Nanoparticles are increasingly part of our diet. Although the benefits of these very small particles in food products are known, further research into uncertainties in the field of health and the environment remains necessary. RIKILT developed technology to be able to analyse and characterise such particles. During the WoTS, the company, part of Wageningen University, will highlight the latest developments.
By: Dimitri Reijerman
Ruud Peters, researcher at RIKILT, states that nanomaterials are mainly used as additives in food products. “Think of E171, or titanium dioxide particles. This is a whitening dye. For example, it gives a shiny layer on chocolate sweets that reflects light,” says Peters. This involves particles that are 10 to 100 nanometers in size and clump together via agglomeration processes.
At RIKILT, Peters explains, these products are examined down to the smallest detail. And for that, the company has developed and refined its own detection methods: “The most important method is single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS),” says Peters. “This method is already used throughout Europe and we have even drawn up an ISO standard for this method since March last year.”
Biggest customers
RIKILT receives many assignments from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). According to the researcher, they are primarily interested in being able to measure nanoparticles for food safety: “They want to have at least a method to be able to measure those particles. Sometimes a manufacturer claims that a product works better because it supposedly contains nanoparticles. The NVWA can check through us whether this product actually contains those particles.”
In addition to the fact that customers from the food industry and regulators are the primary customers of RIKILT, Peters says that other markets are also being tapped: “We look at a broader perspective at RIKILT, such as surface water. That water contains nanoparticles and, after purification, is also used in the production of food.”
Other research
And together with the RIVM, RIKILT is also conducting research into possible health effects of nanoparticles in food: "Whether it is less healthy is difficult to demonstrate. The question is how many of these particles are actually absorbed by the body. Little was known about this, but it is probably 1 to 2 percent," says Peters.
During his lecture, Peters wants to tell his audience about the difficulties in detecting nanoparticles. He will also highlight the state-of-the-art technology that is currently in use and finally the RIKILT researcher will describe the difficulties that can occur in detection and characterization.
You can attend the seminar program during WoTS for free after registration. The lecture by Ruud Peters (RIKILT), entitled 'Analytical Technology for Nanotechnology in Food', is part of the Trending Topics in Food & Beverage program. Peters' lecture starts at 10:35 in the Croesezaal.
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