Posts Tagged ‘nanotechnology’

IFT’s Nanoscience Conference Returns

Wednesday, March 6th, 2013

The IFT International Food Nanoscience Conference is back and better than ever. It will be held July 12–13 at the Hilton Chicago, in Chicago, Ill., just prior to the Annual Meeting & Food Expo. Join expert speakers from around the world and gain the latest insights into topics such as:

  • Current and emerging nanoscience applications for sustainability, nutrition, flavors, food processing and engineering, and other areas
  • Evaluating the safety of nanomaterials
  • Non-U.S. perspectives on nanotechnology
  • Consumer perceptions and education

New to Nanoscience?
Join us on July 12 for a primer workshop designed to help build or refresh your foundational understanding of nanoscience. Find out more information.

Registration is now open!

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Kick Off Tuesday Morning with Nanotechnology

Monday, June 25th, 2012

Nanoscale science, engineering, and technology (nanotechnology) is undoubtedly one of the hottest and topical areas of research. Nanotechnology continues to rapidly advance and show great promise for valuable applications throughout the food system. Promising areas of research in the food sector include, but are not limited to: nanocomposites for food packaging, nutrient delivery systems, and nanomaterials that could block certain substances in food, such as harmful cholesterol. In order to fully realize the benefits of nanoscale research in the food industry, it is vital to better understand the basics of nanoscale science, engineering, and technology; applications; and the regulatory and legal landscape. Sunrise session 006 “Nanotechnology and the Food System: Fundamentals, Applications, Education and Outreach, and the Legal and Regulatory Landscape” will provide an overview of fundamental concepts, applications, and the legal and regulatory environment, and will also address issues and challenges relating to consumer acceptance, public outreach initiatives, and educational developments.

Jozef Kokini, Univ. of Illinois, will get the session started by introducing concepts of nanotechnology that offer useful applications in food science. The talk will explain what nanotechnology is and what kinds of characterization and design tools are being used. Applications will include manufacturing and characterization of nanoparticles, the design and utilization of microfluidic and nanofluidic devices, surface science, and imaging tools that have been used so far. The talk will also show examples of useful applications in food science.

Rickey Yada, Univ. of Guelph, will follow up with a discussion on how nanoscience can be adopted in the food industry. A big part of this includes educating the public, expanding nanotechnology programs at universities, and addressing consumers’ issues with nanotechnology.

Finally, Mitchell Cheeseman, Steptoe and Johnson LLP, will examine nanotechnology from the political and regulatory point of view. As with previous emerging technologies, political forces and regulatory environments have forced divergence between the dominant food regulatory forces in the United States and Europe. Cheeseman will discuss the challenges and opportunities that the global legal and regulatory climate will create moving forward.

If nanotechnology is a new subject for you, or if you need an update on the regulatory happenings surrounding this controversial topic, don’t miss out on this session’s great speakers on Tuesday, June 26, from 7:15–8:15 a.m. in room N116.

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Nanotechnology Moves Forward

Friday, May 18th, 2012

In April, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a draft guidance document that addresses the use of nanotechnology by the food industry. Nanotechnology is an evolving technology that allows scientists to create, explore, and manipulate materials on a scale measured in nanometers—particles so small that they can’t be seen with a regular microscope. There is great potential to impact the food and agriculture sector with on-going research and development in many areas. Public interest in nanotechnology as it relates to food has significantly increased in recent years. Particular interest has focused on application discoveries, potential safety implications, and regulatory oversight. Here are some of this year’s sessions that will focus on different aspects of nanotechnology:

  • Nanotechnology and the Food System (Session 006): Jozef Kokini of the Univ. of Illinois will provide an introduction to the methods, tools, and applications of nanotechnology. Rickey Yada of the Univ. of Guelph will then discuss nanotechnology programs at universities and the need for educating consumers about nanotechnology. Mitchell Cheeseman of Steptoe & Johnson LLP will close the session by discussing differences between U.S. and European laws and regulations.
  • Safety Evaluation of Nanodelivery Systems and Nanoparticles in Foods (Session 182): Sally Tinkle of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) will describe the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s research efforts to provide the information regulatory agencies need to perform risk assessments that protect public health and the environment and support the beneficial use of nanotechnology. Secondly, Cristina M. Sabliov of Louisiana State Univ. will discuss biodistribution of polymeric nanoparticles used for enhanced vitamin E delivery. Prabir Dutta of Ohio State Univ. will discuss interaction of commercially available nanoparticles with intestinal epithelial cells. Finally, Mengshi Lin of the Univ. of Missouri will discuss new methodologies and strategies for extraction, detection, and characterization of engineered nanoparticles in foods.

