Food Nanotechnology in Japan

Shinya Ikeda

Product and Process R&D, CP Kelco, San Diego, CA 92123, USA

E-mail: shinya.ikeda@cpkelco.com

ABSTRACT

Food nanotechnology research is gaining popularity in Japan. Scanning probe microscopes have become more readily available for food scientists. Pioneering studies have been carried out to establish the methodology for visualizing and measuring nanoscale structure naturally occurring in food materials. Food nanotechnology is specified as one of the priority research targets in the Third Science and Technology Basic Plan announced by the government in March, 2006. Nanotechnology is expected to bring the breakthrough for food scientists to improve food functionality and ensure safety.

Background

The origin of the recent nanotechnology boom in Japan may date back at least to the early 1980s when a series of scanning probe microscopes were invented to facilitate the observation and measurement of nanoscale structure. This was led by the “discovery” of carbon nanotubes in 1991 and the commercialization of the first domestic atomic force microscope in the same year. Ten years later, the Japanese government announced the Second Science and Technology Basic Plan that highlighted nanotechnology as one of the four research fields that the country aimed to prioritize. The announcement of the Basic Plan significantly increased research activities in the field of nanotechnology although the major focus is placed on electronics, energy, environment, IT, materials, and medicine rather than food.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries project

In response to the announcement of the Second Science and Technology Basic Plan, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) initiated a five year project entitled “Development of nanotechnology and materials for innovative utilizations of biological functions” in 2002 (Nakajima and Yamamoto 2007). This project was divided into six subgroups as follows.

The National Food Research Institute (NFRI) has taken the initiative in this project. NFRI has a strong background on science and technology at the micrometer scale such as the microchannel technology for structuring micrometer sized channels on a silicon wafer. A top-down approach was thus applied in some of these projects to fabricate nanometer sized structures. Nano-structured tissue culture plates have been developed as well as process technology for manufacturing nanometer size particles with little variations in the particle size. Other groups applied a bottom-up approach by learning from the nature or naturally occurring nanoscale structure in biological systems. Nanoscale structure in protein molecules was studied to develop a sensor with an extraordinarily high sensitivity. Nano-fiber of microbial cellulose produced by fermentation was also studied to develop novel nano-structured materials.

The Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research

The Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research is funding by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). It functions as one of the major sources of funds for researchers associated with Japanese universities and research institutes to carry out scientific research projects. The budget for 2007 is Yen191B (ca. $US1.6B).

In 2002, nine researchers with various disciplines organized a research group and planned a two year project entitled “Systematic studies on polysaccharide gel for creating innovative texture modifiers” (project number 14208011, Nishinari 2004). JSPS granted about Yen42M for this project. An atomic force microscopy (AFM) facility was established at Osaka City University in order to investigate fine structures in polysaccharide molecules and networks at the nanometer scale. The researchers succeeded in visualizing individual polysaccharide molecules, their conformational transitions, intermolecular association, wet (natural) gel networks, binary polysaccharide networks, and so on. Such structural information was validated against results from various biophysical analyses including circular dichroism (CD), dynamic rheology, intrinsic viscosity, multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and osmotic pressure methods. The results were also compared with macroscopic gel properties such as fracture properties during chewing and swallowing. AFM has demonstrated its excellence in building a bridge between the primary chemical structure of polysaccharide and macroscopic properties of polysaccharide gels (Yang et al. 2007).

The utilization of polysaccharide-based thickeners or gelling agents for dysphagia patients having difficulties in swallowing is a rapidly growing market in Japan. It is critical to control nanoscale structure in polysaccharide networks to achieve the right rheological properties. A three year project has been launched in 2007 by a research group based at Osaka City University for systematically studying the functionality of polysaccharide ingredients in this unique application.

The Third Science and Technology Basic Plan

Food nanotechnology is clearly stated for the first time in the Basic Plan released in March, 2006 as nanobiotechnology derived food. Twenty nine priority R&D targets are suggested, including the application of nanoscale biotechnology to food systems. Following key milestones were proposed.

The intention of this proposal is to utilize nanotechnology for improving the functionality of food and also for ensuring food safety. The current Basic Plan will certainly stimulate food nanotechnology research and innovation activities in Japan.

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Dr Kazutaka Yamamoto of the National Food Research Institute (Tsukuba, Japan) for providing valuable information on the nanotechnology projects overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. The Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research project 14208011 would have been unsuccessful without the leadership of Professor Katsuyoshi Nishinari of Osaka City University (Osaka, Japan).

References

Nakajima, M. and Yamamoto, K. Progress of MAFF nanotechnology project in Japan. In C. T. Hou and J.-F. Shaw (Eds.) Biocatalysis and Biotechnology for Functional Foods and Industrial Products, AOCS Press, Urbana, IL, pp.363-373, 2007.

Nishinari, K. (Ed.) Systematic studies on polysaccharide gel for creating innovative texture modifiers (in Japanese), Project report, 2004.

Yang, H.; Wang, Y.; Lai, S.; An, H.; Li, Y.; Chen, F. Application of atomic force microscopy as a nanotechnology tool in food science. Journal of Food Science, 72, R65-75, 2007.