Nanotechnology for the Food Industry

• Published in: Emerging Technologies for the Food Industry Vol. 1; pp. 321 - 358
• Main Authors: Mahalakshmi, L., Priyanga, S., Gover, Antoniraj, Moses, J. A., Anandharamakrishnan, C.
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United Kingdom Apple Academic Press 2024; Apple Academic Press, Incorporated
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: food quality monitoring; food packaging; toxicological aspects; nanotechnology; nanoencapsulation; food protein; nanofiltration
• ISBN: 9781774914250; 1774914247; 9781774914243; 1774914255
• DOI: 10.1201/9781003413592-8

Nanotechnology has been recognized as a promising and potential research area recognized by various fields, including electronics, photonics, medicine, food, pharmaceutical, agriculture, and cosmetics. This nanoscale technology is being used to build a variety of commercial products in a variety of industries. Nanotechnology implies the manipulation of material at a tiny scale (atomic or sub-atomic or molecular levels) ranging between 1 nm and 100 nm, where the characteristics vary from the material at a large scale (Singh et al., 2017; Ramsden, 2005). The particle size reduction increases the surface area to volume ratio, which increases chemical, biological, and catalytic activity at the molecular or atomic level and so increases the biological characteristics of the materials, resulting in new products (Garnett & Kallinteri, 2006; Nel, Xia, Mädler, & Li, 2006). The food industry is facing huge challenges in the development of products with high-quality and safe foods or feeds with better efficiency, environmental acceptance, and sustainability. Nanotechnology may offer a solution to these complex challenges by providing innovative materials and products to meet increasing demands in the food industry (Suresh & Jayas, 2011). Nanotechnology has been shown to have tremendous applications in the food sector, starting from the production of innovative products to processing, storage, preservation, packaging, transportation, traceability, safety, and security are shown in Figure 8.1 (Chaudhry & Castle, 2011; Momin, Chitra, & Prajapati, 2012).