28.01.2009

TA-SWISS Study Calls for Increased Legislation of Nano in Food

Switzerland's Centre for Technology Assessment, TA-SWISS, has published a report providing an overview of nanomaterials in use within the food sector. The study assesses these products in respect of environmental issues and sustainability, speculating on the direction that future developments might take and highlighting where there is a need for caution.

In addition to providing an outline of the applications and current breadth of use of nanotechnologies within food additives & packaging, the report also compares these nano-enabled applications to their standard counterparts.

In the food packaging and additive markets, constant high demand also spells out potential for catastrophic repercussions in the event of adverse health effects from a product. As a result, the team behind the report conclude that the existing legislation on foods and chemicals must be adapted to meet the demands of nanotechnology and ensure continued safeguarding of public health.

The report comes to the following conclusions:

The analysis of the Swiss market showed that so far only few nanoscale food additives as well as food supplied with such components are available. These are additives like silicon dioxide, carotenoids and micelles which are already in use and have been toxicologically reviewed for many years. They allow an improved handling, an improved optic and an increase of the bioavailability of nutrients.
However, on non-European markets food additives with nanoscale heavy metals with dubious benefits and partly toxicologically risky characteristics are available.
In food packaging composite films and PET-bottles with nano-technologically improved barrier features against gases and flavours improving durability of the content can be found on the Swiss market. Furthermore, outside Switzerland packaging with biocidal working substances (mainly nano-silver) exist with a view to achieve a protection against bacteria and fungi.
At present, given the current market situation, the contribution of nanotechnology to an environmentally friendly, constitutional and ethically responsible alimentation is estimated as marginal in Switzerland.
In perspective the enrichment of food with nanoscale supplements (e.g. iron) could indeed generate a constitutional advantage in developing countries, which is connected to an economic potential to a considerable extent.
A requirement for this is the eco- and human-toxicological harmlessness of the applied nano-materials. Food packaging with nano components, however, already offer advantages for consumers at present and therefore hold a bigger potential for the future, especially because it also includes environmental impact reduction potential.

Highlighting the importance of transparency and need to ease the apparent mistrust of nano within the population, they call for manufacturers to establish an active information policy to address the situation. "Manufacturers, processors and dealers of foods and food packaging with nano-components could, for instance, increasingly follow industry-specific Codes of Conduct." they suggest.

In terms of regulation, the report suggests that based on the international flows of goods, a global, or at least a Europe-wide regulation would be preferable to countries acting alone, and calls for use of the precautionary principle in food legislation, recommending it be at least obligatory for manufacturers to inform the food authorities if they put products into circulation that contain nanomaterials.

In relation to the much debated topic of labeling, the authors conclude that "Whilst specific labeling would respond to the need for transparency, and would simplify the traceability of the relevant foods and governmental monitoring of foods; non-specific labelling, however, such as "contains nanoparticles", seems less helpful for these purposes".

They also consider traceability in food production, suggesting that it be checked for applicability to nanomaterials to ensure that it would be possible to take products off the market quickly should subsequent findings indicate potential dangers.

Finally, the report highlights the importance of continuing efforts in human and eco-toxicology risk research, to elucidate any potential adverse effects arising across the whole life cycle of a product, from its manufacture to disposal.

For further information on the report, see the dedicated TA-SWISS webpage.

Source: Adapted from Safenano