ABSTRACT
Nanotechnology is an emerging area of science that has wide applications. Advancements in processes for developing nanostructured materials together with suitable formulation strategy have helped the fabrication and stabilization of nanoparticles that have potential applications in the food science and food microbiology, including food processing, food packaging, functional food development, food safety, biosensor and related fields. However, the synthesis of nanoparticles has raised some serious concern about the toxicological aspect and safety issues of nanoparticles in food. The common methods used for the synthesis of nanoparticles are chemical and physical methods; however, they are costly and harmful to the environment. Therefore, a biological approach using bacteria, fungi, and plants wasused to prepare nanoparticles. This review summarizes the potential of nanoparticles for their uses in the food industry in order to provide consumers a safe and contamination-free food and to ensure the consumer acceptability of the food with enhanced functional properties. The different aspects of application of nanotechnology in relation to increase in food nutrition and organoleptic properties of foods have also been discussed briefly along with a few insights on safety issues and regulatory concerns on nano-processed food products.
