Regulatory Frameworks for Nanotechnology in Foods and Medical Products

Nanotechnology applications have been reported across a number of specific product areas including foods and medical products, which are subject to regulatory oversight in many countries to ensure their safety and, in some cases, effectiveness. As nanotechnology develops, countries/regions have begun to develop, refine, and/or articulate regulatory approaches for foods and/or medical products, and invest in regulatory science and other research efforts to support the responsible development of nanotechnology in these areas. The OECD Working Party on Nanotechnology undertook a project to provide an inventory of regulatory approaches, legislative regimes, and government-sponsored regulatory science research and other research programmes, institutions, and infrastructure in foods and medical products that involve the application of nanotechnology. A survey was carried out and the responses are compiled and analysed in this paper.