Nanomaterials in Food Products

Nanotechnologies arouse both interest and rejection, depending on the angle from which they are approached. . For some, they represent an enormous breeding ground for applications, as the nanomaterials derived from them possess specific properties that are unprecedented compared to materials corresponding to microscopic scales. Added to the fact that nanomaterials come in a multitude of forms (nanoparticle, nanofilament, nanosheet...), this represents an infinite number of applications. Some of these are already found in many everyday objects, such as microelectronics to miniaturize electronic devices, in medicine to target specific areas of the body for diagnosis or therapy, in construction to obtain paints or varnishes with protective properties, or in cosmetics and clothing for textiles. For others, on the other hand, nanomaterials are invisible poisons to which we don't pay enough attention. To understand what a nanomaterial is, we'll go back over the current definitions and their fields of application. We'll also define terms such as nano-object and nanoparticle. One of the fields in which nanomaterials are present is food. Here, we'll look at the nanomaterials used to manufacture foodstuffs, their intended effects, the measures taken by food safety agencies to monitor their safety and protect the consumer, and the limitations of the data currently available.