Call to come clean on food particle science

Peers said companies should be compelled to tell regulators about their work on tiny particles that can improve the flavour and texture of food, or increase its shelf life. They also called for a public register of food products and packaging containing nanomaterials, and more Government-funded research into possible health hazards.

Nanotechnology involves whittling common materials down to the size of microscopic particles, allowing them to acquire unusual properties.

Substances made up of tiny particles have a larger surface area, causing them to be more chemically reactive than larger lumps of the same material. But what effect they might have on the human body is still largely a mystery.

A report from the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee today stressed the lack of knowledge about the biological effects of nanoparticles, which are already being used as food ingredients.

The committee criticised the secrecy of food companies which refuse to discuss or publish their nanotechnology research.