Government takes microscope to nanotech food

Pioneering nanotechnologies capable of extending the life of packaged foods, increase crop yields or slash the energy footprint of water purification could become a reality over the next decade after the government signalled cautious support for the controversial technology.

Speaking in an interview with The Observer this weekend, environment secretary Hilary Benn said that microscopic nanotechnologies had "real potential " to meet soaring demand for food in the coming years while cutting the environmental footprint of the agricultural sector.

"Nanotechnology has clear potential," he said. "As with all of these technologies, the government's job is to make sure we fully understand the consequences of using it, but clearly it has got real potential. We ought to be looking at all the means at our disposal."

Benn also reiterated the government's support for controversial GM crop trials, arguing that "if GM crops could help deliver better nutrition by enriching vitamins, and if GM was able to develop more drought-resistant or pest-resistant crops, then we have got a basis on which to have a discussion".

Many green groups oppose both GM and food nanotechnology projects arguing that it is impossible to predict the long term consequences of introducing such technologies into the food chain.

However, Benn countered that a royal commission on environmental pollution recently had concluded there was "no evidence" of adverse health impacts arising from nanotechnology, and added that the government was pushing for an EU wide regulatory framweork to be developed to guard against any future health risks.

A spokeswoman for the Defra told BusinessGreen.com that safety was the top priority for food nanotechnology projects and that any foods using nanotechnology in the UK would have to be properly licensed.

But she insisted there was a strong case for the government to back research in the area. "We are looking at what the science can do," she said. "It's very much in its infancy, but thinking such as packaging that can keep food fresh for longer or warn you when it is going off is very interesting."

Microscopic technologies could also be used to deliver health benefits, for example through projects currently investigating the potential for "nano-salt" that would allow consumers to get the same taste from a smaller amount of salt or looking at ensuring vitamins can survive for longer in fresh products.

However, it is the potential to cut greenhouse gas emissions and bolster food production that is expected to attract the most interest with a number of projects around the world looking at how manmade microscopic particles could help enhance the efficiency of fertiliser or slash the amount of energy used to purify water.

"The focus is on more environmentally sustainable foods and making sure we have more resilient food supplies," said the spokeswoman for Defra.