Manitoba Co-operator: Model stomach arrives at U of M

As the Manitoba Co-operator reports: 

Can you stomach it?

Researchers with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada sure hope so, but just to be sure, they’re going to put it to the test.

An artificial stomach has been installed at the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals at the University of Manitoba.

“It’s a system that’s based on the physiology of a human or animal gastrological tract. We put a food product or diet into the system and it simulates what happens in the stomach,” said James House, head of human nutritional sciences at the university. “We’ll be able to look at the factors that absorb and digest foods, including functional foods, and how they are absorbed and digested.”

The gutsy piece of equipment is comprised of tubes and pumps, standing a little taller than your average human. Enzymes are pumped in at appropriate junctures to mimic the digestion process.

Read the full story here.