Led by Michael Siegrist, a social psychologist, researchers in Switzerland concluded that the perceived benefits of nanotechnology seem to be the most important predictors for willingness to buy foods processed or packaged using the techniques.
The ETH Zurich survey indicates that processors will have to communicate the benefits of nanotechnology when deciding to process or package foods using such techniques. The danger is that such products may face a public reaction against the science, as is occurring with genetically modified food products.
Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating matter at near atomic scales to create new processes, materials and devices.
Although it has been touted as the next revolution in many industries, including food manufacturing and packaging, public concerns have been raised over the potential health or environmental hazards nanotechnology may pose.
Siegrist and his team surveyed 153 people who are responsible for grocery shopping in their household.
"Nanotechnology is increasingly being employed in the areas of food production and packaging," they said. "Public perception will be crucial to the realisation of these technological advances."
Study participants received some general information about nanotechnology, and specific information about four nanotechnology applications.
Overall, participants were hesitant to buy nanotechnology foods or food with nanotechnology packaging. However the results suggest that nanotechnology packaging is perceived as being more beneficial than nanotechnology foods, they said.
They used a method known as the "affect heuristic" to measure the feelings of test subjects toward a topic.
"The results further suggest that social trust in the food industry is an important factor directly influencing the affect evoked by these new products," they wrote. "As suggested by the affect heuristic, affect had an impact on perceived benefits and perceived risks. Perceived benefit seems to be the most important predictor for willingness to buy."
According to further information from Nanoworks, study participants were given basic descriptions of potential food nanotechnology applications in bread, tomatoes, juice and packaging before being asked a series of questions.
They noted that participants were generally hesitant to buy nanotechnology foods or food with nanotechnology packaging.
A previous ETH Zurich study found that industry was currently not doing enough to meet public demand for information about the potential health risks posed by nanotechnology.
Three out of four companies stated that no risk assessment was carried out on the new technology or the products.
Only two of 32 companies stated that they had actually investigated the absorption of nano-particles by living organisms. Only one-fifth of the surveyed companies examined whether products with nano-particles might also be toxic.
Half of them did not test for toxicity and a further quarter did not know whether tests had been carried out.
This month the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the US-based Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington reported that about 475 nano products were on the market by the end of 2006.
Clothing was the top category, with 77 products, followed by cosmetics with 75 and food and beverages with 61, double that of 2005. The food and beverages category includes products packaged using the science and dietary supplements.
The new products in the project's online inventory include MaatShop Crystal Clear Nano Silver, a nutritional supplement that the manufacturer claims will protect users against hundreds of diseases.
Consultant Helmut Kaiser estimates this month that nanotechnology will change 25 per cent of the food packaging market, currently worth $100bn (€74bn).
The surge in demand is expected to be driven by new applications for the technology.
The Swiss study was published in ScienceDirect. The list nanotechnology products is available at www.nanotechproject.org/consumerproducts.
