Minnetonka-based Medisyn Technologies Inc. said on Tuesday its work with Kraft Foods has been expanded to include improvements to food safety, food quality and product performance.

Medisyn, which helps discover new drugs for pharmaceutical companies, started working with Kraft in December 2008, helping discover new ingredients that could provide health benefits in the food. Now, Medisyn will also look at how to improve food safety and quality, such as looking at ingredients that would prevent rancidity or ingredients that will let food remain stable in a freezer or when its baked, said David Land, the company's president.

"At Kraft Foods, open innovation means being innovative about how we innovate," said Todd Abraham, Kraft Foods' senior vice president, research, development and quality. "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."