Future food engineering
This endeavour is fuelled by significant consumer demand for fresh, minimally processed foods derived from plant-based sources and innovative protein options. Our objectives encompass several key aspects:
- Uncover methods to minimise the loss of nutrients during the processing of foods.
- Develop sustainable manufacturing processes, reducing food waste while preserving nutritional excellence.
- Engineer the microstructure of food to enhance its taste and control how nutrients are absorbed by the body.
- Create technologies and solutions that encourage a circular economy within the food industry.
1. Devise processes for reclaiming alternative proteins and enhancing their sensory qualities.
2. Employ biosynthesis to craft food components for the future design of food products.
3. Enhance the nutrient characteristics of legumes through fermentation techniques.
4. Extract valuable bioactive compounds from microalgae.
5. Construct models that simulate the stomach and intestinal processes using computational methods.
6. Prolong the shelf life of human milk.
7. Utilise advanced technologies, like cold plasma treatment, for pasteurization and to prevent the formation of biofilms.
In essence, our work revolves around pioneering advancements in food processing techniques, ingredient sourcing, and nutritional enrichment, all while addressing sustainability concerns and consumer preferences.
- Associate Professor John Kavanagh (School of Chemical Engineering)
- Adjunct Professor Roman Buckow (School of Chemical Engineering)
- Professor PJ Cullen (School of Chemical Engineering)
- Professor Brent Kaiser (School of Life and Environmental Sciences)
- Professor Tim Langrish (School of Chemical Engineering)
- Dr Valeria Messina (School of Chemical Engineering)
- Dr Peter Valtchev (School of Chemical Engineering)