People are understandably sensitive about changes
to the food that they eat. In the past the introduction of novel
technologies in the food sector has sometimes met with resistance
or even hostility. The public's attitude toward food is influenced
by a number of considerations including a fear of novel risks,
the level of trust in the effectiveness of regulation, and other
wider social and psychological factors (shaped by views on health,
the environment and science). The development of nanotechnologies
in the food sector may well elicit some of these concerns. However,
as many new technologies have in the past, they may offer consumers
and society a number of benefits. We launched this inquiry into
the use of nanotechnologies in the food sector to investigate
whether nanotechnologies may indeed play a valuable role in the
food sector, whether effective systems are in place to ensure
that consumers are aware of and protected against any potential
risks, and to understand and address some of the concerns that
the public may have about these new technologies.
Nanotechnologies enable scientists to manipulate
matter at the nanoscale (one thousand millionth of a metre). Within
this size-range, materials can exhibit new and unusual properties,
such as altered chemical reactivity, or changed electronic, optical
or magnetic behaviour. Such materials have applications across
a breadth of sectors, ranging from healthcare to construction
and electronics.
Nanomaterials have a range of potential applications
in the food sector that may offer benefits to both consumers and
industry. These include creating foods with unaltered taste but
lower fat, salt or sugar levels, or improved packaging that keeps
food fresher for longer or tells consumers if the food inside
is spoiled. At present the number of food products that contain
nanomaterials is small, but this may well change over the next
five years or so as the technology develops. For these reasons,
we make a series of recommendations that are intended to support
the responsible development of nanotechnologies in the food sector
and to ensure that potential benefits to consumers and society
are supported, where appropriate, by Government.
Nanotechnologies may also present new risks, as a
result of their novel properties, as well as potential benefits
to consumers. There are a wide variety of nanomaterials, and while
many types of nanomaterials may well prove to be harmless, others
may present a higher risk. Our current understanding of how they
behave in the human body is not yet advanced enough to predict
with any certainty what kind of impact specific nanomaterials
may have on human health. Persistent nanomaterials are of particular
concern, since they do not break down in the stomach and may have
the potential to leave the gut, travel throughout the body, and
accumulate in cells with long-term effects that cannot yet be
determined.
Regrettably, there is a limited amount of research
looking at the toxicological impact of nanomaterials, particularly
in areas relating to the risks posed by ingested nanomaterials.
This research is needed in order to ensure that regulatory agencies
can effectively assess the safety of products before they are
allowed onto the market. We concluded that research into these
areas was not being afforded a high enough priority by Government
or the Research Councils, considering the timescale within which
products containing nanomaterials may be developed. The Research
Councils, in particular, have not been pro-active enough in encouraging
research into key areas of uncertainty which will underpin the
risk assessment of these substances. We recommend that they take
a more active role in stimulating research in these areas.
The United Kingdom does not face these difficulties
alone. It is essential that the Government work closely with other
European Union nations, and at an international level, to ensure
that knowledge gaps in research related to the health and safety
risks of nanomaterials are filled quickly without duplication
of effort.
It is equally important to ensure that the regulatory
framework governing food is adequate to deal with the novel challenges
posed by nanomaterials. While, in principle, existing legislation
should ensure that all nanomaterials used in the food sector undergo
a safety assessment before they are allowed on to the market,
there are certain 'grey areas' where products containing nanomaterials
may slip through the regulatory net. We make recommendations to
fill these gaps; in particular, we recommend that a definition
of nanomaterials be added to food legislation to ensure that all
nanoscale materials that interact differently with the body as
a result of their small size are assessed for risk before they
are allowed on to the market.
While the coverage of existing legislation may be
generally adequate we found that, due to the large gaps in the
scientific understanding of nanomaterials, it was not yet possible
to assess properly their safety in many cases. We were persuaded,
however, that this does not mean unsafe products will be allowed
on to the market; instead, it means that where the risks posed
by a nanomaterial cannot be fully determined, products will simply
be denied regulatory approval until further information is available.
We recommend that the Food Standards Agency develop, in collaboration
with the food industry, a database of information about nanomaterials
in development to anticipate future risk assessment needs, to
help the development of appropriate risk assessment procedures,
and to aid in the prioritisation of research,
Effective public communication and transparency is
essential, given public sensitivities over new food technologies,
to ensure that consumers are able to make informed decisions about
the use of nanotechnologies in the food sector. We were, therefore,
concerned to find that the food industry has been reluctant to
speak out about its activities in this area, primarily, it appears,
because it is concerned about the public's reaction. We recommend
that the Government make every effort to encourage the food industry
to be more open about its activities, and suggest the formation
of an open discussion group that will ensure that government,
industry, academia and consumer groups come together to discuss
the issues surrounding the development of nanotechnologies in
the food sector in an on-going and transparent dialogue. In addition,
we propose that the Food Standards Agency create and maintain
a list of products containing nanomaterials as they enter the
market, to encourage this culture of transparency.
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