Nanotechnology involves developing, characterising, and applying structures ranging in size from 1 to 100 nm. As a key advanced technology, it has contributed to a substantial impact across engineering, medicine, agriculture and food. With regards to their application in food, nanomaterials posses the ability to lead the quantitative and qualitative development of high-quality, healthier, and safer foods by outperforming traditional food processing technologies for increasing shelf life and preventing contaminations. Although rapid progress has been made in nanotechnology in food products, the toxicity of nanoparticles and nanomaterials is not very well known. As a result, nanomaterials are potentially toxic, therefore, considering the constantly increasing employment in food science, they need to be further characterised, and their use must be better regulated. We may face a crisis of nanotoxicity if the molecular mechanisms by which nanoparticles and nanomaterials interact with food and within living organisms is not fully understood. Food safety can be guaranteed only if we are thoroughly aware of nanomaterial properties and potential toxicity. Therefore, it is urgently necessary to have in the food sector a regulatory system capable of managing nanofood risks and nanotechnology, considering the health effects of food processing techniques based on nanotechnology. This present review discusses the impact and role nanotechnology play in food science. The specific application of Nanomaterials in food science, their advantages and disadvantages, the potential risk for human health and the analysis to detect nanocomponents are also highlighted.

Climate change results in lower agricultural outputs, disruption of food supply chains, and widening of the social gap between poor and rich in developing countries, with more vulnerable groups being pushed into untold poverty. This review aims to investigate the consequences of climate change on food insecurity in Africa in the context of environmental degradation. This review emphasizes the complexity of demands on food security systems due to changing climatic conditions under the four pillars (availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability). This review demonstrated the susceptibility of farm production to changes in temperature, precipitation, and weather patterns generated by climate change. In addition, this review investigated the factors shaping food insecurity, such as increasing population growth, poverty, inadequate early warning systems, and weak agricultural infrastructure. Furthermore, the review points out how climate change affects food prices and availability and the widening income gap, potentially leading to social unrest and political instability in Africa. Vulnerable populations, including impoverished, elderly, and physically challenged individuals, are at increased risk due to climate‐related health impacts. Women who face gender inequalities and socioeconomic limitations are particularly susceptible. We posit that there is a need for comprehensive strategies that address health disparities and consider vulnerable subgroups within society alongside broader measures to enhance food security in the face of climate change.

About a century ago, doctors were unable to view the inside of their patient’s body other than cutting the body open. However, this changed literally upon the invention of various useful medical imaging techniques, which were able to produce images of the internal organs and bones without causing pain to the patient. Over the years, vast developments resulted in the establishment of several cross-sectional imaging scans. This paper aims to provide a critical review on the use of two of the famous techniques; CT and PET scans. The paper highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each of these techniques along with briefly mentioning the recent developments in this area concerning the use of these techniques. In addition, this manuscript also sheds some light on the novel and hybrid technology of integrating CT and PET.

Cold plasma is a budding technology that can be used as a nonthermal disinfectant and for surface modification which is free of chemicals and is environmentally friendly. The treatment of water with plasma, producing plasma activated water (PAW), generates an acidic condition resulting in the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), and creates change in the redox potential as well as conductivity. Consequently, the chemical composition of water and PAW differ from each other and can now be employed as a substitute for disinfection against microbes. The various sources of plasma used for PAW production, its physical and chemical properties and its prospective uses are reviewed in this paper. Particularly, the physiochemical properties of PAW will be discussed in the context of its acidity, conductivity, the amount of ROS and RNS, as well as its redox potential. Since the results are microbial in nature, the microbial disinfection with the use of PAW will also be reviewed. Lastly, the usage of PAW to enhance agricultural methods, such as its effect in plant growth and stimulating seed germination, is also discussed. It can be interpreted that PAW synergistically disinfects food as well as enhances the growth of seedlings. The boost in plant growth conceivably be mainly due to the increase in concentration of nitrate and nitrite ions in PAW. Therefore, in addition to the antimicrobial action of PAW, submerging seedlings in PAW supplements the germination of seeds and plant growth. This could possibly help fight against the drought stress and improve the yield of crops.

The incorporation of fiber reinforcements into polymer matrices has emerged as an effective strategy to enhance the mechanical properties of composites. This study investigated the tensile and fracture behavior of 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) composites reinforced with chopped carbon fibers (CCFs) through experimental characterization and finite element analysis (FEA). Composite samples with varying CCF orientations (0°, 0°/90°, +45°/−45°, and 0°/+45°/−45°/90°) were fabricated via fused filament fabrication (FFF) and subjected to tensile and single-edge notched bend (SENB) tests. The experimental results revealed a significant improvement in tensile strength, elastic modulus, and fracture toughness compared to unreinforced PLA. The 0°/+45°/90° orientation exhibited a 3.6% increase in tensile strength, while the +45°/−45° orientation displayed a 29.9% enhancement in elastic modulus and a 29.9% improvement in fracture toughness (259.12 MPa) relative to neat PLA (199.34 MPa√m). An inverse correlation between tensile strength and fracture toughness was observed, attributed to mechanisms such as crack deflection, fiber bridging, and fiber pull-out facilitated by multi-directional fiber orientations. FEA simulations incorporating a transversely isotropic material model and the J-integral approach were conducted using Abaqus, accurately predicting fracture toughness trends with a maximum discrepancy of 8% compared to experimental data. Fractographic analysis elucidated the strengthening mechanisms, highlighting the potential of tailoring CCF orientation to optimize mechanical performance for structural applications.