Governing Nano Foods: Principles-Based Responsive Regulation EFFoST Critical Reviews #3

Established in 1960, Advances in Heterocyclic Chemistry is the definitive serial in the area--one of great importance to organic chemists, polymer chemists and many biological scientists. Written by established authorities in the field, the comprehensive reviews combine descriptive chemistry and mechanistic insight and yield an understanding of how the chemistry drives the properties.

Food which nanotechnology has impacted or to which nanotechnology is applied is referred to as nanofood.  From treatment of the soil in which a crop plant is grown to the caring of a food, nanotechnology is a growing factor in the food supply. At this point, however, there is no definitive, effective global method for regulating the use of nanotechnology as it relates to the food suply.

Legislation on nanotechnologies is still evolving, as is understanding what data is needed for effective, efficient and appropriate risk assessment associated with nanotechnology impacted foods. Due to the emerging nature of nanotechnology and its role in the food supply, case-by-case studies are the current norm, but the need for wide-scale testing and broad-based regulatory standards is urgent.

This project is based on an EFFoST study designed to provide a comparative study of nanofood regulations in order to guide regulation development in this rapidly expanding market.

• Provides comparative study of nanofood regulations in order to guide regulation development in this rapidly expanding market
• Includes both case-by-case examples and more broad-based insights
• Provides models for regulation specifically for regulating nanotechnology as applied to food

Foreword

Executive Summary

Introduction

Requirements for food safety regulation

Safety frame applied to food applications of nanotechnology

Case-by-case premarket approval

Nano-specific regulation

Regulatory burden

A learning system

Conclusions and way forward

Annexes:

Analytical framework

On the delineation of the concept 'nanotechnology'

Lessons learned from selected regulatory reviews

Nanotechnology in proposed regulation

Research team

Bernd van der Meulen (Bachelor/Masters of Law, Masters of Governance, PhD Law) is the head of the Law and Governance Group of Wageningen University, President & co-founder of the Dutch Food Law Association (NVLR) and Director of European Institute for Food Law where he is a supervisor of PhD-researchers and students in organisation, quality assessment, mediation and conflict resolution and served as chair of the exams committee of the Department of Social Sciences at Wageningen University (2002-2012)
Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands