The development of renewable polymers for use in healthcare has shown excellent results, especially in biomedicine, such as in controlled drug release. Using materials like cellulose, chitosan, and starch, scientists have developed advanced ways of applying these polymers to the human body. However, turning these discoveries into commercially available products is still a significant challenge.  

How do we determine how healthy our food is? We know now that our nutrition shouldn’t just be measured in calories, or even in just macronutrients (the balance of fats, protein, and carbohydrates). An emerging body of research is instead demonstrating that the unique interplay between nutrients and components and how they connect to each other to form a holistic food matrix all play a role in the nutritional value that foods deliver. A new review article in a special issue of the Journal of Dairy Science, published by Elsevier, dedicated to the dairy matrix and human nutrition explores what the latest science has to say about the incredible structural complexity of dairy foods, as well as the impact of the dairy food matrix on nutrient digestion and absorption.