The Sustainability Challenge of Food and Environmental Nanotechnology: Current Status and Imminent Perceptions

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Dec 2;16(23):4848. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16234848.

Abstract

Nanotechnology is a connection among various branches of science with potential applications that extend over a variety of scientific disciplines, particularly in the food science and technology fields. For nanomaterial applications in food processing, such as antimicrobials on food contact surfaces along with the improvement of biosensors, electrospun nanofibers are the most intensively studied ones. As in the case of every developing skill, an assessment from a sustainability point of view is necessary to address the balance between its benefits to civilization and the unwanted effects on human health and the environment. The current review aimed to provide an update regarding the sustainability of current nanotechnology applications in food science technology, environment, and public health together with a risk assessment and toxicity evaluation.

Keywords: antimicrobials; biosensors; electrospun nanofiber; environment; food processing; human health; nanotechnology; sustainability.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Environmental Science / organization & administration*
  • Food Technology / organization & administration*
  • Humans
  • Nanotechnology / organization & administration*
  • Sustainable Growth*