The Migration of Engineered Nanomaterials out of Nanotechnology-Enabled Polymers and Into Foods

Join the Department of Food Science and Nutrition for this seminar series event featuring guest speaker Timothy V. Duncan, a research scientist and primary investigator with the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) are an emerging class of materials in which nanoscale fillers are dispersed within a polymer. PNCs have attracted considerable interest as base materials for next-generation food packaging, medical devices, and other consumer product applications. To better understand the potential for humans to be exposed to engineered nanomaterials from PNCs, there is a need to understand the quantity and form of dispersed nanofillers that may transfer into nearby environments, including foods, during product lifecycles. This talk will present the FDA’s most recent efforts to study potential human exposure to engineered nanomaterials from model packaging materials incorporating nanotechnology.