Nanotechnology in the Food Sector (TA-SWISS study translation)

The study was commissioned by TA-SWISS and conducted by the Institute of Applied Ecology (Freiburg, D). It was subsequently trans-lated by STOA into English. STOA gratefully acknowledges the chance to make it available for discussion in the European Parliament. All rights of the original publication in German continue to be held by vdf Hochschulverlag AG an der ETH Zürich. All rights of this edition in English are held by the European Parliament. Abstarct The study by the Centre for Technology Assessment TA-SWISS pro-vides an overview of nanomaterials already used in the food sector. Today, nanotechnology is virtually insignificant in terms of environ-mentally sound and health-promoting nutrition, and even in the future it is only likely to play a relatively subordinate role in making nutrition more sustainable. But nanotechnology is already used in food packag-ing, an area that is regarded as having considerable potential for innovation. The study assesses these products in respect of environ-mental issues and sustainability, showing the direction that future developments might take and where there is a need for caution.