In a recent research project, the fortification of rice grains with zinc oxide and magnesium oxide nanoparticles was shown to be effective in inhibiting Escherichia coli growth. The researchers believe that similar nanofortification techniques could be applicable across agriculture to enhance microbial food safety.
Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT’s) research enterprise in Singapore, the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), are conducting research to aid the development of nanosensor technology for the detection of foodborne bacteria.
Innovative packaging technologies that contribute to food safety include, but are not limited to, antimicrobial packaging, controlled-release packaging, nanotechnology, and biosensors. These technologies can aid in the control of not only spoilage microorganisms, which make the food product undesirable (but not necessarily unsafe), but also pathogenic organisms, which can cause illness and even death in humans. In the current economy, it may be difficult to make the decision to transition from a traditional packaging solution to an alternative; however, when product food safety is jeopardized and consumers are at potential risk, the food industry must do everything it can to prevent adverse scenarios.
Researchers have developed a way to remove Staphylococcus aureus from milk using magnetic micro-robots loaded with immunoglobulins, which could be scaled for industry use and adapted to other foodborne pathogens.
