Pork Knuckle Trio: A High-Protein, Low-Fat, Low-Sodium Food Innovation for Healthy Aging

BANGKOK, Oct. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A student team from Nutrinex, Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, has developed "Pork Knuckle Trio"—a nutritious alternative to traditional braised pork leg. Designed for the elderly, the product is high in protein but low in sodium, fat, and sugar. The product won Second Runner-up in the FoSTAT Food Innovation Contest 2025, a national-level food product innovation competition, under the theme "Food Innovation for the Silver Generation." 

A Healthier Twist on a Beloved Dish 

Braised pork leg is a favorite comfort food with its tender meat and melt-in-your-mouth skin. But it often comes with high levels of cholesterol, fat, and sodium—making it off-limits for those concerned about health risks such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and elevated blood lipids. 

"How can food be delicious without harming our health?" asked the Nutrinex team, who took on the challenge of reinventing the dish. Their answer was "Pork Knuckle Trio"—tender and smooth, rich with aromatic spices, full of flavor, and 100% health-conscious. 

Inspiration from Family 

The project was personal for several of the Nutrinex team members. "At home, we have elderly family members, and I'm very close to both my grandmother and great-grandmother, who both love braised pork leg. But the dish isn't really suitable for seniors because it's high in fat. When the contest theme focused on food innovation for the Silver Generation, I immediately thought of creating a healthier version," said Ms. Chettidaporn Mahaboonpachai, a Nutrinex team member. 

The team's innovation resulted in a pork leg dish with 53% less sodium, over 40% less fat and saturated fat, and 65% less sugar than the traditional version. "Pork Knuckle Trio" is not just suitable for seniors, but also a health-friendly option for people of all ages." 

The Team Behind the Innovation 

The Nutrinex team includes: 

• Ms. Chettidaporn Mahaboonpachai 
• Ms. Parima Hanitthinun 
• Ms. Rathaporn Kittirudeekul 
• Mr. Worrachit Suniwatcharanupong (4th-year student)
• Mr. Suphawit Thiancharoen (3rd-year student)

They were guided by: 

• Asst. Prof. Dr. Varapha Kongpensook 
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kanitha Tananuwong, Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University 

Meeting the Needs of the Silver Generation 

Assistant Professor Dr. Varapha, the advisor of the Nutrinex team, spoke about the importance of developing food for the elderly: 

"Thailand has fully entered an aging society, and the elderly face unique nutritional challenges. Older adults need high-protein foods to prevent muscle loss. While working-age individuals can eat vegetables for health, the elderly usually struggle to chew vegetables and other fibrous foods due to dental problems. Products like this pork leg are tailored to meet their specific health needs, which is an important trend in food production." 

Food Technology Innovation 

The students used advanced food technology to recreate pork legs with better nutrition: 

• Pork meat: Restructured Meat technology—lean pork hip is cut into small pieces, spiced, and bound with enzymes (instead of salt), making it tender without long stewing and significantly reducing cooking energy. 
• Pork fat: Replaced with a cholesterol-free emulsion gel from vegetable fat, delivering a smooth texture with less saturated fat. 
• Pork skin: Seasoned with five-spice for aroma, tenderness, and appealing color. 
• Broth: Flavored with natural umami and kokumi flavors, with less sugar and sodium, and without MSG. 

Miss Chettidaporn describes the production process, explaining that the final product combines the meat, fat, and skin using Enzyme Technology, which acts like glue to help bind the parts together. The product then undergoes pasteurization and vacuum-packing for safety. Each serving includes a 100-gram pork leg pouch and 70 ml of braised sauce in a microwaveable tray, with a shelf life of at least 14 days at 4 degrees Celsius. 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kanitha, co-advisor, noted that while these technologies exist in the food industry, no one has applied them to pork knuckle in this way. This product enhances nutritional value while keeping the beloved flavor. 

Learning Beyond the Lab 

The project gave the students hands-on experience in product development. 

"We pitched our idea and received guidance from our professors—what research to read and which product formats to consider. We analyzed data, experimented, and developed the product in the lab," said Ms. Chettidaporn. 

Asst. Prof. Dr. Varapha emphasized the student-led approach: "The students already had a product idea, but they needed to define the concept clearly—such as including a fat layer, since consumers still want the taste, just not the health risk. They had to figure out how to recreate pork fat using plant-based ingredients and bind meat using enzymes. We didn't spoon-feed them. We don't dictate the method, letting them determine the best approach, then step in when challenges arise—like when the texture was off, or the meat wouldn't bind. The students had to think critically, experiment, solve problems, and adapt when things went wrong. This kind of learning is invaluable." 

The process taught the team not just food science but also teamwork and flexibility: "We did many trials. Sometimes things didn't go as planned, so we had to adapt. Teamwork was crucial—staying calm, negotiating, and helping each other," Ms. Chettidaporn reflected. 

Competition Success: FoSTAT Food Innovation Contest 2025 

Nutrinex competed in the FoSTAT Food Innovation Contest 2025, part of the Food Innovation Asia Conference (FIAC), co-hosted by the Food Science and Technology Association of Thailand and the Agro-Industrial Academic Council Association. 

The event drew nearly 100 undergraduate teams nationwide and included three rounds: 

• Round 1: Submit product concept documents and video. Teams are divided into five regional groups: North, Northeast, Central-West, South, and Bangkok Metro, with up to 12 teams in each group.
• Round 2: Zoom presentation and Q&A to narrow down to three finalists per region. 
• Round 3: Live pitch and product showcase at the conference. 

"Before the final pitch, we practiced presenting, anticipated judges' questions, and prepared all product details to confidently answer questions," said Ms. Chettidaporn. 

The dedication paid off—Nutrinex secured second place nationwide. In the future, the plan is to register for intellectual property and scale production for industry. 

The team's journey not only earned them recognition but also inspired future ambitions. 

"I'm now pursuing a master's at Chulalongkorn's Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy and working as a marketing trainee at the Marketing Association of Thailand. I want to combine business knowledge with food technology to keep innovating," said Ms. Chettidaporn. 

Looking Ahead 

Currently a prototype, "Pork Knuckle Trio" may be developed for industrial production and registered as intellectual property.

"Delicious, easy to chew, and much healthier than traditional braised pork leg," said Associate Professor Dr. Khanitha. "It's a product with strong potential for the future." 

Contact for Inquiries 

For inquiries about the "Pork Knuckle Trio" product, contact: 

• Asst. Prof. Dr. Varapha Kongpensook 
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kanitha Tananuwong 

Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University 

• Tel: 02-218-5515-6 
• Email: [email protected] or [email protected] 

Read the full article at: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/264205/

About Chulalongkorn University

Chulalongkorn University has made the world's top 50 university list for employment outcomes, which reflects both the high employment rate and work ability of Chula graduates. The university is also listed as the best in Thailand for the 15th Consecutive Year (since 2009), according to the newly released QS World University Rankings 2024, putting Chula at 211th in the world, up from 244th last year.

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SOURCE Chulalongkorn University