Introduction to nanofood

Abstract

The book chapter highlights the aspects of the food industries that have been tremendously affected by the nanotechnology. Over a decade, a huge surge of interest has arisen in research and development of food industry using nanotechnology. The idea of nanofood is to have food products in the market with improved safety, enhance nutrition’s, flavor and cost-effective. So far, nanotechnology has already brought drastic changes in the food industry by bringing changes in food cultivation, production, processing, packaging, safety, quality control and food spoilage. Nanotechnology has played a major role in the development of an efficient colloidal system for the proper encapsulation, safety, and delivery of nutraceuticals and functional foods. The antimicrobial property, enhanced heat resistance, increased the shelf life of food, sensing of spoilage, improved agriculture production etc. are some on the advantage of using nanotechnology in the food industry. However, there is a major concern regarding the toxicity and safety issues of nanomaterials and nanoparticles. Thus, there is an urgent need for proper and efficient regulatory norms that will govern the bodies and individuals working on these aspects while dictating the terms for the safety and risk management attached to it. The main aim of the regulatory body will be to make sure that in the end, Nanofood is safe for a human of consumers.