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Kick Off the Annual Meeting with Coffee and Sunrise Sessions

Saturday, June 11th, 2011

by Kelly Hensel

Need incentive to get up early? How about free coffee and the opportunity for some bonus education? You can have it all at the Sunrise Sessions taking place from 7:15 –8:15 a.m. on Sunday, June 12, and Tuesday, June 14. There will three overview sessions offered each day. Given the popularity of the Sunrise Sessions last year, make sure you arrive early to get a seat..

Sunday’s bonus sessions are as follows (Sunday’s Sunrise coffee break is sponsored by Ajinomoto):

Nanoscale science for food: A primer
Session 6, Sunday, 7:15–8:15 a.m.
Room: 394
Track: Food Processing & Packaging

Nanoscale science, engineering, and technology are rapidly advancing and demonstrating great potential for applications in the food industry. Research is ongoing globally in various application areas, including food processing, food safety, product/ingredient development, and food packaging. The research is geared to generate a large number of new food products that could be in commerce in the near future. This symposium describes the fundamental concepts of science, engineering, and technology at the nanoscale level and discuss potential impacts. The focus is recent developments for applications in the food industry and their benefits to consumers. Also, the symposium provides a perspective of the potential risks and challenges facing nanoscale research.

Product development 101: Project and portfolio management
Session 7, Sunday, 7:15–8:15 a.m.
Room: 395
Track: Product Development & Ingredient Innovations

Product development is a project that should be established the successful formation of a concept. This session provides a tutorial on the elements of developing a project as well as the stages of project management. Speakers will share their knowledge of systematic approaches to portfolio management. The session is designed to benefit entry-level and mid-level product development project managers.

Fundamentals of sustainability for the food industry
Session 8, Sunday, 7:15–8:15 a.m.
Room: 396
Track: Sustainability

Sustainability is a trend that continues to be reflected in the business models of various companies and organizations in the food industry. It is based in three pillars: environment, economy and society. This session teaches the basics of the sustainability movement.

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Nanotechnology Heats Up

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Nanotechnology, also known as nanoscale science, engineering, and technology, is a rapidly growing field of research and applied science that is revolutionizing various sectors of the economy including medicine, energy, electronics, and defense. There is great potential to impact the food and agriculture sector with on-going research and development in many areas. Public interest in nanotechnology as it relates to food has significantly increased in recent years. Particular interest has focused on application discoveries, potential safety implications, and regulatory oversight. Here are some of this year’s sessions that will focus on different aspects of nanotechnology:

  • Nanotechnology-enabled food safety interventions (Session 17): In recent years, various nanotechnology-based approaches have been explored to provide novel solutions to food safety intervention challenges. Such solutions include nanoscale delivery of antimicrobials, novel nano-biomaterials and delivery vehicles, food processing surface modification at nanoscale, food polymer packaging, and interactions with food matrices. This symposium presents a comprehensive review of nanotechnology-based food safety intervention technologies. Four active research leaders in the field with diverse and complementary scientific approaches discuss the newest and latest developments.
  • Inspiration from nanoscale science and engineering (Session 68): The structure of many familiar foods is often the result of self-assembly of food component molecules into nano-sized structural elements. The ability to control molecular assembly in a food matrix over several length scales will become an integral part of food product design. Future development of food products will require an understanding of the relations between nano, micro, and higher order structures and their impact on physical, chemical, and sensory properties and nutritional functionality. Food scientists and technologists in the future will find themselves ever more engaged in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
  • Designing nanoscale vehicles for effective delivery of drugs and bioactives in functional foods (Session 227): The impact of nanotechnology on the food sector is expected to be sizeable. Researchers and industry experts envision better quality and safer foods with enhanced nutritional and health benefits achieved via nanotechnology applications. The first wave of nanotech applications in foods is focused on enhanced uptake and bioavailability of bioactives. Critical developments made in the area of nanodelivery applications for drug delivery can be translated and applied in food applications. This symposium covers topics ranging from information transfer between the drug and food industries, design of nano-delivery systems for food use, and improved efficacy and bioavailability of bioactive compounds via nano-sized delivery systems.

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