The hydrocolloid (e.g. starch, modified cellulose, gelatin or other protein, polysaccharide, etc) or supersorber (e.g. modified starch, acrylates, starch/acrylate copolymers, acylamides and other vinyl polymers, etc) may be immobilized in a matrix such as a hydrophobic matrix of conventional hydrocolloid dressings or may alternatively be part of a hydrophilic gel matrix (e.g. a UV or E-beam cured