Micro-balloons for malnutrition

摘要

RESEARCHERS at the University of Melbourne,Australia have won a US$100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations(GCE)grant to help relieve malnutrition in developing countries.The team is working to produce edible micro-balloons made from protein that contain essential nutrients that can be added to food.They have developed a method that uses ultrasound waves to encapsulate oil-and water-soluble vitamins and minerals within edible shells made from a range of proteins including milk and pea proteins.Encapsulating the nutrients instead of adding them directly to food helps to keep them stable and promotes absorption by the body.Encapsulation can also mask unpleasant tastes and can be used to control the timing and location of nutrient release.