By Dave Goosselink
Two Dunedin companies have joined forces to come up with an ice ream to lick bad breath and sore throats.
At this stage, the only flavour is vanilla. But when it goes on sale in supermarkets later this year, there may be other flavours.
They're breeding bugs at Blis Technologies, but it's all in a good cause. he bacteria they're working with - streptococcus salivarious - can kill unwanted bacteria in the mouth and throat.
"I we can put it back on the human tongue in good numbers, it actually can provide protection for us at all stages of our life," says microbiologist Prof John Tagg.
Lozenges with the good K12 bacteria have been on the market for years. Now Blis is working with Mark Scorgie's Dunedin-based Gourmet Ice Cream Company to blend their natural probiotic into a cool tasty treat.
"Our expertise is the probiotics and the science and Mark's expertise is the ice cream," says Jeremy Burton, "so it means that we don't have to become ice cream makers."
The bacteria survive well at cold temperatures, and a serving of Blis ice cream has about the same dosage as a lozenge.
The bugs do all their work in the mouth, helping protect against sore throats and bad breath.
Ice cream is seen as an ideal way of delivering the good K12 bacteria to the tongue's surface, where they can start multiplying and producing the natural antibiotic
The vanilla ice cream is lower fat than the company's usual gourmet range. That helps lower the cost, making it more appealing to those serving children and older people.
"Resthomes, schools, hospitals, and probably airlines would be a good place for it as well. So it's certainly not in the gimmick department," says Mr Scorgie.
It's hoped the medicinal ice cream can be sold in supermarkets later this year, with more flavours already in the mix.
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