Academics, consumer groups and Government officials are warning that the use of nanotechnology in food could threaten both human health and the environment. The particles being used are so small that they can pass through membranes protecting the brain or babies in the womb.
Some critics have talked of the threat of the creation of a “grey goo” of tiny particles with hidden harmful properties.
Nanotech health supplements are already on the market, and the first of hundreds of new nanotech foods are expected hit shelves sometime this year.