NORTHFIELD, ILL. — Kraft Foods Inc. and Medisyn Technologies, Inc. have expanded their collaboration to discover novel ingredients that may provide benefits for product quality, performance, food safety and health and wellness. The companies began their collaboration in December 2008 with a focus on health and wellness.

Kraft said the collaboration is part of its larger open innovation strategy geared toward finding outside innovators who may help Kraft more quickly meet the latest consumer needs and market opportunities.

For Medisyn, which designs novel bioactive compounds for use in foods and drugs, the collaboration offers an opportunity to partner with a large, established company and leverage Kraft Foods’ scale.

“At Kraft Foods, open innovation means being innovative about how we innovate,” said Todd Abraham, senior vice-president of research, development and quality at Kraft Foods. “We’re increasingly looking outside our own walls, and we’re excited about Medisyn and the potential its technology offers to help us more quickly meet the latest consumer needs and market opportunities.”