Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Nanotechno
logies in Agrofood and Water
Frans W. H. Kampers
CONTENTS
5.1 Applications of Nanotechnology in Agriculture .................................... 88
5.1.1 Process Monitoring .......................................................................... 89
5.1.2 Nutrient Delivery ............................................................................. 91
5.1.3 Crop Protection ................................................................................ 91
5.1.4 Other Applications .......................................................................... 92
5.2 Applications in Food Processing and Production .................................. 93
5.2.1 Process Monitoring .......................................................................... 93
5.2.2 Process Innovation and Optimization .......................................... 95
5.3 Opportunities for Food Product Development ....................................... 96
5.3.1 Texture Modification ....................................................................... 97
5.3.2 Encapsulation and (Targeted) Delivery ........................................ 98
5.4 Improving Shelf Life and Quality Assurance of Food Products .......... 99
5.4.1 Barrier Properties ............................................................................. 99
5.4.2 Antimicrobial Activity .................................................................. 100
5.4.3 Monitoring Quality Deterioration ............................................... 100
5.4.4 Detection of Spoilage Organisms ................................................ 101
5.5 Applications in Water ................................................................................ 102
5.5.1 Filtration .......................................................................................... 102
5.5.2 Remediation .................................................................................... 103
5.6 Discussion ................................................................................................... 104
5.6.1 Consumer Acceptance .................................................................. 105
5.6.2 Nanotechnology and the Environment ...................................... 106
Bibliography ........................................................................................................ 107
Food is a material that has a structural hierarchy, from the macrolevel where
we enjoy its macroscopic properties, all the way down to the molecular and
supramolecular levels where the nutritional and structural properties find
their origin. Food can therefore be seen as a natural nanomaterial. Changing
the characteristics of a foodstuff, to create new functionality, therefore usu-
ally requires changing the material at the nanolevel. In the past, mankind
has used very crude methods to achieve this, such as cooking, mixing, and
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