LGC is developing methods that will enable users to rapidly determine the size distribution and elemental composition of nanoparticles in food.
Nanoscale structures are already found in food products such as chocolate and ice cream, but recently developed nanomaterials are said to have potential benefits in food production and food packaging.
Applications of nanomaterials in food packaging include lining beer bottles with 'nanoclay' to help prevent the brew from going flat and embedding silver nanoparticles in plastic food storage containers to keep food fresher for longer.
Nanomaterials can potentially also be used to create foods with traditional taste, but with lower-than-normal levels of fat, salt and sugar.
When structured at the nano scale, materials develop mechanical, thermal and catalytic properties; it is these properties that have driven the increased use of nanotechnology.
Scientists recognise that these properties, while beneficial for technological development, could also make some nanomaterials toxic to biological tissues.
The toxicity of nanoparticles is determined by their size and chemical composition, which, in turn, may affect their ability to cross cell barriers, enter cells and interact with sub-cellular structures.
There is currently a lack of scientific methodology for the reliable characterisation of inorganic nanoparticles added to food and their cellular interaction and insufficient knowledge on the stability of such materials.
According to the company, analytical methods that enable rapid elemental and particle size characterisation are required for the global nano-food market.
In response to this need, LGC is now applying a technique that combines field flow fractionation (FFF) with ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and interference-reducing inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine the size distribution and elemental composition of nanoparticles in food.
Dr Heidi Goenaga-Infante, principal scientist for mass spectrometry at LGC, said: 'FFF is a powerful tool for size fractionation and, when used in conjunction with ICP-MS, it has been proven to produce elemental size distributions with a great level of detail in the sub-micrometer range without the laborious and repetitive centrifugation steps of current methods.
'This makes it an ideal technology for the characterisation of nanoparticles in food,' she added.
