Catering to an aging population in the U.S., Cornell food scientists have devised a nutritious snack made from milk proteins envisioned for people who have trouble swallowing and lactose intolerance.
These protein puffs dissolve in your mouth nearly instantly. "It's a snack, it's a supplemental food, it's a protein-rich source and it can be a great source of fiber," said Jessica Uhrin, a doctoral student in food science, and co-author of " Orally Self-Disintegrating Milk Protein Puffs Enriched with Food By-Products for The Elderly ," forthcoming December 2024 in Food Chemistry . A low-temperature procedure called supercritical fluid extrusion transforms the skim milk powder into billowy morsels seniors can easily enjoy.
"There's a huge population that can benefit from milk protein puffs," Uhrin said. While dysphagia—difficulty swallowing—can happen at any age, according to the paper it correlates mostly with advancing age, occurring in up to 33% of seniors who live independently and up to 51% of seniors living in institutional surroundings, such as assisted living centers. "If you look at nutritional dysphagia products on the market, they are liquid that you must carry around and keep in the refrigerator," said Uhrin, who works in the laboratory of Syed Rizvi, professor in the Department of Food Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, a senior author on the paper.
Milk protein puffs designed to self-disintegrate in the mouth are not yet commercially avail.