Processing
Nanotechnology and the Implications for Organic
Mary C. Mulry, Ph.D.
The term “nano” (from a Greek word for dwarf) means a factor of one billionth ( 10-9), or for measurement of length, one
billionth of a meter (1 nanometer or nm). By
comparison, a red blood cell is 7000 nm wide
and a human hair is 50,000 to 100,000 nm
thick. In other words, nanoscale is really,
really small. Nanotechnology usually involves
manufacturing or manipulating materials
with dimensions of 1 to 100 nm. The field of
nanotechnology should properly be called
nanotechnologies, however, as it crosses the
fields of biology, physics and chemistry, all sciences based on molecular structures. Another
relatively new term, “synthetic biology,” which
refers to building new DNA from the ground
up (sometimes called super biotechnology) is
a type of nanotechnology. It is often thought
to be used to create bacteria or new super-bugs for biofuel production and other uses.
Considered by many to be extreme genetic
engineering, it would not be allowed in organic agriculture under the current regulations and therefore will not be addressed
specifically in this article.
Why the excitement and concern about
nanotechnology? Due to the dominance of
quantum mechanics at these molecular levels,
materials that are this small do not act the
same as at macro-levels. Some notable exam-
ples to illustrate these effects:
• Carbon in the form of graphite (like pen-
cil lead) is soft and malleable; at nanoscale,
carbon can be stronger than steel.
• Zinc oxide is usually white and opaque; at
nanoscale it becomes transparent, important for nonwhite sunscreens.
• Aluminum oxide is used by dentists to
repair teeth; nanoscale particles of the
same chemical compound can be used as
explosives.
Nanostructures in Foods
Mother Nature has deftly exploited materials at the nanoscale. A glucose molecule is
1 nm in size. Food proteins are often globular
structures ranging from 1 to 10 nm. The functionality of many raw materials and the successful processing of foods arise from the
presence, modification and generation of
many forms of nanomaterials. Examples include homogenization of milk, milling of
flour, gelatinization of starches, and the stability of foams and emulsions. Understanding
about nanomaterials in foods may allow for
better selection of raw materials and enhanced food quality through processing. It is
not “traditional” food processing where the
concern lies, however. It is the growing trend
of engineered materials at the molecular level
that may exhibit radically different properties
than those of traditional foods. Packaging
with antimicrobial properties due to imbedding of nanoscale silver, nutrients with enhanced bioavailability, and food additives with
dramatic increases in functionality are just
some of the promises in this new world of
food nanotechnology.
As with many new technologies, especially
those involving our food supply, there is controversy rooted in lack of awareness, knowledge and understanding of the issue by
consumers, manufacturers, and regulators.
This same set of issues has been experienced
with other technologies such as food irradiation and agricultural biotechnology, especially
when applied to organic production. In order
for public policy and regulation to be developed, an understanding of the unique benefits of a particular new technology must be
weighed versus the risks, safety concerns and
its effects on health and the environment. Regrettably, there is general agreement that the
