A Novel Rheological and Chewing and Swallowing model for the Smart Design of Texture Modified Foods for Increased Aged Health. Difficulty in chewing and swallowing mean about 40% of elderly people require Texture Modified (TM) meals. Elders able to eat only very soft food textures have a 2.4 fold higher risk of mortality. However existing methods to assess the level of texture modification are poor; achieving a consistent level of TM meal is difficult; and TM meals have poor sensory properties ( ....A Novel Rheological and Chewing and Swallowing model for the Smart Design of Texture Modified Foods for Increased Aged Health. Difficulty in chewing and swallowing mean about 40% of elderly people require Texture Modified (TM) meals. Elders able to eat only very soft food textures have a 2.4 fold higher risk of mortality. However existing methods to assess the level of texture modification are poor; achieving a consistent level of TM meal is difficult; and TM meals have poor sensory properties (appearance, flavour, aroma). This work will use a novel chewing and swallowing model in conjunction with novel food flavour and property measurements to develop new texture modified foods with increased taste, ease of swallowing and nutritional value.Read moreRead less
Markers of milk quality in commercially produced UHT milks and milk powders. Efficient production of safe, wholesome food relies on the application of the best available knowledge of the food material and the processing technologies involved. This project applies proteomics, the most advanced protein analysis technique, to determine the changes that occur in milk during high heat treatment and subsequent storage of the heat-processed milk product. Armed with such knowledge, the dairy processin ....Markers of milk quality in commercially produced UHT milks and milk powders. Efficient production of safe, wholesome food relies on the application of the best available knowledge of the food material and the processing technologies involved. This project applies proteomics, the most advanced protein analysis technique, to determine the changes that occur in milk during high heat treatment and subsequent storage of the heat-processed milk product. Armed with such knowledge, the dairy processing industry will be able to make informed decisions about processing and storage conditions to ensure the final products provided to the consumer are of the highest possible quality. Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC140100024
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,061,605.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Horticultural Products. ARC Training Centre for Innovative Horticultural Products. The Australian food industry, and the fresh produce sector in particular, offers enormous opportunities for growth and diversification through development of innovative new products that are safe, convenient, affordable and healthy. The Training Centre will develop fresh foods with improved shelf life and sensory quality, through a suite of food science and market analysis projec ....ARC Training Centre for Innovative Horticultural Products. ARC Training Centre for Innovative Horticultural Products. The Australian food industry, and the fresh produce sector in particular, offers enormous opportunities for growth and diversification through development of innovative new products that are safe, convenient, affordable and healthy. The Training Centre will develop fresh foods with improved shelf life and sensory quality, through a suite of food science and market analysis projects relevant to the horticultural supply chains of Woolworths supermarket. A new model for researcher training, integrating formal course-work and workplace-integrated learning, will deliver professionals who are industry relevant, understand food product innovation and have a trans-disciplinary approach to delivering products that satisfy market demand.Read moreRead less
High-value functional ingredients from bean processing waste. Legumes are considered highly nutritious and sustainable food. Accordingly, there is a steady growth in the consumption of legumes worldwide, including in Australia. Due to lengthy soaking and cooking times, consumers prefer ready-to-eat canned legumes. The current processing technologies are energy and water-intensive and generate considerable waste. This project investigates the application of non-thermal technologies to reduce pro ....High-value functional ingredients from bean processing waste. Legumes are considered highly nutritious and sustainable food. Accordingly, there is a steady growth in the consumption of legumes worldwide, including in Australia. Due to lengthy soaking and cooking times, consumers prefer ready-to-eat canned legumes. The current processing technologies are energy and water-intensive and generate considerable waste. This project investigates the application of non-thermal technologies to reduce processing time, water and energy use and enable the recovery of valuable polyphenols and soluble dietary fibres normally lost in the wastewater. This knowledge will lead to sustainable beans processing, delivering improved productivity to Australian manufacturers and quality food to Australian consumers.Read moreRead less
Understanding The Sources Of Campylobacter In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$546,720.00
Summary
Campylobacter is a key cause of foodborne disease in Australia, with rates of illness amongst the highest in the world. Our project brings together academic, government and industry partners to harness new genetic techniques to better identify sources and risk factors for Campylobacter infection. The project will assist health agencies to include genomics in public health, with findings directly informing government policies and industry practices to minimise disease caused by Campylobacter.
