Flexible and Printable Sensors for Early Detection of Food Spoilage . This project aims to develop a technological platform for the fabrication of flexible sensors that enable the detection of food spoilage and life threatening microbial contamination. By engineering stimuli-responsive inks, colorimetric, chemiresistive, and impedimetric sensor arrays will be printed on flexible plastics and paper substrates. The printed sensor arrays will respond to gases and volatile compounds generated from f ....Flexible and Printable Sensors for Early Detection of Food Spoilage . This project aims to develop a technological platform for the fabrication of flexible sensors that enable the detection of food spoilage and life threatening microbial contamination. By engineering stimuli-responsive inks, colorimetric, chemiresistive, and impedimetric sensor arrays will be printed on flexible plastics and paper substrates. The printed sensor arrays will respond to gases and volatile compounds generated from food deterioration and spoilage, microbial pathogen, temperature and pH by a change in their colour or electrical properties, hence providing real-time measurements. The project will enable to design efficient data-driven decision making tools along the supply chain to enhance food safety and reduce food waste. Read moreRead less
Incorporation of legume protein in liquid breakfast for a healthy Australia. This project aims to understand and control the properties and interactions of legume protein with other ingredients (e.g. whey protein and dietary fibre) to formulate healthy liquid foods with superior techno-functionality. This research should significantly broaden our understanding of the behaviour of legume protein-phospholipid complexes and their contribution to malodorous flavour development. The expected outcomes ....Incorporation of legume protein in liquid breakfast for a healthy Australia. This project aims to understand and control the properties and interactions of legume protein with other ingredients (e.g. whey protein and dietary fibre) to formulate healthy liquid foods with superior techno-functionality. This research should significantly broaden our understanding of the behaviour of legume protein-phospholipid complexes and their contribution to malodorous flavour development. The expected outcomes are protocols to prevent undesirable sensory characteristics in liquid foods. This should benefit the food industry by improving the sensory attributes of beverages enriched with legume protein, leading to the creation of novel, highly nutritious products with superior sensory attributes and long shelf-life.Read moreRead less
Plant based foods: Towards sustainable and acceptable meat analogues. The project aims to address the need for engineering plant-based food products to deliver a sensory experience akin to meat. The project expects to generate new knowledge on the structural drivers for emulating meat-like texture and taste within burger products. Expected outcomes of this project include new ingredients and food characterisation methodologies, including rheology and sensory, which can be employed in rational ....Plant based foods: Towards sustainable and acceptable meat analogues. The project aims to address the need for engineering plant-based food products to deliver a sensory experience akin to meat. The project expects to generate new knowledge on the structural drivers for emulating meat-like texture and taste within burger products. Expected outcomes of this project include new ingredients and food characterisation methodologies, including rheology and sensory, which can be employed in rational food structure design. This should provide significant benefits in enhancing the consumer acceptance of plant-based foods that is required to support the rapidly growing market opportunity for them and sustainable food production.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
Intelligent bioprocessing for next-generation nutritional yeast extracts. This project aims to provide new, science-based levers for optimising the industrial production of tailormade yeast extracts for food applications. Advanced biochemical and engineering methods will be used to develop new knowledge of the links between yeast growth conditions, cell biochemistry, processing and the flavour and texture profiles of yeast hydrolysates. This understanding will allow the properties of yeast hydro ....Intelligent bioprocessing for next-generation nutritional yeast extracts. This project aims to provide new, science-based levers for optimising the industrial production of tailormade yeast extracts for food applications. Advanced biochemical and engineering methods will be used to develop new knowledge of the links between yeast growth conditions, cell biochemistry, processing and the flavour and texture profiles of yeast hydrolysates. This understanding will allow the properties of yeast hydrolysates to be accurately tuned during yeast production and processing. The resulting process improvements and innovations will increase the efficiency and quality of current yeast extract products and allow the development of new food products.Read moreRead less
Engineering improved fat encapsulation for food powders. Encapsulation of fats and oils into powders has wide applications in the food industry, with products including creamers, soups, infant formula, and nutraceutical powders. Spray drying of liquid emulsions into powders is an integral part to manufacture high value products by extending their shelf life, nutritional content, and functionality. This project will generate new protocols for the production of high-fat powders, with direct commer ....Engineering improved fat encapsulation for food powders. Encapsulation of fats and oils into powders has wide applications in the food industry, with products including creamers, soups, infant formula, and nutraceutical powders. Spray drying of liquid emulsions into powders is an integral part to manufacture high value products by extending their shelf life, nutritional content, and functionality. This project will generate new protocols for the production of high-fat powders, with direct commercial benefits in improved production efficiency and new product development from recovered ingredients. The knowledge will benefit the manufacturing of food powders in Australia, currently valued around $600M AUD pa, and will potentially expand the variety of product offering for the export market.Read moreRead less
