In 2008, nanotechnology demanded over $15 billion in worldwide research and development money (public and private) and employed over 400,000 researchers across the globe [1].
Nanotechnologies are projected to impact at least $3 trillion across the global economy by 2020, and nanotechnology industries worldwide may require at least 6 million workers to support them by the end of the decade
Despite the excitement surrounding nanotechnology and the abundance of funding dollars being poured into it, however, one industry which has been slow to catch on is the food industry.
This is not so surprising, as public preference for “natural” food products has historically inhibited the implementation of emergent food technologies, and nanotechnology has been no exception.
Indeed, while public opinion about general nanotechnology applications has ranged from neutral to slightly positive , some studies suggest that consumers remain wary about “nanofoods”.