NanoLyse: The project
The NanoLyse project is a European collaborative research project which is
partly funded by the European Commission under the 7th Framework
Programme, contract no. 245162. It is dedicated to the development of analytical
methods for detection and characterisation of engineered nanoparticles in food.
The NanoLyse consortium comprises 10 universities and research centres from
Europe and Canada and is coordinated by RIKILT - Institute of Food Safety (Wageningen
UR). The project started in January 2010 and will last for 3 years.
Nanoparticles in food
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At the moment, nanotechnology applications for the food sector are
intensively investigated and developed. A number of nanomaterials are
already in use as food additive or in food contact materials, mainly in
countries outside the EU. Visionary future uses include beverages
which can be tuned in taste and colour according to the consumer’s choice –
thanks to specifically designed nanoparticles. The reality is more sober.
Current applications focus on nanoencapsulation of e.g. vitamins and flavours to
protect them from deterioration during storage or on the creation of specific
nano-sized micelles which would allow low fat product have a full fat taste. |
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At the same time, very limited knowledge is available on the potential impact of
engineered nanoparticles on consumers’ health. The European
Parliament has demanded labelling of products which contain
engineered
nano ingredients and acknowledged that specific methods to test the safety of
nanomaterials are needed. |
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Analytical methods for detection and characterisation
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EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority, concluded in
2009
that “actions should be taken to develop methods to detect and measure
engineered nanomaterials in food/feed and biological tissues” as a prerequisite
to assess exposure of consumers and carry out toxicological studies. Still,
there is a lack of analytical methods which are capable of detecting
nanoparticles in such complex matrices as food. The NanoLyse project will
develop a toolbox of methods suited to detect and characterise different types
of engineered nanoparticles in food. Learn more about the details, challenges
and progress of this endeavour via this website. |