Nanotechnologyisconsideredbymanyauthorsasthebasisforthenextindustrialrevolution. Nanoscale manipulation can modify properties such as color, conductivity, reactivity, melting point, among others, creating new applications for materials. It is considered a multidisciplinary science with applications in different sectors, and is being increasingly used in the areas of food production and packaging. In Brazil, from the 2007, nanotechnology was identified as a strategic area for the Brazilian government because of its potential for innovation, market growth and benefits associated with its use. The public perception will be crucial to the achievement of these technological advances. In this way, itisnecessarytoinvestigatehownanotechnologyisperceivedbytheconsumer.Forthat,the projective technique called Word Association (WA) and quantitative study were used. 510 individualsfromtheStateofRiodeJaneiroparticipatedintheWordAssociationtask.They were asked to write down the first four words that come to mind when thinking about nanotechnology, the possible applications, and in what foods the use would be interesting. The frequency of mention of sentences / words was calculated and those with similar meanings were grouped into categories and then dimensions. Nanotechnology was mainly associated with small, technology, future, science, innovation and unfamiliarity. The main applications cited were medicine, food, health and informatics. In foods, fruits, meats and vegetables were the most mentioned. Despite the high expectations of consumption and the intention to purchase nanofoods, a large number of consumers expressed doubts about the subject.ThequantitativequestionnairewasdrawnfromtheresultsoftheWordAssociation. The most mentioned words were the basis for the statements, which were evaluated by 403 individuals using scales of 7 points, ranging from 1: totally disagree to 7: totally agree. The products (ingredients, packaging and cosmetics) intention to purchase using thistechnology pointed out the highest mean for the cosmetic. Participants demonstrated more confidence onthescientificresearchasthesourceofinformationonnanotechnology.Theevaluationof