Climate Change and Nanotechnolgy Drive Food Industry Transformation Worldwide
New Study From Helmut Kaiser Consultancy on Nanotechnology in Food,
Foodprocessing , Agriculture, Packaging and Consumption from 2007 to 2015 and
2040

Zurich and Beijing office of hkc22.com, May 2007.
The latest study by hkc22.com shows that food production and consumption will
change dramatically within the next 20 years. Water problems, energy use and
climate change are the key reasons besides increasing population from 6 billion
to expected 9 billion.





More than 60% of the water used worldwide is for food production. More than
the 20% of the methane comes from agriculture and stock breeding. 30% of the
total transportation is food and contributes to global warming. The total
transport counts for 60% of the world’s CO2 emissions.





Millions of people today do not have enough food and it will be worse in the
future. For many people food are not available, although there are enough
supplies somewhere else. Most people around the world will welcome the
possibility to shape food on a molecular level, because it will be locally
available everywhere around the world.





More and more food companies and agriculture are aware about this future
development and work on concepts to enter the science and technologies. Most
companies do not talk about this development because the consumer is afraid.

2040 will be the common use of nanoproduced food, which has the correct
nutritional composition and the same taste and texture of organically produced
food, means that the availability of food is no longer affected by limited
resources, bad crop weather, water problems or others.



Helmut Kaiser Consultancy has produced in 1999 the first analyses, in
2004/2005 the second and in 2007 the current level of nano food research
portfolio worldwide, estimates on possible areas and timeframes for
commercialization, and has a deep look at potential benefits and risks. Explain
applications, markets and developments to 2040. This book has more then 300
pages.



Nanotechnology will have an impact on the food industry, from how food is
grown and produced, processed to how it is packaged, transported and consumed.
Companies are developing nanomaterials that will make a difference not only in
the taste of food, but also in food safety, and the health benefits food
delivers. Nanotechnology will transform the entire food industry in the next 20
years. In agriculture, it portends various applications aimed at reducing
pesticide and water use, improving plant and animal breeding, and creating
nano-bioindustrial products.



A report last year by the Helmut Kaiser Consultancy estimated that the
worldwide nanotech food market may total $20.4 billion by 2010 and increase the
speed of growth.



While there is lots of opportunities for using nanotechnology to improve food
production, packaging, and quality, there is also some concern about how this
will play out. However this developement is part of our molecular future.



Nanotechnology involves creating and manipulating organic and inorganic matter
at the nanoscale. It promises to provide the means for designing nanomaterials;
materials with tailor-made physical, chemical and biological properties
controlled by defined molecular structures and dynamics. The present molecular
biology techniques of genetic modification of crops are already forms of what
has been termed nanotechnology. Nanotechnology can provide for the future
development of far more precise and effective methods of, and other forms of,
manipulation of food polymers and polymeric assemblages to provide tailor-made
improvements to food quality and food safety. Nanotechnology promises not only
the creation of novel and precisely defined material properties, it also
promises that these materials will have self-assembling, self-healing and
maintaining properties.

Some example applications:



NanoFood:

Nanocapsules and nano-objets for "on demand" preservatives, enriched food,
flavour, smell, taste and colours

Interactive food: attractive surface treatment, glaziers and colours,

Improvement of food safety and quality, Extension of products shelf-life

Nanotechnology for Food processing

Nanocontrol of healthy digestion tube and micro-flora, digestion more
compatible food

Improved cooking, control of food ingredients

Alternative feeding : transmucosal, skin etc..

Special Food: Hospital Food, Space Food, Hot and Cold areas Food

Controlled extraction and release nanoparticles

Nanocarriers for food and delivery of nutrients

and more...



Packaging:

Nanotechnology gas, UV barriers, mechanically and temperature reinforced foils
and packaging (nanoclays, nanoparticles, nanopolymers, composites, nanocavities
and strings), anti-microbial, breathable, multifunctional packaging

Magnetic nanocomposite for tag sensors

Nano-particle filled polymers

Enhancement of durability and usability of plastic packaging

Nano-additives for improved functionality (strength,barriers, water
resistance, absorbency)

Nanoprinted, Intelligent packaging, Controlled Release, Nano-additives,
Nanocoding of plastics and paper materials for authentication& identification
purposes

Radio Frequency Identification RFID, Monitoring Tagging, Trade Mark & Fraud
protection, improved supply chain efficiency, nanoBarcodes

In situ sensor food quality monitoring (eg. colour), control and
nutraceuticals delivery, Paper and plastics with sensing ability, Portable
DNA/protein chips for food quality tests

Special Beverage packaging

Fibre coatings with polymer nanocomposites

Extreme condition packaging (hot, cold, aerospace areas)

Self Cleaning Packaging and Antibacterial Productions Site Surfaces

and more..



NanoAgriculture:

Nanotechnology for Controlled Environment Agriculture: "smart" pesticides
delivery, Control of Crops, Animal Food and Health, control of microbial and
chemical contamination, complete plant health monitoring

Extreme conditions agriculture (Space, Cold, Hot areas)

and more..

for more
http://www.hkc22.com/nanofood2040.html

Helmut Kaiser Consultancy, Zurich and Beijing
email: hkc22@...
telefon 0049 171 5481300
0049 7071 67100
homepage: www.hkc22.com






---------------------------------
Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell?
Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]