This underwear by British company Shreddies is designed to stop farts from smelling (+ slideshow).

The flatulence-filtering pants have a back panel made from cloth that incorporates a carbon-based material called Zorflex, a material normally used in chemical warfare suits and is capable of stopping smells 200 times stronger than the average fart.

The odour vapours are trapped and neutralised by the carbon, which can be reactivated simply by washing it.

Unfortunately it does nothing to muffle sound.

The products were invented in 2006 by Paul O'Leary and developed with a team of designers from the Contour Fashion lingerie design course at De Montfort University in Leicester.

Shreddies specialises in healthcare underwear for conditions like incontinence and the range of flatulence underwear was originally intended for people with conditions such as IBS, Crohn’s disease and food intolerances.

Recognising that there could be a much wider market, the company has now launched the products with retailers.

Here's some more information from Shreddies:

Shreddies make amazing pants that filter out odours and have won awards for their innovative design and ability to change lives. In the last few months Shreddies have been taking the first steps into the world of retail and have now signed up 9 retailers including Fenwicks and Bentalls who have prominent department stores across the UK.

In conjunction with the retail launch Shreddies have recently done a photo-shoot to front the new campaign. The shoot last Tuesday saw models Tom and Beth from DNA modelling agency frolicking around the beautiful Cotes Mill in Loughborough. The concept behind the shoot was ‘live life in Shreddies’ and features many day-to-day lifestyle shots.

Although Shreddies get cheeky with the new campaign, to many people they still remain very much a healthcare product and have helped so many cope with conditions such as IBS, Crohn’s disease and food intolerances. But the bottom line is that Shreddies are for everyone, after all, it’s something we all do!