SBIR Phase I: Enhancing Nutritional Value of Underutilized Leafy Vegetables to Develop Innovative Baby Food Products

小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在开发具有优化营养价值的创新婴儿食品。本研究的目的是建立优化的加工方法，通过机械为基础的方法，以提高未充分利用的叶菜的营养生物利用度和适口性。 这一建议的智力价值来自于我们对将“材料力学”方法应用于食品系统的独特关注，作为一种自然优化营养价值的手段，而不是转基因，食品强化或过度加工方法。利用这项专利技术，该公司将首先开发一种具有优化营养价值的婴儿食品，以帮助改善婴儿营养，然后扩展开发一系列针对儿童不同发育阶段的食品。该项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力，如果成功，将促进婴儿和儿童的健康发展，并通过为美国市场创造高营养价值的食品来预防儿童肥胖。这些食品背后的科学创新，通过自然方式理解和优化食物中的营养吸收，可能会影响食品工业的做法，当地农业发展，农民教育和农村社区的就业机会。 该公司将与美国当地农民合作，作为植物原料的来源。在美国，婴儿食品是一个巨大的市场（100亿美元），对天然有机产品的需求不断增加。 在以最少的加工利用天然原料开发营养食品方面，该公司将比其他食品具有显著的竞争优势。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to develop innovative baby food products with optimized nutritional value. The research objective is to establish optimized processing methods through mechanics-based approaches to enhance nutrient bioavailability and palatability of underutilized leafy vegetables. The intellectual merit of this proposal is derived from our unique focus on applying "mechanics of materials" approaches to food systems as a means to naturally optimize nutritional value, as opposed to genetic modification, food fortification, or overprocessing methods. Using this proprietary technology, the company will first develop a focused baby food product with optimized nutritional value to help improve infant nutrition, and then expand to develop a range of food products targeting different stages of childhood development.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project, if successful, will be to promote healthy development of infants and children, and to prevent childhood obesity through the creation of high nutritional value food products for the US market. The scientific innovation behind these food products in understanding and optimizing nutrient absorption from foods through natural means could impact food industry practices, and local agricultural development, farmer education, and jobs in rural communities. The company will partner with regional US farmers as a source of raw plant materials. In the US, baby food products are a large market ($10 billion), with increasing demand for natural, organic products. In developing nutritious food products from natural raw materials with minimal processing, the company will have significant competitive advantages over other food products.