Nanotechnology
to be applied to food safety
Source of Article: http://www.examiner.com/x-1242-Omaha-Science-Examiner~y2008m12d31-Nanotechnology-to-be-applied-to-food-safety December
31, 10:20 AM by Meg Marquardt, Omaha Science
Examiner
Nanotechnology is one of the fastest growing
fields in science. Working with materials that are approximately one
billionth of a meter (or about 100 thinner than a human hair), scientists have been able to create the some of the
smallest processors and sensors in the world. A new application is being thoroughly
investigated. The United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA) is helping with the research into a way to use
nanotechnology in food safety. Nanoparticles
that can attach to fluorescent proteins (like those that won this year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry) can be used for screening purposes. By using nanoparticles that fluoresce under special lights (like
ultra violet), scientists at the USDA will be able to quickly and efficiently
spot meats that are contaminated with the likes of Salmonella. The plan is elegantly simple. Tiny nanoparticles are spread over the surface of a particle
food product--for this example let’s assume it’s a shipment of chicken.
The nano-coated chicken is then illuminated by UV
lights. Those pieces of meat that light up have nanoparticles
that have attached to dangerous substances such as Salmonella. The meat
that lights up are taken off the conveyor belt and destroyed while the meats
that pass the test are then thoroughly washed, packed up, and shipped across
the country with a provable stamp of good health. In light of recent outbreaks of E. coli and other
food-related diseases, it is essential that new and more thorough means of
ensuring the safety of food. Though it is unlikely that this technology
will be appearing at a meat packing plant near you any time soon, it is a
good step towards an efficient and foolproof way to make sure that what we
eat is safe. |
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