# Alternative approach could reduce reliance on potentially toxic surfactants in pharmaceutical and food applications

Source: [Chemistry News - Biochemistry, Polymers, Materials Science](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-alternative-approach-reliance-potentially-toxic.html) · 2026-11-09 · Physics
Page: https://themorning.science/story/alternative-approach-could-reduce-reliance-on-potentially-toxic-surfactants-in-p-aef825673b672fb4
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In brief

- An international team led by the University of Sydney reports a way to formulate microemulsions without traditional surfactants.
- Traditional surfactants are often toxic and difficult to separate from end products, according to the source.
- The findings are described as relevant to pharmaceutical and food applications.

## Why it matters

Replacing conventional surfactants could simplify purification of pharmaceutical and food products and reduce exposure to potentially toxic additives.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-09: Findings reported by Chemistry News (via phys.org)

## Coverage

- [Alternative approach could reduce reliance on potentially toxic surfactants in pharmaceutical and food applications](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-alternative-approach-reliance-potentially-toxic.html) — Chemistry News - Biochemistry, Polymers, Materials Science, 2026-11-09

Tags: microemulsions, surfactants, pharmaceuticals, food science, colloids

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science