Background
“The Scientific Committee makes a series of recommendations; in particular, actions should be taken to develop methods to detect and measure ENMs [engineered nanomaterials] in food/feed and biological tissues, to survey the use of ENMs in the food/feed area, to assess the exposure in consumers and livestock, and to generate information on the toxicity of different ENMs.”. (EFSA, Scientific Opinion of the Scientific Committee on the Potential Risks Arising from Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies on Food and Feed Safety, The EFSA Journal 2009, 958, 1-39)
In addition to research institutes busy with development and toxicological evaluation of nanomaterials, there is an urgent need both for official food control entities and industry for analytical methods that allow the routine detection of engineered nanoparticles in food, as well as for reference materials for the validation of analytical methods and for proficiency testing of laboratories. The NanoLyse project will address these needs by the following objectives.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
· Development of reference materials for the analysis of nanoparticles in food and beverages matrices
· Development of sample preparation methods for the detection of nanoparticles in food
· Development of rapid imaging and screening methods for nanoparticles in food
· Development of analytical methods for the identification, characterisation and quantification of inorganic and organic nanoparticles from the food matrix
· Dissemination and training of the new methods to relevant stakeholders