Naturally occurring nanoparticles in food

• Nanomaterials are not new to our food supply, they have existed since Neolithic times.
• The bottom up approach to nanotechnology exists in many foods — most famously the casein micelle.
• Many unit operations, including homogenization and milling, form nano-sized particles.
• During digestion, nanofabrication aids in transport of mixed micelles of fatty acids through the intestinal epithelial lining.

Food nanotechnology is extremely complex and with hesitant consumers this may be sufficient to impede this technology from being implemented and benefits realized. Nano-sized particles are not new to our food supply and there are numerous naturally occurring nano-sized elements present in the foods we consume, including foods as wholesome as milk. Furthermore, nanoparticles arise as a result of processing, such as homogenization and milling and in complex foods, there also exists the possibility that certain combinations of ingredient spontaneously self-assemble into nano-fibers and micelles. During digestion, nanofabrication is used to aid in transport of lipids due to the micellization of fatty acids and monoglycerides with bile salts, phospholipids, and cholesterol. It is imperative to advance the science of nanomaterials with the technology, and to be intimately aware that our biology is not experiencing for the first time nanomaterials.