Nanoparticles in food: Is it bad for our health

Food can contain nano-particles as additives to the product to improve properties. Thus, particles of silicon dioxide are not stuck in Instant soups under the circumstances, so that the soup isn’t clumped. Tiny titanium dioxide particles of chewing gum, and yogurt dressing in a radiant Shine White.

Food additives are tested prior to admission to your health. The manufacturers are obliged to put all the ingredients in the Form of “engineered Nanomaterialien“ on the label with “Nano“ to characterize it. This Nano&#8220 referred to as “; the billionth part of one Meter (= 1 Nanometer). However, according to estimates by the Federal Association of consumer centres e. V. (vzbv) to date, virtually no traditional ingredients that fall under this Definition. Labelling not subject to natural, incidental, or process nanomaterials. Including particles, the brew in the Milling of flour, the beer, or the homogenization of fruit juices emerge for example.

But how nanoparticles affect the food our stomach and intestinal flora? This is a question scientists have been employed by the centre for Medical biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen. For this, they simulated in the laboratory, the speed of the tiny particles through the body. Nano-particles encounter on their way through the digestive tract very different conditions – from the saliva to acidic environment in the stomach, and the more “neutralen“ Intestine.

Apparently can bind to a variety of nano-particles of harmful and beneficial bacteria, including probiotic bacteria,. This applies to artificial and natural nanoparticles, have isolated scientists from the beer. The effects were both positive and negative, to explain the micro-biologists in the journal “Nature Publishing Journal, Science of Food“. The immune system disease can detect causing bacteria worse if they are covered with nano-particles. This favors inflammatory processes in the intestine. On the other hand, Silicea nanoparticles weaknesses, according to the experts, the infectivity of the germ Helicobacter pylori, which is instrumental in the development of stomach cancer. In the field of nano-technology, much research is still necessary. The current results should help to understand the biological mechanisms in the digestive tract better, and the use of nanoparticles in food development. Heike Kreutz, bzfe