|
University
of Missouri research show promise for improving food safety
Source of
Article: http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=42608
Tiny particles could become a huge weapon in food safety, according to
researchers at the University of Missouri.
They have discovered that zinc oxide nanoparticles inhibit the growth of E.
coli 0157, a source of foodborne illness, as well as two fungi that affect
fruit.
"These results suggest that zinc oxide nanoparticles could potentially
be used as an effective postharvest antimicrobial agent in agricultural and
food safety applications," said Mengshi Lin, an assistant professor of
food science.
Nanoparticles are those less than 100 nanometers in diameter. Those used in
the researchers' work were about 70 nanometers in diameter — roughly a
thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair, and small enough to
penetrate their targets.
The research showed that even lower concentrations of zinc oxide, which is
inexpensive and widely available, inhibited the growth of both bacteria and
fungi, showing potential to stem foodborne illnesses.
"The use of nanoparticles has received a lot of attention for a
wide range of applications, from engineering to human health," said Alex
Yang, a recent food science master's graduate. "Nanotechnology has not
been widely applied to food science, but this is a promising area."
In recent years, investigators have traced foodborne outbreaks to spinach,
peppers, melons and peanut butter.
The outbreaks have sickened hundreds of Americans and proved fatal in some
cases. The produce and food industries have lost millions in sales, and
government agencies have used precious resources to investigate and track the
causes.
The outbreaks have prompted calls for a revamping of the country's food
safety system and even a centralized food safety agency.
But most scientists agree that the best way to tackle foodborne illness is at
the source, and the Missouri researchers believe they may have found one
method. The next step, they say, is to apply the particles to fruits,
possibly by spraying.
"Our research is to study the application of this technology to food
science," Lin said, "and also its safe, responsible
deployment."
Source: m.stltoday.com
Publication
date: 4/29/2009
|
