ABSTRACT
Nanoencapsulation of bioactive compounds, having positive impact on human health, will be increasingly incorporated in novel formulations of food products. The aim will be to enhance the bioavailability of food ingredients, in order to deliver compounds at the right site and at the right time (Gouin, 2004; Acosta, 2009). These new food products, containing nanoencapsulates loaded with bioactive compounds, will be designed to provide a healthy and/or low calorie diet, whilst still maintaining the possibility to enjoy the food. Such novel applications will therefore contribute to the role of foods in preventive healthcare (Kampers, 2007). Consequently there is a tendency towards a blurring of the boundaries between the food and pharmaceutical domains — and also between the food and cosmetics domains. It is indeed in these non-food industries that significant advances have already been achieved in the application of nanotechnology. In response to such rapid developments, food scientists will need to examine how nanoscience and nanotechnology may lead to fundamental changes in the food supply, and to find the most appropriate ways in which value can be added to natural ingredients and traditional foods (Chen et al., 2006; Sanguansri and Augustin, 2006). Certainly it can be anticipated that more universal ‘nanofood’ products will appear on the world markets within the next few years as a result of the global organization of international food companies (Chaudhry et al., 2008). Whether the consumer is considered by the industry to be ready yet for these scientific developments is a matter for conjecture. It is well known that the senior management of one multinational food company (Nestlé) strongly recommends its scientist employees not to make use of the apparently taboo word ‘nano-’ in their technical publications!
