Posts Tagged ‘regulation’

Fantastic food!

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

We add substances to processed food in in increasing amounts using more and more diverse substances. E.g. adding omega-3 fatty acids is good for you – it works against depression, cardiovascular disease, homicide, improves IQ of babies, etc.

Claims are being forwarded as to the benefits arising and companies are asked to supply evidence for these claims. Functional foods are may be not so easy to make? Scientific studies will form the basis for a claim, and improving understanding of what food does to your body must be OK.

America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EU via the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will look into regulation of such claims so as to better asses nutrition and health factors. In the process we can expect clearer information as to what “healthy” really means. This also means that the ingredients of food will be better understood, including what it means for human health – benefits and drawbacks – the last must also be established.

Food as a drug can be linked to the pharmaceutical industry, personalizing food and linking it to your personal metabolism is possible, selling services like dietary analysis and training is coming up ….

Keep also in mind the link to nanofoods – food is getting more and more complex – we must make sure we know what is going on.

Nanotech – general

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

Nanotechnology is now a force coming into its own with benefits for all.

Nano technology is about working with molecules, atoms, micromolecules. The aim is to improve the functionality of materials, components and systems.

Natural nanoparticles are found in soil/earth, water, seaspray salts. They can be made by humans as found in smoke and soot,  and finally they can be designed by humans to achieve special properties regarding size, surface properties, ductility, thermal coefficients, bacteria resistance etc. We are increasingly able to design particles with unique and amazing properties!

Examples: Paint with nanoparticles to improve flow, paint quality etc. Nano particles are finding increasing use in food, nanocapsules filled with medicine are developed, used as bacteria-killers in the water supply, nanosilver is widely used as a killer e.g. as a coating in your refrigerator, microchips with layers of nanomaterial as a lab on a chip, car paint with nanoparticles that bust when the paint is scratched in order to close the damage…..

What happens to the particles further on after cleaning and recirculation: can they be removed when it suits you? Can nanoparticles be harmful to man, animals, the environment? How will the newly made nanoparticles perform when released into society and nature? Will they break down, are they toxic, can they combine with other substances? Can they be made environmentally sound or even improve the environment?

Regulations are required to asses and control the risks, especially the unwanted and unforeseen effects.