Drunken mobs can do some serious damage with glass beer bottles. In many places, like the ballpark, brittle containers are an unacceptable safety hazard. To cut down on the calamity, plus reduce manufacturing costs, some beverage companies have turned to exotic materials.

Clay nanoparticles allow Miller Brewing to bottle its beer in plastic containers. The tiny reinforcements keep oxygen out and hold carbon dioxide in, which prevents the brewed beverage from spoiling. But consumer activists are concerned that nanoparticles in food packaging could also be a safety concern, even if they do come from something as innocuous as dirt.