The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is once again holding an "information gathering" public meeting on nanotechnology, a powerful new technology for taking apart and reconstructing nature at the atomic and molecular level. Like Yogi Berra said, "it's deja vu all over again."
FDA held the same meeting two years ago, in autumn 2006. Even then, the agency was behind the curve: Many products that contain unlabeled nanomaterials, including food and food packaging products, were already on market shelves. Now, two years have passed since that meeting and the agency's continuing stance can be aptly summarized as "all talk, no action."
Many new nano-products continue to come to market, at an average of four to five a week. Unfortunately nano-products are still treated by FDA like any other products or product ingredients; yet scientists agree that nanomaterials are fundamentally different substances that create new and unique risks to human health and the environment and need new forms of safety testing.
A public comment period is open now through October 24, 2008 - Take action now at
http://ga3.org/campaign/Nano1/8gx5873r27833j87
Background
Nanotechnology is a powerful platform technology to take apart and reconstruct nature at the atomic and molecular level. It involves the manipulation of matter at the nanometer (nm) scale, one-billionth of a meter. The nano-scale is exceedingly tiny: A human hair is huge by comparison, about 50,000 nm thick; the head of a pin is about 1 million nm across.
Scientists have found that the fundamental properties of matter can change at the nano-scale, creating physical and chemical properties distinct from those of the same material in bulk form. Nanoparticles have unprecedented mobility, and readily enter the human body and gain access to the blood stream via inhalation and ingestion. In addition, the jury is still out on the ease of nanoparticles' ability to penetrate the skin. Studies have raised numerous red flags, with some showing that certain nanoparticles can be toxic to human tissue and cells. Once inside the body, nanoparticles can cross biological membranes, cells, tissues, and organs more efficiently than larger particles. Once in the blood stream, nanomaterials can circulate throughout the body and can be taken up by the organs and tissues including the brain, liver, heart, kidneys, spleen, bone marrow, and nervous system.
By 2010, the nano-food market could be worth $6 billion. Many of the world's leading food companies - including H.J. Heinz, Nestle, Hershey, Campbell, General Mills, PepsiCo, Sara Lee, Unilever, and Kraft - are investing heavily in nanotechnology applications. Nanoparticles of silver, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide, materials now used in dietary supplements and food packaging, have been found to be highly toxic to cells in studies. Nano-silver, the most common commercialized nanomaterial, is being used in numerous food packaging items, cutlery, baby bottles, and kitchen appliances and cleaners for its "germ-killing" power. This same powerful strength can destroy important beneficial microorganisms in nature as well.
Moreover, the unregulated commercialization of these products poses unknown dangers to the environment once they are released into the waste stream.
Thus far, nanotechnology-laced products are treated by the Food and Drug Administration like any other products or product ingredients. In 2006, the Center for Technology Assessment (CTA), joined by other consumer health and environmental groups, petitioned FDA to stop ignoring the new dangers presented by these nanomaterials and force manufacturers to label these new nanoproducts, including nano-sunscreens (Docket No. 2006P-2010). In 2008, the CTA filed a similar legal action with the Environmental Protection Agency on the unregulated potential environmental and health dangers of nano-silver consumer products.
Further Resources:
International Center for Technology Assessment 2008 Legal Petition to EPA on Regulation of Nano-silver Products,
http://www.nanoaction.org/nanoaction/page.cfm?id=244...
Friends of the Earth, Report, Out Of The Laboratory And Onto Our Plate: Nanotechnology in Food & Agriculture (2008),
http://action.foe.org/content.jsp?content_KEY=3965&t..., and
http://www.foe.org/pdf/nano_food.pdf
International Center for Technology Assessment 2006 Legal Petition to FDA on Regulation of Nanotechnology and Nano-Sunscreens:
http://www.icta.org/doc/Nano%20FDA%20petition%20fina...
Petition Executive Summary:
http://www.icta.org/doc/Nano%20petition%20ex%20summa...
Friends of the Earth Report: A Consumer Guide for Avoiding Nano-Sunscreens (2007)
http://www.foe.org/nano_sunscreens_guide/Nano_Sunscr...
Friends of the Earth Report: Nanomaterials, Sunscreens, and Cosmetics: Small Ingredients Big Risks (2006):
http://www.foe.org/camps/comm/nanotech/nanocosmetics...
Principles for the Oversight of Nanotechnologies and Nanomaterials:
http://www.icta.org/doc/Principles%20for%20the%20Ove...
Executive Summary/Press Release of Principles:
http://www.icta.org/press/release.cfm?news_id=26
Consumer Reports:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/health-fitness/be...
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies - Consumer Product Database:
http://www.nanotechproject.org/44