Le Whiff

from the telegraph.co.uk, april 13, 2009 A new inhaler - dubbed Le Whif - has been developed by scientists, allowing chocoholics to enjoy all the treats they can handle for zero calories. The revolutionary gadget means chocolate lovers can indulge their guilty pleasure without putting on weight. The gadget lets users breathe in chocolate to curb cravings and satisfy their sweet tooth. Invented by Harvard professor David Edwards, Le Whif comes in four different flavours: raspberry, mint, mango and plain. He worked with his students at Harvard University to develop the product and said he was inspired by thinking beyond normal ways of eating food and into the future. He said: "Over the centuries we've been eating smaller and smaller quantities at shorter and shorter intervals. "It seemed to us that eating was tending toward breathing, so, with a mix of culinary art and aerosol science, we've helped move eating habits to their logical conclusion. "We call it whiffing." The chocolate-flavoured powder is housed in a small plastic cylinder which users breathe in from. Makers say the particles of the powder are too large to enter the lungs or do any damage. They believed the chocolate inhaler is just the first step in a gastronomic revolution. Tom Hadfield, part of the Le Whif team, said: "When you inhale food, you don't want the particles going into your lungs. "However, these are too big to do that, and we have developed a special mouthpiece to help. It fills your mouth with almost pure chocolate - it tastes really good. It's zero calorie, so could also be used as a diet tool. "But chocolate is only the beginning - we're going to be unveiling more different types of food in the future. Two Michelin-starred chef Thierry Marx is even working with us to develop meals, such as a mint-flavoured inhaler to go alongside his lamb dishes. Eventually we could be having three course meals this way." Each canister costs £1.50 and can be reused several times. Le Whif will be available to buy from April 29.