Emerging technologies, including Micro- and Nano-technologies, are gaining interest for their abilities to provide improved versions of the industry's mainstream to develop Ingredients and Processed Food-products. The intent of the present review is to provide a generic presentation on the field of Nanotechnology thus attempting to identify its role as a potential multi-Tool for the Research and Development (RND) of novel, multifunctional Food-ingredients and Food-products as well, at the level of new Product Development or the Improvement of existing ones. Applications of Nanotechnology in the Food-Industry offer potential use of new set of Tools, i.e the Nano-based materials. The latter, as a stand alone choice or in combination, are considered to support the_control of manufacturing procedures. Moreover, Nano-materials can be considered able to potentially contribute in food-safety and product quality and -preservation , to improve quality features (such as structural properties: consistency or sensory attributes), as well as in packaging, labeling, also for traceability purposes, in logistics procedures (transport and storage) ,as well as in the control of the product shelf life.With the aid of selected NT-application and -systems examples, it is briefly attempted to showcase the expected potential benefits of using nano-technological methodologies and nano-materials. While the potential benefits of nanotechnology-based materials and -products are significant, there are still concerns about the possible environmental consequences, the occupational health risks related to employee exposure during material production, transportation, and market placement, and, finally, about the health of the nano-material based food products consumer. There are several topics to be investigated as regards the potential nutritional and safety consequences resulting from introducing nano-sized materials in the formulations of nano-based food products and packaging materials. A basic question for instance is whether and in which way the properties of nano-sized materials could change when introduced in different types or systems of foods or in what extend a migration of the latter from packaging into the food could be prohibited. Likewise, and required to know how nano-sized materials are expected to be digested by the consumer on a case by case basis. In any case, it is required an evaluation in depth of potential benefits and risks. Legal regulations and applications regarding the production, utilization/usage, and placement/distribution of nano-materials are currently still at a starting level. According to an overall estimation of the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) of the European Union, it is estimated that there is still a scientific uncertainty relating to nano-material "safety", even if they are not considered hazardous To this point, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has undertaken a public consultation on the draft scientific opinion for Guidance on risk assessment which will become a basic prerequisite tool for the approval of nano-materials within a relevant legal framework. Although a large number of potential applications of NT within the Food Industry are known in the art, many of these may be difficult to be commercially adopted because they are either too expensive to apply or too impractical to implement on an industrial scale. However still limited number of NT-applications in the Food Industry is expected to significantly increase in the incoming years especially when the legal status will be clarified. According to market analysts in Europe Nano-sized materials and Nano-based Food products provide potential for substantial improvement of industrial competitiveness, as well as technological and commercial advancement resulting thereof. A turn-over of many hundreds of million Euros is expected until 2015. In and beyond commercial implications, Nano-technology is to be considered as a very interesting technological challenge for RND in the Food industry in the near future.
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