Foundation
Learning objectives
To define biotechnology and nanotechnology. To understand where increases in the use of biotechnology and nanotechnoogy have occurred. To understand areas of traditional biotechnology. To understand areas of modern biotechnology. To know the food labelling legislation about genetically modified food products.
What is biotechnology?
Biotechnology is the industrial use of biological processes to make products. Its major uses are in the production or preservation of food.
Increases in biotechnology
Increases in the use of biotechnology by the food industry are due to: competition between food companies for an increased market share; attempts to increase efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of production;
Traditional biotechnology
Traditional biotechnology mainly involves the production of foods, such as cheese, bread and wine. The fermentation process: offers a method of preservation, e.g. by producing acid which lowers the pH (converting a perishable food into one that has a longer shelf-life); can be used to change the nutritional value of food products, e.g. converting milk to cheese; can create or improve sensory characteristics of foods (flavour, aroma and texture).
Food production
Cheese rennet (from the enzyme renin) is used to coagulate milk, forming curds and whey. Alcoholic beverages glucose is fermented by yeast enzymes. Bread enzymes within the flour break down starch, eventually producing glucose. This is fermented by enzymes present in yeast producing alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Modern biotechnology
The emphasis of modern biotechnology is on the production of raw materials and food ingredients. Work is based on changing the characteristics of plants, animals and micro-organisms, including fungi.
Cell genetics
Every cell in plants and animals, including humans, contains genes. They are inherited from each parent and passed on to future generations. They carry information about physical characteristics and qualities. In the past, plant and animal breeders have had to work through many generations, and so wait for years for improvements to be achieved, e.g. cross breeding pigs to produce pork with more muscle and less fat.
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Scientists, now, are able to identify which individual gene controls a particular characteristic. These discoveries offer a quicker and more exact way to improve crops and livestock. Understanding the nature of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) has led the way to genetic modification. This is the process by which biotechnologists can selectively splice specific sequences of DNA genes together, to produce a crop, for example, with additional or improved characteristics.
Genetic modification
A number of ethical and safety issues need to be considered with genetic modification. Some concerns expressed by consumers include fears that the results of genetic modification could harm the environment and pose a danger to humans.
GM food labelling
Food is labelled if it contains genes that would not be expected to be there and which might cause concern to some people on ethical grounds. Labelling is not considered necessary for foods in which the inserted gene has been destroyed by processing, and is therefore not present in the food at the time it is sold.
GM food labelling
Food from genetically modified organisms needs to be labelled if: if contains a copy gene originally derived from a human being; if contains a copy gene originally derived from an animal which is restricted by some religions, e.g. pigs for Muslims or Jews; it is a plant or microbial food and contains a copy gene originally derived from any animal.
Food a fact of life 2009
What is nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology is the manufacture and use of materials and structures at the nanometre scale (a nanometre is one millionth of a millimetre). It offers a wide range of opportunities for the development of innovative products and applications for food packaging.
Nanotechnology and nanomaterials are a natural part of food processing and conventional foods, because the characteristic properties of many foods rely on nanometer sized components (such as nanoemulsions and foams).
Nanotechnology
Recent technological developments lead the way for the manufacture of nanoparticles to be added to food. These could be finely divided forms of existing ingredients, or completely novel chemical structures.
Nanotechnology applications in the food sector are on the increase worldwide and are expected to grow rapidly in the future, e.g. the use of nano carbohydrate particles which bind with bacteria so they can be detected and eliminated.
Nanotechnology
The types of material produced can be at the nanoscale in one dimension (very thin coatings), two dimensions (nanowires) or three dimensions (nanoparticles, such as a very fine powder preparations).
Nanotechnologies are not new chemists have been making polymers based on nanoscale subunits for many years.
www.foodafactoflife.org.uk