Linked to scientific research, nanotechnology encourages an interdisciplinary model in fields such as nanomedicine, in other words, the application of techniques permitting the design of drugs at a molecular level, nanobiology and the development of microconductors. This type of technology allows materials to be manipulated atom by atom, which opens up the range of possibilities in the field of research both at a pharmacological and environmental level when it comes to pollution or energy sources, among other things.

 

Furthermore, being able to manipulate the molecules and atoms in food, opens up the possibility of designing it with greater capacity and skill and lowers costs. Companies are aware that it is an emerging field offering numerous options and they have been carrying out research in this area for years. Being a high market potential topic, experts believe that the number of companies involved in this field could reach several thousand by 2010.

 

According to the �Nanofood� study, published in 2004, the uses of nanotechnology in food processing are limited to certain aspects of packing processes. In fact, this seems to be one of the most promising applications in this field, as intelligent packaging will come onto the market, which will react when it comes into contact with the environment, as well as nanodevices aimed at food safety.

 

In the United States, scientists have developed a miniature, portable nanodevice, capable of simultaneously detecting several toxins, pathogens and chemical compounds in foods. They are also going to develop �electronic noses�, based on man�s natural olfactory receivers which may be used to detect odours produced by bacteria and pathogenic agents.

 

As part of this research, teams of scientists have created edible capsules measuring just a few nanometres in size, with the aim of "improving" certain foods and even creating �intelligent drinks�, just like those that already exist which help to combat sleepiness, boost mental lucidity, and are even said to ease minor tobacco or alcohol poisoning, products which sell more than 60 million units per year in Germany and which are regularly taken by one in two people in the United States.

 

These small edible items are made from materials such as silicone and ceramics and can also include polymers which react depending on changes in body temperature. According to researchers, the nanoparticles can be used to distribute the nutrients in food better, to protect them from temperature changes and chemical or microbiological agents.

 

The possibility of using specific ultrasound frequencies to create nanoparticles containing specific colourings, flavours and aromas has even been considered. In this way, companies could plan to make drinks depending on the flavours or appearance preferred by consumers. An example of this is that nanotechnology can add enhanced properties and make foods with a low sodium content taste salty.

 

Scientists from the NanoTek Consortium, a consortium of 15 universities and companies devoted to researching the use of this technology in improving the food sector, believe that the true importance of these edible nanoparticles lies in their potential to make drugs more effective, leading to "made to measure" administration such that medicines will reach the source of the illness. In fact, nanomedicine can contribute to sustainable progress in the Third World, by providing new methods for diagnosing illnesses, better systems for administering medicines and developing new tools to fight against hereditary diseases through genetic analysis.

 

However, in 2005, the United Kingdom�s Royal Academy of Engineering issued a report in which it warned of the possible negative effects of nanotechnology on the food industry since it is based upon controlling the properties of foods through particles, the size of which ranged from 1 to 100 nanometres, (equivalent to the size of a molecule). These particles may imply a health risk depending on their properties and behaviour in the environment, their toxicity and their persistence in both the body and food.