EU food industry urged to be open about nanotechnology - Food Chemical News
Robert Madelin, director of the European Commission's health and consumer protection directorate (DG-SANCO), said the food industry tends to keep silent about technology used in food production, such as gas in ready-to-eat salad packs to keep the food fresh. He said that, instead of acknowledging that a technology is used and explaining why to consumers, the food industry "hides all this and thinks we're too stupid to understand."

Risks of nanosilver not well understood - The Vancouver Sun, Canada
It's so widely used as an odour-destroyer and antibacterial agent that U.S. environmental officials are concerned about its impact. We know very little about any risks that may be associated with the growing use of these products. The Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental organization that has been pressing for more federal oversight of nanosilver, has noted that some animal studies suggest that nanoparticles can cause inflammation, damage brain cells and lead to pre-cancerous lesions. Clearly, we have a lot to learn about this promising new technology, the risks as well as the benefits. If used improperly on a large scale, the long-term problems it causes may outweigh its short-term benefits.

Will nanotechnology help the developing world? - Blog@NanoVic, Australia
The premier journal Nature Nanotechnology has published two free online papers as part of a global effort to raise awareness and stimulate research into poverty and human research. The articles discuss how nanotechnology might impact on countries of the developing world. The second publication, Are Natural Resources a Curse?, presents an interesting discussion pertaining to the changes in global demand for elemental resources with emerging technologies, and how this can have a very strong impact on nations and commmunities. For example, should carbon nanotubes emerge as a contender to replace copper wires for transmission of electricity, countries such as Zambia may lose out since a quarter of its foreign exchange relies on minerals such as copper.