ABSTRACT
Nanotechnology offers the prospects of innovating the food and agriculture industry, with an emerging and rapidly developing virtual toolbox. Developments in food nanotechnology have led to novel discoveries and prototypes for the design, manufacture, transport, and delivery of food and agricultural products. Such technologies have been widely studied and range from detecting pathogens, preventing microbial spoilage, and delivering nutrition to extending product’s shelf life. Concerns for health and safety, attributable to the unique physicochemical properties of engineered nanomaterials, have arisen along with the increasing market volume. This imposes the need for a thorough risk assessment to be conducted before a new nanoproduct is released. Regulatory efforts have been legislated and are enforced in some countries, while in other regions, such efforts are only implemented for guidance. In this chapter, we briefly discuss the unique properties and associated risks of engineered nanomaterials. We also present an overview of the progress of regulatory efforts in overseeing the application of nanotechnology in food and agricultural products.
