/Nexus - 1205 - New Times Magazine/pages/0024/image.png)
Page Content (OCR)
weight limits set back in the 1960s aren't necessarily relevant to our lemonade—the nutrient must go to the right place in the body today's nano-scale formulations, since tiny amounts can produce and it must be active when it gets there.'” large effects. Controlling and engineering nutrient delivery is a challenge, Silicon dioxide (SiO2), also known as silica, is another example and its mastery will be enormously profitable. According to of an FDA-approved food additive that doesn't occur naturally in _ industry analysts, in the US alone the market for functional foods foods. Silica is a common substance in nature—beach sand and containing medically beneficial nutrients—worth $23 billion in quartz are almost-pure forms of crystalline silica.'* 2003—will exceed $40 billion in 2008." In addition to a crystalline form, silica occurs naturally in an In December 2000, ETC Group reported on the biotech indus- amorphous form, e.g., diatomaceous earth, and it is this form of _try's quest to develop a new generation of biotech products, genet- silica that is produced synthetically and is an FDA-approved food _ ically modified "nutraceuticals" and functional foods that seek to ingredient as an anti-caking agent." (Amorphous silica is also deliver clear (or at least perceived) consumer benefits.'” Tainted known as "fumed" silica.) The regulation states that the silica by the wider controversy over GM crops, however, the GM content must be less than two per cent of the weight of the food. nutraceutical products have been largely stuck in the pipeline. Food-grade fumed silica with particle sizes in the nanometre Will nanotech deliver where biotech has failed? range are commercially available.’ Again, it is not clear what Like the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and cosmetics giants, food products contain synthetic nano-scale silica as there are no —_— food and beverage companies are also experimenting with the use labelling requirements. of nanocapsules to deliver active ingredients. One way to Mars, Inc., one of the world's largest private food corporations, preserve an active component is by putting it in a protective was issued US Patent No. 5,741,505 in 1998 on “edible products "envelope". The envelope can be engineered to dissolve, or the having inorganic coatings". The coatings create a barrier to active ingredient can be made to diffuse through the envelope prevent oxygen or moisture from reaching the product under the triggered by the right stimulus. coating, thereby increasing shelf life. There are already several hundred The patent claims the invention types of "microcapsules" being used will keep hard candy from getting . 4 as food additives in the US alone,” sticky, cookies from getting stale, Like the pharmaceutical, some to achieve the controlled cereals from becoming soggy in agrochemical and cosmetics release of active ingredients. George milk, etc. The coatings can be made . Weston Foods of Australia, for from various chemical compounds, giants, food and beverage example, sells a version of its popular of which SiO: and TiO» are companies are also Tip Top bread, known as "Tip Top- specifically mentioned. According to up", which contains microcapsules of the inventors, the coating should be experimenting with the use of tuna fish oil high in omega-3 fatty requirements and because of texture nanocapsules to deliver contained ina microcapsule, the and "mouth feel" considerations. active ingredients. consumer doesn't taste the fish oil, The patent states that the ideal which is released in digestion once it coating would be somewhere has reached the stomach. The same between 0.5 nm and 20 nm thick. technology is also being employed in While the coating could be made of any inorganic material, the yoghurts and baby foods. Companies large (Unilever, Kraft) and inventors state that it is preferable to use a substance that has small (see below) are now developing "nanocapsules": already been GRAS-certified by the FDA, such as SiO: and TiO». * Researchers at Hebrew University in Jerusalem have created a The patent application describes an example of their invention, in start-up company called Nutralease. They've applied for a which they coated M&Ms, Twix and Skittles brand candies with _ patent” on a nano-scale self-assembled structure that can carry an inorganic nanofilm. active components into and through the human body. According ETC Group is not in the position to assess the safety of nano- to the company's patent application, their "nanovehicle" can be scale food additives. We want to highlight the regulatory diluted in either oil or water without affecting its active vacuum, where size does not matter and nano-scale formulations ingredient. The company's nanovehicles are already on the do not trigger any special regulatory scrutiny. It's a kind of market in a cholesterol-reducing canola oil.”” Nutralease has just "particle nepotism" that could have dangerous consequences: if signed a deal with an Israeli meat company that wants to inject a Big Brother passes the safety test, Little Brother doesn't even have little health into its hot dogs, and another deal with an ice cream to take the exam. manufacturer is in the works.”* * Royal BodyCare, a company based in Texas (USA), has Special Delivery created what it calls "nanoceuticals" (and has applied for a The food industry aims to engineer food so that it is more trademark on the name) using a different kind of envelope to "functional"—meaning more nutritious (or perceived to be) or deliver "powerful, tiny mineral clusters that are believed to serving some other purpose beyond its biological purpose of pro- increase the absorption of nutrients into our cells"* Royal viding energy through calorie consumption. BodyCare puts these nanoceutical particles into its line of Many companies believe that nano-scale technologies will help "SuperFoods" nutritional supplements. in this quest, and so they are focusing on "delivery". Most of us ¢ BioDelivery Sciences International (BDSI) has developed and don't think very much about delivery when it comes to food patented "nanocochleates'"—coiled nano-scale particles (as small (unless we're waiting for a pizza to arrive from across town): we as 50 nm in diameter) derived from soy (not genetically modified, bite, chew, swallow and our digestive tracts take care of the rest. they emphasise!) and calcium that can carry and deliver pharma- But in order to benefit from delivery—whether it's the vitamin C ceutical compounds as well as nutrients such as vitamins, from an apple we've just bitten into or the synthetic lycopene in lycopenes and omega fatty acids directly to cells. The company Like the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and cosmetics giants, food and beverage companies are also experimenting with the use of nanocapsules to deliver active ingredients. Special Delivery The food industry aims to engineer food so that it is more "functional"—meaning more nutritious (or perceived to be) or serving some other purpose beyond its biological purpose of pro- viding energy through calorie consumption. Many companies believe that nano-scale technologies will help in this quest, and so they are focusing on "delivery". Most of us don't think very much about delivery when it comes to food (unless we're waiting for a pizza to arrive from across town): we bite, chew, swallow and our digestive tracts take care of the rest. But in order to benefit from delivery—whether it's the vitamin C from an apple we've just bitten into or the synthetic lycopene in NEXUS = 23 AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2005 www.nexusmagazine.com