Nanotechnology for agriculture, food, and water

11 December 2019

Karin Schroën

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/

What can we expect from nanotechnology?

Better production of food

Better use of raw materials

Facilitation alternative raw materials

Less energy/water

Longer shelf-life food products

Relation between food composition and health

From farm to fork and more!

The farm / production of food

Get more out of less!

LandbouwMechanisatie, maart 2014

Sensor technology:

● Quality of soil / growth medium

● Precise dosing of nutrients

● Control over storage conditions

Food as we know it currently

What we don’t realise

Membrane separation / filtration

Better use of:raw materialsenergywater

Milk

k

Cream

Micro-

organisms

Casein

Milk

serum

Rela

tive f

req

uen

cy

Particle diameter (micron)

Functionality of ingredients

Alternative protein sources

But how functional are they?

Tests based on

micro/nanotechnology

Stability of oil droplets / emulsions

Combination of micro- and nanotechnology

Krebs et al (2012) Lab on a Chip, 12(6), 1060-1070

Screening and analysis at very short time scales (sub miliseconds)!

Sensor technology: energy, water, functionality, tracking en tracing

Production of food

Nanotechnology and food

(Bio)sensors and diagnostics

Process innovation (sensors)

Structure modification

Encapsulation (controlled release)

Packaging (depending on

recyclability)

Communication is of essence!

But there is more: induce satiety in humans

Mouth

Sarcophagus

Stomach

Duodenum

Colon

Jejunum

IleumSmall

intestine

Digestion of oil droplets

Marze, Algaba, Marquis (2014). Food and

Function, 5(7), 1481–1488.

The interface is not

strong enough to resist

stomach conditions!

New approach: Encapsulate oil in gel beads

0.65 -

[m

m]

[mm]1

Corstens et al, Journal of Functional

Foods (2017) 34, 319-328.

Created distance between oil and

digestive components using nanoscale

Tested:

in the lab

extensive digestive models

in humans

Humans ate significantly less!

But it started at micro- and nanoscale!

Development of organs on chip is rapid

From technical to digestive

functionality

Design of products targeted at

personal health

To even physiological effects?

Sosa-Hernández et al. (2018). Organs-on-a-

chip module: A review. Micromachines, 9(10).

Would help consumers to eat

themselves healthy!

Nanotechnology

and food: a new

perspective on a

sustainable world!

karin.schroen@wur.nl

c.g.p.h.schroen@utwente.nl

Thank you for your attention!