Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
size ranges between 1 and 10 nm. The potential applications of NF in food industry
and environmental protection are in desalination; milk, whey, and juice filtration;
demineralization; color removal; concentration of products; waste water treatment;
and water purification (Cuartas-Uribe et al.
2007
; Diaz-Reinoso et al.
2009
; Doyle
2006
; Duke et al.
2008
; Sangamithra and Thirupathi
2009
; Tiwari et al.
2008
; Kaul
2005
).
1.8.6 Food Processing Equipment
Nanotechnology-based translucent insulation coatings called nanoinsulate PT have
been reported for dairy processing tanks and pipes for reduced costs and extended
life (Baruah and Dutta
2009
; Pehanich
2006
). Nanosilver has been incorporated
into the inner surface of some domestic refrigerators to prevent microbial growth
and to maintain a clean and hygienic environment in the fridge. Coatings that
contain nanoparticles are used to create antimicrobial, scratch-resistant,
antireflective, or corrosion-resistant surfaces. This involves the coating of
nanoparticulate form of a metal, a metal oxide, or a film resin substance with
nanoparticles. Examples of FCMs with nanocoating include antibacterial kitchen-
ware, cutting boards, and teapots (FAO/WHO
2010
).
1.9 Nanotechnologies in Food Packaging
Nano-enabled FCMs and food packaging make up the major share of the current
and short-term predicted market for applications in the food segment (Chaudhry
et al.
2008
; Cientifica Report
2006
). Most applications of nanotechnology in the
food and agriculture sectors are currently at R&D or near-market stages. The
contributing benefits to these developments include lightweight but strong packag-
ing materials and prolonged shelf life of packaged foodstuffs and the likely low risk
to the consumer attributable to the fixed or embedded nature of ENMs in plastic
polymers. Many nanotechnology-derived FCMs are currently available worldwide.
Nano-packaging applications as FCMs are anticipated to grow from a
66 million
$
business in 2003 to over
360 million by 2008 (Scrinis and Lyons
2007
). The main
areas of nanotechnology application fall into the following broad categories:
$
• FCMs incorporating nanomaterial to improve packaging properties such as
flexibility, gas barrier properties,
temperature/moisture stability,
light and
flame resistance, transparency, and mechanical stability
• “Active” FCMs that incorporate nanoparticles with antimicrobial or oxygen
scavenging properties
