A United States-based shareholder advocacy group, As You Sow, which has engaged the food industry on safety issues for more than a decade in order to mitigate risks to both consumers and company bottom lines, recently contacted senior management of some of the largest food companies in the U.S – Kraft, McDonald’s and Pepsi – to try and determine what is really happening with nanotechnology in the food supply. What they found surprised them. Instead of finding confirmation of a food industry flooded with nanomaterials, they found these companies were taking a precautionary approach. McDonald’s 2011 Corporate Responsibility website states that: “Given the current uncertainty related to potential impacts of nano-engineered materials, McDonald’s does not currently support the use by suppliers of nano-engineered materials in the production of any of our food, packaging and toys.” Pepsi, for their part, claims to be nano-free and is not looking to use or develop nanotechnology products. Kraft, the world’s largest food company, is not currently using nanotechnology, but is exploring nano-applications for packaging. As You Sow says that these companies seem to first be trying to understand this complex issue before using nanotechnology in food or food packaging. The organization’s findings seem to contradict media reports of widespread use of nanomaterials in food and food packaging. As You Sow plans to next survey a wide selection of food manufacturers and retailers regarding their use of nanomaterials in food products in order to fill in some of these information gaps. They conclude: “So, is nano technology prevalent in our food supply? It is still unclear. But what is clear is that when an industry giant like McDonald’s says no to nano, it should leave the rest of the industry with food for thought.” The article can be viewed online at the link below.
http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/04/nanoparticles-food/