December 31/Nanotechnology Weekly -- Using a nanoparticle from corn, a Purdue University scientist has found a way to lengthen the shelflife of many food products and sustain their health benefits.
Yuan Yao, an assistant professor of food science, has successfully modified the phytoglycogen nanoparticle, a starchlike substance that makes up nearly 30% of the dry mass of some sweet corn. The modification allows the nanoparticle to attach to oils and emulsify them while also acting as a barrier to oxidation, which causes food to become rancid. His findings were published in the early online version of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.