there are considerable uncertainties about the effects of the use of nanoparticles in consumer
products, and New Zealand's regulatory system would do well to acknowledge those uncertainties, rather than simply
giving the green light to these products."
From our colleagues at the Australian Science Media Centre:
Prof Andrew Bartholomaeus is a consultant toxicologist with adjunct professor appointments at the University of Canberra
the University of Queensland and has previously been the chief toxicologist for the Therapeutic Goods Administration and
the General Manager of the Risk Assessment Branch of FSANZ. He comments:
"The recent reviews conducted for FSANZ of nano-sized materials in food and food packaging draw conclusions largely
consistent with the overall body of evidence and with previous considerations by other regulatory agencies.
"The human diet naturally contains material in the nano-metre size range and nanoparticulate material, such as silicon
dioxide and titanium dioxide, has been a component of some foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals for many decades.
Regardless of the particle size of soluble food components, once dissolved they are indistinguishable from traditional
materials.
"Although the safety of any food additive requires, and receives, careful assessment by regulatory bodies prior to
approval, overall the safety or otherwise of food additives and packaging components generally has very little to do
with particle size and to date no toxicological effect unique to nano-particulates following oral administration has
been identified."
Prof David Lewis, Director of the Centre for NanoScale Science and Technology, Flinders University, comments:
"The use of Nano-materials in food packaging offers a lot of benefits and new opportunities. These include the promise
of offering extended shelf-life to perishable foods such as red meat and chicken, giving significant food safety and
health benefits – not to mention the cost and environmental savings associated with less food wastage. This report is a
positive step forward to allowing this to happen in Australia and letting us catch up to other parts of the world."
A/Prof Michael Biercuk, research leader at the Australian Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, comments:
"Nanotechnologies and nanomaterials can pose a health risk similar to general industrial chemicals. The existence of
particles or materials with sizes on the nanoscale in food or food packaging is longstanding - they've existed before we
even knew to call them nanoparticles. Moreover, their existence does not appear to pose any new form of health risk in a
way that is qualitatively different than other additives. Monitoring and analysis of any food packaging or additives
should reasonably consider nanoparticles alongside a host of other chemicals.
"Overall in considering exposure to nanoparticles we have to think about relative scales. The amount of nanoparticles to
which we are exposed through food packaging or additives is dwarfed by our exposure coming from the exhaust of internal
combustion engines, dust from sand on the beach, or bushfires. Given the known toxicity of man-made nanoparticles in
vehicle exhaust the most pressing health concerns suggest the need for improved air pollution controls before concerns
about food packaging become significant."
Prof Ian D. Rae is an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne, an advisor to the United Nations
Environment Programme on chemicals in the environment, and is former President of the Royal Australian Chemical
Institute. He comments:
"These are very good reports. Roger Drew is one of Australia's leading toxicologists.
"The reports draw on patent literature, but only to show the likely uses of nanomaterials in packaging.
"They examined the published research literature, which shows that migration of nanomaterials from packaging is
negligible. However, the authors caution that (a) there is not very much of that literature (few research studies) and
(b) more needs to be known about the toxicology of nanomaterials.
"Some nanomaterials have been included in food for years now, with no evident ill effects.
"At present it seems that there is some use of such materials overseas, but not here. Companies might claim superior
performance of their packaging but they will be wary of volunteering information about the inclusion of nanomaterials
because they know that, for some people, it is a sensitive issue.
"An independent assessment of whether nanomaterials are present in packaging would require a full chemical analysis and
cost a lot of money. In view of the likely low exposure and low hazard, the risk is low and so it is unlikely that
anybody would do this."
ends