NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING

Food Processing deals with the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms. It dates back to pre-historic ages when crude processing incorporated fermenting, sun drying, preserving with salt etc. Modern techniques have been developed largely in the 19th and 20th centuries with the help of Chemical Engineering. The techniques include Spray drying, juice concentrates, freeze drying, addition of substances like artificial sweetners, colouring agents, anti caking agents, emulsifiers etc. Nano food: One of the reasons for the major advancements in this field is due to the development of Nanotechnology. Nanocapsules are incorporated into food to deliver nutrients also addition of Nanoparticles to the existing food increases the absorption of nutrients. Substances that are difficult to dissolve can be more easily be absorbed by the body if they are Nanoscale sized, due to their large surface area. Nanosized dispersions, emulsions, filled miscelles have the advantage that they are not subjected to sedimentation which gives better product life span and storage. If any active substance is to be protected during storage or passage through the intestines, existing nanotechnology can produce perfect protective layers. Packing & Storage: Nanofibres and silicate Nanoparticles are light in weight as well as provide strength. Nanoparticles embedded in plastics may be used to retard the diffusion of gases like O2, water vapour by creating torturous paths and thus provide air tight packing. Nanotubes may be filled with materials such as antimicrobials to disperse in plastic

matrix. Also a research is going on in this field for preparing Nanomaterials that could improve biodegradability of polymers like polylactic acid (PLA).