Will we swallow nanofood?
Food is emotional but if you mention nanofoods to most people you will get a blank look. But that may change as there be science being done in the dungeon-labs of our global food giants. And herein lies the problem. It seems the food companies (Nestle and Kraft being two named in a New Scientist article) are reluctant to let us know exactly what nanofoods they are working on down in those. This can only lead to suspicion and ultimately rejection, at least among a certain core element of the community that will then broadcast it to the world and launch scathing attacks on these companies. They must have masochistic love for damage control.
It’s not just me
I am mirroring the sentiment in the recent New Scientist editorial, one that I largely agree with. There is already a increasingly vocal push by groups such as Friends of the Earth to improve vigilance and food safety guideline or legislation when it comes to nanofoods. A lot of their reports have attempted to find what companies (food and cosmetics mostly) are using nanotechnology and what nano ingredients end up in the product. Not many companies have been forthcoming with the info and one could argue that FOE is justified in their calls asking for greater transparency on this.
A dare
So my message to the food companies is to engage with your community, talk to them about the science, its limitations and risks, and where you think the benefits are – hell open up your labs for guided tours. Nobody expects you to give away trade secrets, but you can reveal an awful lot without letting slip the IP.
I think you will find that people’s suspicions will disappear, except for the conspiracy theorists’. If you seem to be getting the message that what you are doing is going too far, is putting our health at risk, discuss it with them.
There is always a but…
There are two problems with my suggestion. The first is that it is possible the companies are already doing exactly what I suggest. If so, it would be interesting to hear from them and find out the feedback they get from people. The second is the evidence that my suggestion will work is largely anecdotal or theoretical, but there is plenty of evidence that locking the doors is a recipe for trouble.
Uncertainty is a powerful emotion and even the slightest uncertainty or hint of risk can cause panic or rejection – GM foods, MMR vaccine, climate change….
Extra stuff
Previous TechNyou posts on risk, uncertainty and public engagement – with links to references