Danger of nanoparticles in food supply.
Titanium dioxide, or TiO2, appears in sweets, baked goods and milk powders, often as a whitening agent. But the tiny metal additive has also been shown to accumulate in liver, spleen, kidney and lung tissues in rats when ingested and to damage the liver and heart muscle.
“This is about understanding how the entire suite of elements that make up the universe behave at a certain scale,” says Hendren. She says that asking if nanoparticles are harmful is like asking: “Is every single thing on the periodic table when taken down to a certain size safe or dangerous?”
“Nano in food is a really big field right now. It goes from pesticides, pathogens, food processing to new flavors or to reduce the amount of sugar that you need to add,” says Trigueros. Over the next couple of years, consumers will be introduced to a new generation of active nanoparticles,
“In the US there are no specific nano-scale regulatory requirements”.
The European Union has required since 2011 that all engineered nanomaterials be clearly indicated in the list of ingredients, and that any new ones need to pass safety mandated by 2015 EU Novel Foods Regulation.
