Food and Technology News

Big agrochemical companies such as Dow, Bayer and Monsanto are experimenting with a range of new genetic engineering (GE) techniques that they misleadingly refer to as ‘New Plant Breeding Techniques’. These are being used...

The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has found that there is inadequate data to conclude that the use of nano-silica in cosmetics is safe. And yet nano-silica is still being used...

Pope Francis’ Encyclical on the environment – Laudato Si’ – is a powerful piece of doctrine coming from a church with a long and rather uninspiring history when it comes to both social justice...

A new study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, found that nano zinc oxide – used in many sunscreens and some toothpastes and beauty products—makes sea urchin embryos much more vulnerable to...

Our food regulator Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has refused to release key documents regarding its decision to exclude nanomaterials from its current food packaging review, raising serious questions about what the agency...

A new study has found that metal oxide nanomaterials, such as titanium dioxide (TiO2), which is widely used in food, lollies, sunscreens and other cosmetics, “caused nonlethal, significant changes” to the microbial community in...

A new paper that reviews the scientific literature regarding the migration of nanomaterials from packaging into food has called into question Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)’s decision not to assess the migration of...

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed reporting requirements on companies manufacturing and importing nanoscale chemicals to gather vital information on the volumes produced, exposure levels, and any environmental health and safety risks....

Scientists recently captured mainstream media attention with calls for a ban on human germline editing  – the genetic engineering of human DNA passed on from one generation to the next. The scientists are deeply...

While the rate of commercialisation of products containing nanomaterials accelerates rapidly, the environmental, health and safety studies that should have been done before commercial release occurs are only slowly appearing. Two recent studies demonstrate...