ABSTRACT
In relation to food, however, a cautious approach is always required. Not much is yet known about the relationship between the physicochemical characteristics of nanoparticles and their behaviour in the human body. In particular, the potential effects of the presence of nanoparticles through out the gastrointestinal route are largely unknown. This is an important issue that needs further research. More generally, reliable knowledge on the actual or potential toxicity of nanoparticles is limited. What seems likely to be the case, however, is that the potential toxicity and physiological behaviour of nanoparticles will be affected by a wide range of factors, including particle number density and mass concentration, surface area, net electrical charge, chemical composition and reactivity, particle size and size distribution, the state of aggregation, as well as aggregate structure and shape (Tiede et al., 2008). Identification of the potential risks of any imminent applications of specific nanoparticles in foods will be a matter for urgent investigation (Chau et al., 2007; Walsh et al., 2008).
