Scientists see risks and benefits in nano foods

Tiny Frankenfoods alert!

In a taste of things to come, food scientists say they have cooked up a way of using nanotechnology to make low-fat or fat-free foods just as appetizing and satisfying as their full-fat fellows.

The implications could be significant in combating the spread of health problems such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

And causing others.

Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating matter at the nano scale - one thousand millionth of a meter - which, among other things, may be used to alter when, how and where in our bodies food is digested.

According a British parliamentary report, the global market for nanotechnology in food was $140 million in 2006 and is expected to balloon to $5.6 billion in 2012.

Like Kampers, British lawmakers expressed concern that not enough research is being done into potential nano food risks, and frustration about the food sector's lack of communication...

"We need to go further into understanding how matter works, and then bring that knowledge into how we prepare food for our products," he told Reuters.

Good thinking.

Concerned experts cite some research that has found that "persistent" nanoparticles that do not dissolve or biodegrade, such as nanosilver which can be used in food packaging as a way of extending shelf life, may penetrate certain barriers within the body that mean they pose a danger.

"These particles could be hazardous and we need to know more about their effects both in the body and in the environment," said Kampers. "Since these particles are very small, they can...enter cells or even the nucleus of a cell if they have the right characteristics."

And initiate the Law of Unintended Consequences.

Better to eat healthily now before they unleash the little Frankenfoods to save us from ourselves.