Nanotechnology
in Food Industry
By : Lama jehad
Introduction
Nanotechnology has become well-known as its
applications extend across a wide range of
science and technology fields. Sometimes, many
of us use nanomaterials on a regular basis
without even recognizing them. The food
industry is one of the most common fields in
which nanotechnology is used. Nanotechnology
has been used to increase the efficiency of
manufacturing, packaging, shelf life, and
nutritional bioavailability. Several of the most
essential basic elements in food such as
proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids undergo
structural changes at the nanoscale and
micrometer scales. Various forms of functional
nanostructures can be utilized as building blocks
to construct unique structures and add new
functions to meals. Liposomes, dendrimer, gold
nanoshell, quantum dot, and fullerene are
among them.
Synthesis Methods for Nanomaterials
Top-down method Bottom-up method
In the top-down method, The bottom-up method
the larger compounds is to synthesize the
are broke down into nanomaterial from
nano-scaled materials atomic or molecular
using mechanical and species via various
chemical forces. processes.
MECHANICAL MILLING METHOD
Mechanical milling is a method in which the
elements are placed in a high-power mill with
or without the medium (wet and dry milling) to
reduce the particle size of the element.
Advantage of Mechanical milling :
Simple equipment
Low cost
Sol-gel method
The sol-gel method is mainly based on the
precursor hydrolysis and polycondensation
reactions of the hydrolyzed products resulting
in the formation of the polymeric network.
Advantage of Sol-gel method:
Low cost
less time-consuming
simple
can be operated at low temperatures
without pressure
Application of Nanotechnology in Food Industry:
[Link] Processing:
Food processing is a combination of several unit operations
starting from the procurement of raw materials, sorting and
grading, primary processing, packaging, transportation, and
storage. The major deliverables of processing of foods are
enhancing palatability, toxin removal, deactivation of
enzymes, spoilage organisms, pathogens, and further
fortification and enrichment with micronutrients if applicable.
Smart Packaging
Active Packaging [Link] materials and articles that monitor the
Packaging condition of packaged food or the environment
Active packaging is a novel surrounding the food
approach to enhance the shelf . Intelligent packaging is also termed as smart
life of food products by packaging as they consist of smart devices like
preventing microbial invasion, barcodes, Radio Frequency Identification Tags
moisture gain, oxidation, over (RFID), sensors, indicators to communicate,
monitor, sense, record, track, and indicate the
ripening.
information about food safety, quality, and
history during the supply chain.
Organic, Inorganic, and Combined Nanomaterials Used in Food Packaging:
1. Nano-Scaled Cellulose
Cellulose is a polysaccharide and most abundantly
found polymer, widely present in the cell wall of plants
providing them strength. Nanocellulose is nanostructured
cellulose which may be either nanocrystals or nanofibers
having few micrometers in length and <100 nm diameter. 2. Nano Starch
Starch is a complex polysaccharide made up of two
polymers, amylose, and amylopectin. Nano starch is
prepared by the breakdown of starch granules using
various physical and chemical treatments.
The difference between the structure of starch and the structure of cellulose:
Name Starch Cellulose
Structure Polymer of glucose Polymer of glucose
Chemical Bond α-glycosidic bonds β-glycosidic bonds
Solubility Soluble in water Insoluble in water
[Link] nanoparticles:
Chitosan is a polysaccharide derived frome chitine,
found in the cell wall of fungi, exoskeleton of arthropods,
and crustaceans. Chitosan is environmentally friendly,
non-toxic, and has excellent antimicrobial properties
which make them potentiel nanoparticles to be used in
packaging.
[Link] Dioxide Nanoparticles (TiO2
O
NPs):
TiO2 NPs are white-colored metal oxide and have a
OH
NH
wide range of applications in the food industry as food
O
HO
additives, nanocomposites in food packaging. TiO2 NPs
HO
O are used in food packaging polymer to block the UV
HO
OH
O
OH radiations and they also enhance the chemical,
OH
mechanical and barrier properties of the films.