Nanotechnology applications in food and agriculture

Food supply and food safety are the key global public health issues, and are particularly important in heavily populated countries. Rapid industrialization and modernization in the developing world are having profound effects on food supply and food safety. In the age of globalization, the makeup of the international food industry is constantly transforming. Global food retail sales stand at about $4 trillion annually [1]. Globalization of the food supply has also introduced new food-safety risks, and the previously controlled risks now can be introduced into countries, and the contaminated food can be spread across wider geographic areas. Moreover, food-safety concerns may reduce the demand for certain food products, change international food trade patterns, and limit market access for some exporters [2].