European Observatory for Nanomaterials

Nanopinion: NAM-based hazard assessment of nanocellulose - intestinal uptake, colonic fate and local effects of ingested nanocellulose

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has highlighted potential health risks associated with ingesting nanocellulose (NC); a material increasingly used in the food industry. The research, led by Francesco Cubadda, Maria Chiara Astuto and Olimpia Vincentini, uses advanced New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to evaluate NC's intestinal uptake, local effects, and colonic fate. The authors underline the need for rigorous regulatory assessments, paving the way for further research under EFSA's NAMS4NANO project to enhance nanoscale safety evaluations.

“The use of human relevant NAMs appears as the best option to generate the needed information for the hazard assessment of NC oral exposure for several reasons. First, laboratory animals do not appear to be appropriate models because the digestive physiology, microbiome and rate of fibre degradation differ from humans. Second, the variability in the physicochemical properties of NC makes NAMs ideal for efficient testing. Third, the needed studies are technically easier to implement using in vitro methods than in vivo studies.”