Brochure_Food_Science_23-9-2014

AUT UNIVERSITY

About usThe Centre is based within the School of Applied Sciences at AUT University. Our role is to engage in research and development, emphasising applied research within the wider New Zealand food industry. We welcome enquiries on research projects and commercial services. These may be short term commercial contracts, or longer term research projects that often involve postgraduate students supervised by our highly qualified academic staff.

Website: www.cfs.aut.ac.nz Email: [email protected]

Research Areas The Centre for Food Science has five thematic areas that reflect staff expertise and track record in research. Food Industry Problem Solving

The broad industrial experience of our staff can be applied to most New Zealand food industries.

Product Development and PackagingThe food industry is never static and new product development is an enduring activity. We offer competent, confidential product development and packaging services.

Nutritional and Physiological AssessmentMalnutrition and over-nutrition are worldwide problems. We offer services related to dietary analysis, nutrient uptake assessment, and blood metabolite measurement.

Food Microbiology and Safety Food safety is fundamental for New Zealand’s food industry to maintain its excellent reputation in the global market. We have particular expertise in the hygiene of food processing surfaces.

Sensory ScienceThe taste of food is critical to its commercial success and our sensory suite is superbly equipped to evaluate consumer food products.

Aquaculture and FisheriesWe focus on nutraceuticals from marine natural products. Extracts and compounds found in seaweeds, shellfish and other marine organisms are evaluated for potential health benefits. Aquaculture and fisheries research projects range from hatcheries, to behavioural and life cycle studies, and assessments of environmental impacts.

Food Industry Problem Solving We have over 30 years experience in food industry problem solving, and currently consult to over 20 New Zealand food companies. Topics have been diverse: Allergen control in chicken processing, elimination of bitterness in oat products and evaluation of domestic distillation equipment, and elimination of goaty flavour in goat milk yoghurt, among others. Continuing our diverse research activity, we are currently involved in a comparison of two electrical stimulation systems for bovine carcasses, and evaluation of a miniature dried food extruder (both are industry inspired projects).

Product Development and Packaging Food product development is an enduring activity in the food industry. We undertake the development of completely novel and existing products, including the enhancement of functionality and new combinations in food product development. Research also extends to food ingredient analysis and packaging applications when required.

One area of particular interest is development of food products with ‘geographical exclusivity’, or ‘provenance’, meaning food products that are hard to copy elsewhere because the plant or animal is identifiably linked to New Zealand. Examples include: Wines and spirits matured in native woods rather than oak, a spirit prepared from the native cabbage tree (Cordyline australis) and most recently, fermented products from iconic New Zealand seafood.

Nutritional and Physiological Assessment There is world-wide interest regarding how people are metabolically affected by food-nutrients and this stems from the parallel problems of malnutrition and over-nutrition. We offer services related to diet analysis, in vitro and in vivo nutrient uptake assessments and blood metabolite measurements. Our research also focusses on food functionality evaluation, including glycaemic index, digestibility, and the bioavailability of nutrients.

Food Microbiology and Safety Food safety is fundamental for New Zealand’s food industry to maintain a high reputation in the global market. Much of our food safety research focuses of biofilm formation — the growth of microbial communities on food processing surfaces. A major research focus is the development of novel surfaces and methods, either to prevent biofilm formation or to improve cleaning regimes.

We also investigate the application of beneficial microorganisms such as probiotic bacteria into food and beverages to improve their functionality. Research in this area uses a multidisciplinary approach that includes the optimisation of fermentation conditions, microbiological/chemical/sensory analyses, and product augmentation.

Sensory Science Sensory science involves the use of human senses to evaluate consumer food products. Our research in sensory science is multidisciplinary, interfacing sensory analysis with the chemistry, physics, and nutritional impact of food components, as well as the physiology and psychology of food perception. Research expertise includes flavour and sensory analysis of processed and fresh foods. We use a variety of predictive modelling techniques to link flavour to sensory data. Further research is focused on the sensory and flavour quality of a variety of functional meat products and minimally processed fruit, and investigating the role of auditory cues on consumers’ affective states, psychophysiological responses, and sensory perception of food.

Aquaculture and Fisheries We focus on nutraceuticals from marine natural products. Extracts and compounds found in seaweeds, shellfish and other marine organisms are evaluated for potential health benefits. These include anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-diabetes, anti-bacterial and anti-cardiovascular disease properties. We have enjoyed considerable recent success, including a seaweed-based (fucoidan) nutraceutical that is currently under commercialisation. Aquaculture research projects range from hatcheries, to behavioural and life cycle studies, and assessments of environmental impacts. The cultivation of marine shellfish, freshwater fish and eels are a particular focus. We also address the harvesting and farming of seaweeds.

Facilities Analytical Chemistry Suite Includes: ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometers, atomic absorption, inductively couple plasma, gas and liquid chromatography (both with mass spectrometry capability and other detectors, near and far infrared spectroscopy, elemental analyser, and NMR).

AUT-Roche Diagnostics Laboratory Access to conventional and real time polymerase chain reaction equipment, and a state-of-the-art Illumina DNA sequencing platform. The AUT-Roche Diagnostics Laboratory provides cutting-edge tools for the assessment of blood metabolites.

Food Laboratory Includes a wide range of comminution and mixing equipment, a vacuum packer, a high pressure homogeniser, a TAXT texture analyser, a Hunter colour meter, a water activity meter, 23-L distillation equipment, brewing and wine making equipment, and incubation ovens.

Microbiology Suite Isolation and culture facilities, PC1 and PC2 biocontainment laboratories, batch and continuous bioreactors, biofilm bioreactors, microcosms, rapid enumeration tools.

Microscopy Suite Access to conventional, phase contrast and fluorescence light microscopy, confocal microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM.

Sensory Suite This state of the art sensory testing facility provides a controlled environment in terms of lighting, surfaces, temperature and air flow, and eight sensory tasting booths equipped with a computerised data collection system.

Website: www.cfs.aut.ac.nzEmail: [email protected]

PHYSICAL ADDRESS:Centre for Food ScienceAUT University 34 St Paul StreetAuckland 1010New Zealand

POSTAL ADDRESS:Centre for Food SciencePrivate Bag 92006Auckland 1142New ZealandTelephone: +64 (9) 921 9999 Ext: 8757

Image and copywriting credit: Matthew Jones

AUT UNIVERSITY