Nanotechnology promises many benefits for food contact applications, but despite the bright outlook, there are some potential negatives. For instance, the dangers to consumers and the environment are not yet fully understood; nanoparticles can be more chemically reactive and bioactive than larger particles and existing toxicological and eco-toxicology risk assessment methods may not be sufficient to address all the issues that could arise. However, the few experimental and modelling studies reported so far suggest that nanoparticle migration from polymer packaging is likely to be zero or very low, so there's real promise in this area so far. New and rapidly developing technologies pose difficulties for regulators and companies alike in terms of risk versus benefit.
This eBook addresses the issues across the board, from the key emerging technologies, through the regulatory landscape to the current commercial prospects.