STUST undertook the "Silver Hair Nutrition Service Small-Cap Enterprise Alliance" project of the National Science Council. A few days ago, the "Nutritional Snacks and Desserts Joint Presentation Conference" was held in the kitchen of the Department of Hospitality Management of STUST, displaying 43 items of nutritional snacks and desserts developed in cooperation with manufacturers. This goal was to transform medical nutritional products into delicious snacks and desserts. In the future, it will be a great blessing for the elderly and those who need nutritional supplements for recuperation.

【A group photo of the Joint Presentation of Nutritional Snacks and Desserts held at STUST】

This activity is jointly organized by the Department of Senior Welfare Services and the Department of Hospitality Management of STUST. Associate Professor Chiao-zhen Peng of the Department of Senior Welfare Services, who specializes in nutrition for the elderly, and Assistant Professor Hui-wen Shih of the Department of Hospitality Management, who specializes in cooking and snacks, worked in the college project sponsored by the Ministry of Education Industry two years ago, when they transformed commercial nutritional products into sweet and salty snacks and high-protein materials into make high-nutrition desserts. Together with their teaching of diet adjustment during chewing and swallowing difficulties, they have published five recipe books of nutritious snacks and desserts in preparation for the aging society. With the breakthrough works in the early stage, the team used the operation of the "Silver Hair Nutrition Service Small-Cap Enterprise Alliance" project sponsored by the National Science Council in 2011 to cooperate with many well-known domestic nutrition manufacturers to develop for different manufacturers special nutrition products, working on a metamorphosis of recipe projects.

【Dean Jia-kai Su of Student Affairs, STUST, was delivering a speech at the Joint Presentation of Nutritional Snacks and Desserts.】

The 43 products in the joint presentation include liquid, solid, sweet, and salty works. For example, the balanced formula that is not well accepted by ordinary people but highly nutritious is paired with the strong flavor of almonds to make such dessert as almond jelly. The kidney formula requires low phosphorus, potassium, and sodium, taking meat cooking as an example and using multiple spicy ingredients without salt at all to make dim sum dishes, such as pearl balls and hamburger steaks. The original heavily seasoned nutritional jelly can also be given flax sauce to cover the original "nutrition taste." The teachers and students of the two departments spent at least 8 hours a week in the kitchen to research, discuss, and try these works. The students tried to make the finished product approved by the teacher, and entered the laboratory for nutritional composition analysis, and used the texture analyzer machine to analyze the food. Only after quality inspection could the finished products be delivered to the entrusted manufacturer.

【A scene at STUST's Joint Presentation of Nutritional Snacks and Desserts】

A number of manufacturers joined the alliance and entrusted STUST to handle the development of this nutritional products, including Nansheng Biochemical Technology Co., Ltd., Snead Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Taiwan Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Nuliyang Co., Ltd., Baoxin International Co., Ltd. and Chimei Foods Co., Ltd., These manufacturers admitted that they never thought that their products could be used this way. For the companies, when selling medical nutrition products in the future, they can also offer health education to consumer groups and turn nutrition products into delicious snacks. It is a rare opportunity to help patients or elders to acquire such a blessing eating experience.

【A scene at STUST's Joint Presentation of Nutritional Snacks and Desserts】

Prof. Chiao-zhen Peng of the Department Senor Welfare Services, STUST, said that with the rapid aging of the people in our country, the number of people who need to adjust the content or texture of their diets is increasing day by day. Nutritional supplements are designed to quickly provide balanced nutrition, but long-term consumption of such products makes many people feel bored. Nutrition products can be transformed into snacks and desserts, so that the elderly and the sick can enjoy nutrition and delicacy at the same time. Prof. Hui-wen Shih also said that in the past, students of the Department of Hospitality Management focused on cooking food to taste rather than nutrition, while this project can lead many students to making nutritious products into delicious dishes.

【A Poster of STUST’s Joint Presentation of Nutritional Snacks and Desserts】

Jia-kai Su, Dean of Student Affair of STUST, said that the "Silver Hair Nutrition Service Small-Cap Enterprise Alliance" Project is committed to serving the domestic senior welfare industry, offering more services to the elderly and patients in Taiwan.