Insoluble-fibre enriched beverages. Insoluble-fibre enriched beverages. This project aims to develop healthy new beverages, by studying the effect of chemistry and physical interactions of insoluble dietary fibre with other food ingredients. Insoluble fibre reduces the risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. This project will research how insoluble-fibre linked phytochemicals behave in complex matrices and contribute to malodorous flavours; and design adv ....Insoluble-fibre enriched beverages. Insoluble-fibre enriched beverages. This project aims to develop healthy new beverages, by studying the effect of chemistry and physical interactions of insoluble dietary fibre with other food ingredients. Insoluble fibre reduces the risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. This project will research how insoluble-fibre linked phytochemicals behave in complex matrices and contribute to malodorous flavours; and design advanced experimental protocols to prevent undesirable sensory characteristics in liquid systems.Read moreRead less
Ultrasonic Processing of Dairy Ingredients to Control Protein Aggregation and Promote Heat Stability. This project is an emerging collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Food Science Australia and the Dairy Ingredients Group of Australia. We aim to use acoustically generated chemical and physical effects to modify dairy proteins. Transformation of the sulphur-containing proteins by this means should overcome many of the difficulties currently encountered in thermal processing of whole ....Ultrasonic Processing of Dairy Ingredients to Control Protein Aggregation and Promote Heat Stability. This project is an emerging collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Food Science Australia and the Dairy Ingredients Group of Australia. We aim to use acoustically generated chemical and physical effects to modify dairy proteins. Transformation of the sulphur-containing proteins by this means should overcome many of the difficulties currently encountered in thermal processing of whole milk and whey proteins. This work will place the Australian dairy industry in a pre-eminent position for the development of valuable, heat-stable and uniquely functional ingredients based on novel micro/nano structures. Existing world class expertise will be further developed in ultrasonic processing and sonochemistry as frontier technologies.Read moreRead less
The Molecular Mechanism of Protein Instability in Dairy Powder Systems. Dairy is the fourth largest rural industry sectors in Australia, directly involving more than 13,000 farms and a large number of dairy factories. Most of Australia's 10 billion litre milk flow is converted to powder form for exports, with an annual value exceeding $1billion. The anticipated improvements in the performance and shelf-life of the dried dairy powder systems to be investigated in this project have the potential ....The Molecular Mechanism of Protein Instability in Dairy Powder Systems. Dairy is the fourth largest rural industry sectors in Australia, directly involving more than 13,000 farms and a large number of dairy factories. Most of Australia's 10 billion litre milk flow is converted to powder form for exports, with an annual value exceeding $1billion. The anticipated improvements in the performance and shelf-life of the dried dairy powder systems to be investigated in this project have the potential to generate significant economic impacts in both the dairy production and processing sectors. This work will also benefit the wider scientific community in dairy- and food-related areas, particularly in relation to the novel multidisciplinary approach involving a combination of material science and protein chemistry.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC160100025
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,259,000.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre in Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry. ARC Training Centre in Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry. This centre aims to create an innovation platform of food safety researchers and industry personnel who can significantly advance the safety of fruit and vegetables in Australia. The intended outcomes are safer food, leading to enhanced health and wellbeing; industry growth in the food/agribusiness sector; enhanced trust and international reputation; and increased a ....ARC Training Centre in Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry. ARC Training Centre in Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry. This centre aims to create an innovation platform of food safety researchers and industry personnel who can significantly advance the safety of fruit and vegetables in Australia. The intended outcomes are safer food, leading to enhanced health and wellbeing; industry growth in the food/agribusiness sector; enhanced trust and international reputation; and increased access to growing export markets. Intended benefits to industry are ready-to-use technologies for strengthened food safety, and a new generation of highly-skilled food safety scientists with experience in conducting industry-focused research.Read moreRead less
Understanding the structure-function relationship of dietary fibre for engineering novel food products with superior textural properties and nutrition. The focus of this project will be on the merits of dietary fibre from underutilised agricultural by-products as valuable ingredients in food products. This project aims to innovate by developing high quality foods using dietary fibre, hence delivering socioeconomic benefits through a healthier population and increased financial returns to agri-fo ....Understanding the structure-function relationship of dietary fibre for engineering novel food products with superior textural properties and nutrition. The focus of this project will be on the merits of dietary fibre from underutilised agricultural by-products as valuable ingredients in food products. This project aims to innovate by developing high quality foods using dietary fibre, hence delivering socioeconomic benefits through a healthier population and increased financial returns to agri-food processors.Read moreRead less