DOI: 10.59313/jsr-a.1781679 ISSN: 2687-6167

Nanotechnology in the food industry: Current status, applications, safety, and future perspectives

Damla İkballı, Alper Özengül, Ebru Halvacı, Gülsade Şahin, Youssra Saffour, Muhammet Dönmez, Fatih Şen
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One billionth of a meter is referred to as "nano." When compared to their macroscopic counterparts, the properties of materials at this scale—such as energy levels, reactivity, and surface area—change dramatically. By enabling the creation, design, and control of forms at the atomic and molecular level, nanotechnology, a scientific field that capitalizes on these scale effects, seeks to create new materials that are more favorable, biologically active, or durable. Nanotechnology's growing importance in food science and industry has made it a highly concentrated field of study because of its implications for consumer health, safety, and sustainability as well as the opportunity it offers for creative product development. This review, conducted for this purpose, is an extensive study that encompasses the definition and classification of nanofoods, their current applications, and possible prospects for future developments. The results of the literature review using an intherdisciplinary approach – considering health consequences, application areas and regulatory approaches in comparison. It also reviews the safety and effectiveness properties of nanoparticles used in functional foods, nanoencapsulation technologies, antimicrobial and smart packing solutions adopted in the food industry as well as advantages of nanotechnology for the food market through food supplements. To evaluate the toxicological hazards and health benefits of nanofoods, a comprehensive compilation of data is presented, considering metabolic processes, bioavailability and biotransformation pathways. The other component of this review is the environmental factor as well. The environmental sustainability of nanomaterials from manufacture to consumption is discussed using ecotoxicological impacts and a circular economy viewpoint. Additionally, combining AI-based analyses with nanotechnology is a very interesting way to improve safety evaluations, make production processes more efficient, and make new food products. Furthermore, plant-derived and biotechnology-derived nanofoods offer significant research opportunities for sustainable production frameworks and personalized nutritional approaches. Consequently, this study comprehensively elucidates the present condition of nanofoods, their methodological and legal limitations, and the benefit-risk assessment. It also gives a broad view of future research that is supported by interdisciplinary methods.

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