Danish Councils Establish Database to Identify Products Containing Nanomaterials

The Danish Consumer Council and Danish Ecological Council, in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark, have reportedly developed a database intended to help consumers identify products that may contain nanomaterials. The database evidently includes a description of each nanotechnology involved; rates of purported exposure risks to professional end-users, consumers and the environment; and potential hazards to human health and the environment by means of color coding. Food packaging materials are said to have incorporated nanoparticles to prolong shelf life and control microbial agents in packaged foods.

Danish Ecological Council chemical expert Lone Mikkelsen reportedly said, “We are concerned that . . . too many nanomaterials are introduced to the market, before we know the full effects on humans and the environment.” Consumers will apparently be able to search the database to see if a certain product contains nanomaterials or is marketed as a “nano” product and then decide whether to purchase it. According to a news source, the database currently contains information about more than 1,200 products. See Special Chem, December 4, 2012; ENEWSPF, December 7, 2012.