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junk foods like ice cream and chocolate to be modified to reduce the amount of fats and sugars that the body can absorb. This could happen either by replacing some of the fats and sugars with other substances or by using nano-particles to prevent the body from digesting or absorbing these components of the food. In this way, the nano-industry could market vitamin- and fibre-fortified, fat- and sugar-blocked junk food as health promoting and weight reducing. junk foods like ice cream and chocolate to be modified to automation and alienation of food production, serious reduce the amount of fats and sugars that the body can __ new toxicity risks for humans and the environment, and absorb. This could happen either by replacing some of _ the further loss of privacy as nano-surveillance tracks the fats and sugars with other substances or by using _ each step in the food chain. The failure of governments nano-particles to prevent the body from digesting or to introduce laws to protect the public and the absorbing these components of the food. In this way, the environment from nanotechnology's risks is a most nano-industry could market vitamin- and fibre-fortified, serious concern. fat- and sugar-blocked junk food as health promoting and Nanotechnology in agriculture is based on the premise weight reducing. that we can improve efficiency and productivity by rearranging atoms in seeds, by developing even more Interactive "smart" food potent chemical inputs, by using high-technology Companies such as Kraft and Nestlé are designing _ surveillance to allow electronic rather than person-based "smart" foods that will interact with consumers to — surveillance of on-farm conditions and by further "personalise" food, changing colour, flavour or nutrients automating inputs to plant growth. on demand. Kraft is developing a clear, tasteless drink It is assumed that applications of nanotechnology in that contains hundreds of flavours in food processing can "improve" the latent nano-capsules. A domestic taste, texture, appearance, nutritional microwave oven could be used to content and longevity of food by trigger release of the colour, flavour, manipulating it at the atomic level. It concentration and texture of the has even been argued that this will individual's choice. It is assumed that result in food that is "safer". These "Smart" foods could also sense when te assumptions are based on the flawe an individual is allergic to a food's applications of belief that humans can remake the ingredients and then block the : natural world from the atom up—an offending ingredient. Alternatively, nanotechnology in get a better result. It is assumed that ma ens cout release a dose food processing can we can predict ne consequences of or of additional nutrients to those whom ii . actions, even when we are dealing wii identifies as having special dietary Improve the taste, highly unpredictable processes an needs; for example, calcium molecules texture appearance forces such as quantum mechanics. , , to people suffering from . Unfortunately, history tells us nutritional content osteoporosis. that we are simply not very goo | ° f f at predicting the outcomes of and ongevity of food complex systems. Witness the by manipulating it at the atomic level. "Smart" packaging and food tracking Nanotechnology will dramatically extend food shelf life. Mars Inc. already has a patent on an invisible, edible, nano-wrapper which will envelop foods, preventing gas and moisture exchange. disasters that resulted from the introduction of biological controls such as the cane toad or of rabbits and foxes for sport. History is similarly littered with examples of huge health and environmental problems that resulted from the failure to respond to early warning "Smart" packaging, containing signs about previously perceived nano-sensors and antimicrobial "wonder" materials such as CFCs, activators, is being developed that will be capable of | DDT and asbestos. This suggests that we should take the detecting food spoilage and releasing nano-antimicrobes __ early-warning signs associated with the toxicity of nano- to extend food shelf life, enabling supermarkets to keep _ particles very seriously. food for even greater periods before its sale. There is a small but growing body of toxicological Nano-sensors, embedded into food products as tiny _ literature that suggests that nano-particles are more chips invisible to the human eye, would also act as __ reactive, more mobile and more likely than larger electronic barcodes. They would emit a signal that would _ particles to be toxic to humans and the environment. allow food, including fresh food, to be tracked from Preliminary scientific research has shown that many types paddock to factory to supermarket and beyond. of nano-particles can result in increased oxidative stress, which can cause the formation of free radicals that can What are the key concerns about nanotechnology _lead to cancer, DNA mutation and even cell death. in food and agriculture? Fullerenes—carbon nano-particles—have been found to Concerns about the use of nanotechnology in cause brain damage in largemouth bass, a species agriculture and food production relate to the further accepted by regulatory agencies as a model for defining texture, appearance, nutritional content to and longevity of food by manipulating it at the atomic level. gas What are the key concerns about nanotechnology in food and agriculture? Concerns about the use of nanotechnology in agriculture and food production relate to the further NEXUS ¢ 39 It is assumed that applications of nanotechnology in food processing can improve the taste, DECEMBER 2008 — JANUARY 2009 www.nexusmagazine.com