Press Release: Climate Change and Nanotechnology Drive Food Industry Transformation Worldwide

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Climate Change and Nanotechnolgy Drive Food Industry Transformation Worldwide

New Study From Helmut Kaiser Consultancy on Nanotechnology in Food,

Foodprocessing , Agriculture, Packaging and Consumption from 2007 to 2015 and

2040

 

Zurich and Beijing office of hkc22.com, May 2007.

The latest study by hkc22.com shows that food production and consumption will

change dramatically within the next 20 years. Water problems, energy use and

climate change are the key reasons besides increasing population from 6 billion

to expected 9 billion.

 

 

 

 

 

More than 60% of the water used worldwide is for food production. More than

the 20% of the methane comes from agriculture and stock breeding. 30% of the

total transportation is food and contributes to global warming. The total

transport counts for 60% of the world’s CO2 emissions.

 

 

 

 

 

Millions of people today do not have enough food and it will be worse in the

future. For many people food are not available, although there are enough

supplies somewhere else. Most people around the world will welcome the

possibility to shape food on a molecular level, because it will be locally

available everywhere around the world.

 

 

 

 

 

More and more food companies and agriculture are aware about this future

development and work on concepts to enter the science and technologies. Most

companies do not talk about this development because the consumer is afraid.

 

2040 will be the common use of nanoproduced food, which has the correct

nutritional composition and the same taste and texture of organically produced

food, means that the availability of food is no longer affected by limited

resources, bad crop weather, water problems or others.

 

 

 

Helmut Kaiser Consultancy has produced in 1999 the first analyses, in

2004/2005 the second and in 2007 the current level of nano food research

portfolio worldwide, estimates on possible areas and timeframes for

commercialization, and has a deep look at potential benefits and risks. Explain

applications, markets and developments to 2040. This book has more then 300

pages.

 

 

 

Nanotechnology will have an impact on the food industry, from how food is

grown and produced, processed to how it is packaged, transported and consumed.

Companies are developing nanomaterials that will make a difference not only in

the taste of food, but also in food safety, and the health benefits food

delivers. Nanotechnology will transform the entire food industry in the next 20

years. In agriculture, it portends various applications aimed at reducing

pesticide and water use, improving plant and animal breeding, and creating

nano-bioindustrial products.

 

 

 

A report last year by the Helmut Kaiser Consultancy estimated that the

worldwide nanotech food market may total $20.4 billion by 2010 and increase the

speed of growth.

 

 

 

While there is lots of opportunities for using nanotechnology to improve food

production, packaging, and quality, there is also some concern about how this

will play out. However this developement is part of our molecular future.

 

 

 

Nanotechnology involves creating and manipulating organic and inorganic matter

at the nanoscale. It promises to provide the means for designing nanomaterials;

materials with tailor-made physical, chemical and biological properties

controlled by defined molecular structures and dynamics. The present molecular

biology techniques of genetic modification of crops are already forms of what

has been termed nanotechnology. Nanotechnology can provide for the future

development of far more precise and effective methods of, and other forms of,

manipulation of food polymers and polymeric assemblages to provide tailor-made

improvements to food quality and food safety. Nanotechnology promises not only

the creation of novel and precisely defined material properties, it also

promises that these materials will have self-assembling, self-healing and

maintaining properties.

 

Some example applications:

 

 

 

NanoFood:

 

Nanocapsules and nano-objets for " on demand " preservatives, enriched food,

flavour, smell, taste and colours

 

Interactive food: attractive surface treatment, glaziers and colours,

 

Improvement of food safety and quality, Extension of products shelf-life

 

Nanotechnology for Food processing

 

Nanocontrol of healthy digestion tube and micro-flora, digestion more

compatible food

 

Improved cooking, control of food ingredients

 

Alternative feeding : transmucosal, skin etc..

 

Special Food: Hospital Food, Space Food, Hot and Cold areas Food

 

Controlled extraction and release nanoparticles

 

Nanocarriers for food and delivery of nutrients

 

and more...

 

 

 

Packaging:

 

Nanotechnology gas, UV barriers, mechanically and temperature reinforced foils

and packaging (nanoclays, nanoparticles, nanopolymers, composites, nanocavities

and strings), anti-microbial, breathable, multifunctional packaging

 

Magnetic nanocomposite for tag sensors

 

Nano-particle filled polymers

 

Enhancement of durability and usability of plastic packaging

 

Nano-additives for improved functionality (strength,barriers, water

resistance, absorbency)

 

Nanoprinted, Intelligent packaging, Controlled Release, Nano-additives,

Nanocoding of plastics and paper materials for authentication & identification

purposes

 

Radio Frequency Identification RFID, Monitoring Tagging, Trade Mark & Fraud

protection, improved supply chain efficiency, nanoBarcodes

 

In situ sensor food quality monitoring (eg. colour), control and

nutraceuticals delivery, Paper and plastics with sensing ability, Portable

DNA/protein chips for food quality tests

 

Special Beverage packaging

 

Fibre coatings with polymer nanocomposites

 

Extreme condition packaging (hot, cold, aerospace areas)

 

Self Cleaning Packaging and Antibacterial Productions Site Surfaces

 

and more..

 

 

 

NanoAgriculture:

 

Nanotechnology for Controlled Environment Agriculture: " smart " pesticides

delivery, Control of Crops, Animal Food and Health, control of microbial and

chemical contamination, complete plant health monitoring

 

Extreme conditions agriculture (Space, Cold, Hot areas)

 

and more..

 

for more

http://www.hkc22.com/nanofood2040.html

 

Helmut Kaiser Consultancy, Zurich and Beijing

email: hkc22

telefon 0049 171 5481300

0049 7071 67100

homepage: www.hkc22.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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