ABSTRACT
The food and beverages industry applies nanotehnology and nanoscience-based materials and methods in production, storage, and logistics sectors as an ingredient, packaging materials as well as in modified processes and tracking techniques. Nanotechnology-based materials and methods have been applied from raw material receipt to packed material delivery. The particle size of raw materials for food and beverages processing has been reduced to the nanoscale level to enhance the flavor, taste, bioavailability, texture, and sensory properties of food products and beverages. Application of nanotechnology-based products as an ingredient or food additive can impact the food processing technique by improving the intake by the food material and reducing the use of additives, which can result in a reduction in processing cost and energy requirement for processing. For example, food coloring agents like silicon dioxide (SiO2) can be used as nanosize SiO2 particles, which can improve the color of food with less quantity of food coloring agent by improving solubility and adsorption of nanosize food color into the food matrix. Similarly, the use of nanosize (30 nm) paprika oleoresin as a marinating agent for chicken breast fillets enhanced the surface color of the fillets during cooking (Yusop et al. 2012). Nanoencapsulation of active ingredients and nutrient compounds with the food products during processing of food and beverages helped to improve the nutritional quality and bioavailability of the nutrients (Shimoni 2009; Zhu et al. 2010). The impact of application of nanotechnology on food products’ physical, 60chemical, microbial, nutritional, and sensory properties has been discussed in detail in Chapter 2.
