Developing New Multifunctional Layered Particles with Novel Modular Food Processing Systems. The global market for organic foods has a value of approximately $150 billion, indicating the high potential export market. Australia's organic industry is currently valued at $350M, with annual growth of 25%. Alternatives to chemical preservatives in products such as breads are in demand, and Australian essential oils show promise, but new technology is required to value-add products from essential oil ....Developing New Multifunctional Layered Particles with Novel Modular Food Processing Systems. The global market for organic foods has a value of approximately $150 billion, indicating the high potential export market. Australia's organic industry is currently valued at $350M, with annual growth of 25%. Alternatives to chemical preservatives in products such as breads are in demand, and Australian essential oils show promise, but new technology is required to value-add products from essential oil producers. Spray drying will be used with the smart coating of extracts, such as antimicrobial compounds, as natural preservatives that promote the shelf life of foods, benefitting service providers, the wider food industry and consumers. Read moreRead less
Enhancing the Production of Functional Food Powders by Studying Reaction Processes in Spray Dryers. The project is a key component of a technical development program that has the potential to make a very large contribution to the processing of functional foods resulting in products of high value for nutritional use. The total national crop of cereals, pulses, oil seeds, fruit and vegetables is thirty million tonnes/year. Over three million tonnes/year of waste are produced, containing three mi ....Enhancing the Production of Functional Food Powders by Studying Reaction Processes in Spray Dryers. The project is a key component of a technical development program that has the potential to make a very large contribution to the processing of functional foods resulting in products of high value for nutritional use. The total national crop of cereals, pulses, oil seeds, fruit and vegetables is thirty million tonnes/year. Over three million tonnes/year of waste are produced, containing three million kilogrammes of bioactive compounds, valued at a minimum of $1,000/kg, giving an estimated potential value of $3 billion/year. If only 10% of this potential is captured, then the national benefit would be as high as A$300 million/year.Read moreRead less
Addressing Child Nutritional Deficiency Through Development of a Nutritious Food Based on Dried Vegetable or Fruit. A significant proportion of Australian children are deficient in nutrients that dramatically affect mental and physical development. To improve health and wellness, micronutrients must be in a palatable form and be sufficiently absorbed to improve nutritional status. To optimise stability during processing, sensory quality and metabolic absorption, appropriate micronutrient food fo ....Addressing Child Nutritional Deficiency Through Development of a Nutritious Food Based on Dried Vegetable or Fruit. A significant proportion of Australian children are deficient in nutrients that dramatically affect mental and physical development. To improve health and wellness, micronutrients must be in a palatable form and be sufficiently absorbed to improve nutritional status. To optimise stability during processing, sensory quality and metabolic absorption, appropriate micronutrient food fortification technology must be used. This project proposes a unique linkage between three distinct University faculties and Industry, to combine the development of novel fortified dried-vegetable and/or fruit leathers with an efficient process for their production, nutritional studies to assess their absorption, and target market (young children) acceptance studies.Read moreRead less
Tomato and vegetable oil synergies for healthier foods. Vegetable and fruit products are recognised for their content of health-promoting phytonutrients. This project will investigate the bioavailability and subsequent in-vivo antioxidant activity of tomatoes and vegetable oils alone or in combination. A second aim will be to isolate particular phytonutrients from tomates and selected vegetable oils, and then to combine them for determination of synergistic interactions affecting antioxidant ac ....Tomato and vegetable oil synergies for healthier foods. Vegetable and fruit products are recognised for their content of health-promoting phytonutrients. This project will investigate the bioavailability and subsequent in-vivo antioxidant activity of tomatoes and vegetable oils alone or in combination. A second aim will be to isolate particular phytonutrients from tomates and selected vegetable oils, and then to combine them for determination of synergistic interactions affecting antioxidant activity. Opportunities for the preparation of new phytonutrient-oil combination foods with increased antioxidant activity and the potential to enhance the health status of consumers will be developed. The research will provide food processors with expertise to develop novel plant-derived ingredients and food products for sale in the internationally growing functional foods market.Read moreRead less
The microbiology and biotechnology of rum production. Rum is an alcoholic beverage produced by microbial fermentation of molasses waste from the sugar industry. The microbial species responsible for the process determine rum flavour and quality by production of specific aroma compounds. The rate and extent of fermentation determine process efficiency. Several yeast and bacterial species contribute to rum fermentation but this ecology is poorly defined. Through a combination of ecological stu ....The microbiology and biotechnology of rum production. Rum is an alcoholic beverage produced by microbial fermentation of molasses waste from the sugar industry. The microbial species responsible for the process determine rum flavour and quality by production of specific aroma compounds. The rate and extent of fermentation determine process efficiency. Several yeast and bacterial species contribute to rum fermentation but this ecology is poorly defined. Through a combination of ecological studies, controlled fermentations and distillation, chemical and sensory analyses, this project will determine the impact of particular microbial species on rum flavour and process efficiency. This information will be used by the industrial partner to enchance product quality and process efficiency.Read moreRead less
Evaluation of High-Power Ultrasound as an Innovative Tool for Sanitation, Colour/Flavour Extraction and Fermentation Enhancement in Wine Making. The multibillion-dollar wine industry forms a significant part of the Australian economy especially in regional areas. The application of high power ultrasound (HPU) to the cleaning and disinfection of wine barrels as well as for the enhancement of wine through improved fermentation and extraction of flavours and colours from grapes will have significan ....Evaluation of High-Power Ultrasound as an Innovative Tool for Sanitation, Colour/Flavour Extraction and Fermentation Enhancement in Wine Making. The multibillion-dollar wine industry forms a significant part of the Australian economy especially in regional areas. The application of high power ultrasound (HPU) to the cleaning and disinfection of wine barrels as well as for the enhancement of wine through improved fermentation and extraction of flavours and colours from grapes will have significant benefits to this industry. It is essential that Australia also capitalise on the benefits that this technology can provide in improved processing and products, lower costs, reduction in environmental pollution, water re-use and replacement of "dirty" energy. In this way the impact on this industry will help cement Australia's position in the world wine market long into the future.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