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

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.