ABSTRACT
Food is a material that has a structural hierarchy, from the macrolevel where we enjoy its macroscopic properties, all the way down to the molecular and supramolecular levels where the nutritional and structural properties nd their origin. Food can therefore be seen as a natural nanomaterial. Changing the characteristics of a foodstuff, to create new functionality, therefore usually requires changing the material at the nanolevel. In the past, mankind has used very crude methods to achieve this, such as cooking, mixing, and
CONTENTS
5.1 Applications of Nanotechnology in Agriculture ....................................88 5.1.1 Process Monitoring .......................................................................... 89 5.1.2 Nutrient Delivery ............................................................................. 91 5.1.3 Crop Protection ................................................................................ 91 5.1.4 Other Applications .......................................................................... 92
5.2 Applications in Food Processing and Production .................................. 93 5.2.1 Process Monitoring .......................................................................... 93 5.2.2 Process Innovation and Optimization .......................................... 95
5.3 Opportunities for Food Product Development ....................................... 96 5.3.1 Texture Modication ....................................................................... 97 5.3.2 Encapsulation and (Targeted) Delivery ........................................ 98
5.4 Improving Shelf Life and Quality Assurance of Food Products ..........99 5.4.1 Barrier Properties .............................................................................99 5.4.2 Antimicrobial Activity .................................................................. 100 5.4.3 Monitoring Quality Deterioration ............................................... 100 5.4.4 Detection of Spoilage Organisms ................................................ 101
5.5 Applications in Water ................................................................................ 102 5.5.1 Filtration .......................................................................................... 102 5.5.2 Remediation .................................................................................... 103
5.6 Discussion ................................................................................................... 104 5.6.1 Consumer Acceptance .................................................................. 105 5.6.2 Nanotechnology and the Environment ...................................... 106
Bibliography ........................................................................................................ 107
pressing, or letting other organisms do the job, for example, in the case of fermentation and other biological conversions. With the advent of nanotechnologies, man has started to develop the ability to act at the nanolevel directly and to interfere with the nanotechnology that nature through evolution has devised and optimized. We now have the rst basic abilities to modify specic biochemical processes and to create new functions or properties, and science is rapidly developing more. Nanotechnology is an enabling technology that will provide us with tools to do business at the nanolevel, although at this point in time it is still in its infancy. The result will be that new and improved food products will be developed that will benet the individual consumer, the society as a whole, and the environment (Moraru et al. 2003). However, as with all new technologies, there are also drawbacks and risks to be taken into account. These have to weigh up against the benets; otherwise, the public will not accept the applications of this technology in something as basic and intimate as food and water, and provide a “license to produce.” They will not buy the products, and their economic activity will not be viable. Consumers are very critical with regard to food and water. Although very few food products can still be regarded as unchanged by man, we want to have the illusion that our food and beverages are natural and pristine. Of course, they must also be healthy, tasty, and safe. In our modern society, food must also be convenient, easy and fast to prepare, transportable and storable, and must t the cultures, lifestyles, and customs of the consumers. Moreover, nally, we are beginning to become aware of our ecological footprint and focus more and more on the sustainability of food production and consumption. Many of these characteristics are in direct contradiction with each other, and technologies need to provide solutions to resolve the conicts and provide acceptable compromises. In this chapter, we will review most of these aspects and the impact that nanotechnologies can have on them.
