Ahmet Senturk, Buket Yalc?n and Semih Otles
Nanotechnology As A Food Perspective
Nanotechnology is a field of science and technology which is generally interested in particles that are smaller than 1-100 nm (billionth of a meter) and it is grown rapidly in recent years. It deals with molecules, atoms and these kind of structures which has nano-scale dimensions. Apart from macrosize materials, nanoscale structures have been shown novel and advanced features, thus they have attracted in especially electronic, textile, computer and pharmaceutical industries. Nanotechnology applications in the food industry have been developing more slowly than other areas because of their sensitivity and complex structures. However, in recent years, the food industry has done great progress in many areas such as the improvement of new packaging products, the development of new functional products, transport and controlled release of bioactive substances, detecting of pathogens by using nanosensors and indicators, and purification of water through the use of nanoparticles. In this article, the applications of nanotechnology in the food field and their status in the sector and the expectations of consumers are involved.