EU: risk assessment for nano-foods

Foods produced by nanotechnology should undergo specific risk assessment before being put on the European market, according to the European parliament's Environment Committee. The plenary vote is scheduled for July 2010.

Members of the European Parliament said foods produced by nanotechnology processes must remain excluded from the Community list until they have undergone specific and adequate risk assessments, and the possible health effects of materials at nano scale are better understood.

The draft legislation defines engineered nano-materials as having one or more dimensions less than 100 nm. All ingredients present in the form of nano-materials will need to be clearly indicated in the list of ingredients, reports nanoforum.org.

An example of nanotechnology in food production is a wax-like nano-coating on fruits and vegetables to extend shelf life. It can also be used in salad dressings and sauces to make them pour more easily. Some of the world's largest food manufacturers - including European companies - are researching nanotechnology for food applications. But, there are currently no nano-foods on the EU market, according to a press release from the European Parliament, quoting the European Commission.

- We have insisted that no food products made by nanotechnology or containing nanoparticles will be put on the market unless they have undergone a validated risk assessment and are proven to be safe, says Kartika Liotard, a Dutch member of GUE/NGL - Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left - who is steering the proposals through the European Parliament.

The proposal to update the regulation on novel foods aims to simplify and centralise the procedure for authorising them, so as to safeguard food safety and human health. Only novel foods which are included on the Community list (after assessment by the European Food Safety Authority), may be placed on the market.

Novel foods are defined as those which have not been consumed to any significant degree in the EU before May 1997, when the first legislation on novel foods was introduced. They include foods that are newly-developed, such as foods produced by new production processes like nanotechnology, but also foods traditionally consumed only outside the EU.

Sources: www.nanoforum.org and www.europarl.europa.eu