Law and Policy of Nanotechnology in Food: Global Commerce Promoting Global Health From Field to Fork
Every day, humans and animals need and consume food to sustain their lives. Food is therefore subject to extensive regulation nationally, internationally, under customs law and trade agreements, and under some religious laws as well. Few people are aware of how profoundly developments in nanotechnology in food impact their daily lives as consumers; moreover, remarkably little is understood about the potential long-term risks of the nano-enabled changes to the food supply. This gap in knowledge and awareness amplifies the risk of rapid unquantified exposure to nanotechnology in the food supply. In parallel, the absence of a shared legal vocabulary to describe nanotechnology makes it challenging for society to maximize the benefits of applying nanotechnology to food while minimizing the risks posed to humans, animals, and the overarching ecosystem.
Continue Reading
Dr. Ilise Feitshans
Dr. Ilise Feitshans, J.D. and Sc.M (public health) DIR (International Relations); LLM, Candidate O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center. President, Specialty Bar Association, Virginia Mountain Valley Lawyers Alliance, Roanoke Virginia; Director, ESI SAFERNANO European Scientific Institute, Archamps, France. Author, Global Health Impacts of Nanotechnology Law: A Tool for Stakeholder Engagement (2018) (translated to French in 2021). A special thanks for invaluable technical advice: Dr. Chrysovalanto Louka (Irene) Project manager for contactpointnano.ch, a Swiss national platform for regulatory knowledge and expertise on synthetic nanomaterials, & Dr. Mark D. Hoover, Scientist Emeritus, US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.