By harnessing the power of tiny particles, on a scale of just a few billionths of metres, nanotechnology is set to revolutionise food products and potentially improve taste, shelf-life and even nutritional value in some cases.
But we need more research into the impact it could have on our bodies, according to experts.
Nanoparticles have large surface areas for their size, which can pack a punch for taste and mouthfeel in a food, explains consultant toxicologist Dr Iona Pratt, who chairs the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) working group on nanotechnology applications in food.
And while most food applications are at research level now, the most imminent market is in food contact material such as storage containers or packing. Already you can buy containers coated with anti-microbial silver nanoparticles, and researchers are developing "smart" packaging using nanoparticles to sense spoilage, says Dr Pratt.
But there's a widespread belief that more research is needed, she adds. "There are real gaps in knowledge about how nanoparticles might behave in the body as opposed to their bigger brothers and sisters."
And while consumers are protected under existing general regulations for new food products, Pratt says that food legislation should specifically be updated to take particle size into account. "The legislation needs to be a little less grey and that is being looked at, at European level. It has to be a little bit tighter."