An investigation into flagellotropic bacteriophage stability and biology. This project aims to understand the capabilities of a type of virus called bacteriophage (phage). Significant economic loss in the food industry has led the USA and Europe to deploy phage to decontaminate food-processing machinery. These phage kill food-spoiling bacteria. This project expects to fill gaps in our knowledge, particularly to assit in choosing phage that are of increased stability and thus more long-lasting fo ....An investigation into flagellotropic bacteriophage stability and biology. This project aims to understand the capabilities of a type of virus called bacteriophage (phage). Significant economic loss in the food industry has led the USA and Europe to deploy phage to decontaminate food-processing machinery. These phage kill food-spoiling bacteria. This project expects to fill gaps in our knowledge, particularly to assit in choosing phage that are of increased stability and thus more long-lasting for deployment in industrial settings, and to inform additives to the phage preparations to increase their potency in killing bacteria. The project should provide significant benefits in training students and staff in methodology for investigating phage for future applications in Australian industry and biotechnology.
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Novel Multilevel Modelling Framework to Design Advanced Food Drying Process. In this project, a novel multilevel modelling framework for food drying will be developed by integrating the micro, macro, and dryer scale transport process and considering the dynamic changes in the drying environment under the intermittent application of microwave energy (IMCD). This modelling framework will be the first comprehensive scientific tool for industry for developing next-generation food drying systems, whi ....Novel Multilevel Modelling Framework to Design Advanced Food Drying Process. In this project, a novel multilevel modelling framework for food drying will be developed by integrating the micro, macro, and dryer scale transport process and considering the dynamic changes in the drying environment under the intermittent application of microwave energy (IMCD). This modelling framework will be the first comprehensive scientific tool for industry for developing next-generation food drying systems, which are expected to deliver significant improvement in energy efficiency and product quality and reduction in drying time and food waste. Finally, based on the outcomes of the modelling framework, a smart IMCD drying system will be developed to demonstrate the feasibility of the framework in industry application.Read moreRead less
A Concurrent Multiscale Model for Improved Prediction of Drying Process. This project aims to develop an innovative multiscale model for food drying, which integrates spatial and temporal nonlinear behaviours at different scales. The proposed unifying theory will capture dynamic micro level features and upscale them to macro level features through a concurrent bridging scheme. As cellular elements critically govern the drying process, the fundamental understanding captured through this theory wi ....A Concurrent Multiscale Model for Improved Prediction of Drying Process. This project aims to develop an innovative multiscale model for food drying, which integrates spatial and temporal nonlinear behaviours at different scales. The proposed unifying theory will capture dynamic micro level features and upscale them to macro level features through a concurrent bridging scheme. As cellular elements critically govern the drying process, the fundamental understanding captured through this theory will lead to more accurate prediction of drying kinetics, deformation and quality changes, and hence the development of efficient drying systems. This project will overcome a longstanding research problem and position Australia at the forefront in world drying research to reap substantial economic benefits for Australia.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100135
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,853.00
Summary
Regulating the Future of Protein . Australia needs to produce more protein, sustainably into the future. This project aims to determine how this can be achieved by developing optimal ways of regulating alternative proteins. Alternative proteins imitate meat and dairy but are often made using new technologies. This project combines an innovative mix of empirical and legal analysis to understand the full range of expectations, opportunities and risks regarding alternative proteins and their regul ....Regulating the Future of Protein . Australia needs to produce more protein, sustainably into the future. This project aims to determine how this can be achieved by developing optimal ways of regulating alternative proteins. Alternative proteins imitate meat and dairy but are often made using new technologies. This project combines an innovative mix of empirical and legal analysis to understand the full range of expectations, opportunities and risks regarding alternative proteins and their regulation. It uses this new knowledge to determine how to regulate for healthy, sustainable and prosperous future food systems. Expected outcomes include a new approach to regulating food and the creation of new pathways for stakeholder engagement in regulation for better food futures. Read moreRead less