Nanotechnology applications and implications in food industry

Food safety is the concept used by both legislative and regulatory bodies such as FSSAI, ISO and APEDA to reflect on and update many rules and regulations for the food processing and FMCG sectors to ensure food security and hygiene of product produced. In this current scenario, to ensure food safety, many tools are established by the statutory and regulatory bodies. This chapter will address potential applications of nanoparticles in enhancing food safety and preventing the spread of pathogenic microorganisms by providing proper storage to food system. It also discusses the benefits and risks concerning nanotechnology in different operation steps such as production, packaging, supply chain, and storage process. Recent advances reveal many nanotechnology applications improving consistency and protection of food, for example, nanosensors for pathogen detection, contaminant detection and nanodevices for preservation and monitoring. Nanomaterials are also used in enhancing mechanical and thermal characteristics of food packaging material and thereby prevent any adverse effects on mechanical, microbiological, chemical, or thermal properties of packaging material. This chapter offers insight into the various applications of nanotechnology for ensuring food safety.