What is Nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology deals with the creation or manipulation of materials on a very small scale, the nanometre (nm). Do give you an Idea what we are talking about: One of your hairs is approximately 70,000 nm in diameter, whereas a nanoparticle has a size somewhere between 0.5 and 5 nm.
The next question you are probably asking yourself by now is: If these particles are so small, what can they actually do? Actually these nanoparticles are quite capable. Compared to bigger particles they have special chemical and physical properties like, for example, higher reactivity. Because they have a relatively large surface area.
What is Nano-Food?
While there are nanoparticles naturally found in food like milk, the term nano-food is generally used to describe food that has been in contact with nanotechnology. Even though nanotechnology in food is rather new, there are already nanotechnological influenced products in our supermarket aisles like ketchup, which often contains silica dioxide particles to maintain the consistency.
What scientists are working on right now:
- nanoparticles in mayonnaise, in order to make it less fat
- nanoparticles in packaging, so the milk carton turns red when the milk is no longer drinkable
Why is Nano-Food interesting?
Everybody has to eat. That alone should be enough reason for us to find nano-food highly fascinating. Whether we like it or not, whether it is healthy or not, whether it changes the food world completely or not: It is going play a huge part in our future. Sources:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/nanotechnology/what.htmhttp://www.theguardian.com/what-is-nano/what-you-need-know-about-nano-food#start-of-commentshttp://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/wait-theres-nanotechnology-in-my-food-16510737
http://www.planet-wissen.de/natur_technik/forschungszweige/nanotechnologie/nanofood.jsp
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