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Food Science and Technology Group
Research is conducted across the diversity of disciplines within Food Science and Technology. The areas can be broadly defined as:
- Drying technology
- Food allergens
- Food analysis
- Food and beverage microbiology
- Food and flavor chemistry
- Food engineering
- Food nanotechnology
- Food processing (thermal and non-thermal)
- Food rheology
- Food safety
- Functional foods
- Immunodiagnostics and biosensor technology for food safety and quality
- Nutrient composition of foods
- Nutrient fortification and bioavailability
- Process modeling, optimization and control
Research areas for each staff are described below:
Associate Professor Jayashree Arcot
- Nutrient composition of foods
- Fortification of foods with micronutrients
- Development of isotope dilution methods for the analysis of vitamins in foods using LC-MS techniques
- Bioactive compounds in foods
- Micronutrient bioavailability in humans using stable isotopic studies
- Use of immunoassays and microbiological assays for analysis of vitamins in foods
Current projects include:
- Vitamin analysis of foods especially folate, cyanocobalamin and vitamin D (immunoassays, microbiological assays and LC-MS analysis of vitamers using stable isotope dilution assays)
- Biodiversity of nutrients in vegetables (genotypic variations)
- Fortification of foods (rice and wheat flour) with micronutrients (folate and iron) using edible coating materials and processing methods
- Bioactives in fruits (analysis of phenolic compounds using stable isotope dilution methods; GC-MS and LC-MS analysis)
- Micronutrient bioavailability (folate) from fortified foods and natural sources in humans
Dr. Robert Driscoll and Dr. George Srzednicki
- Examination of the fundamental and applied aspects of grain, vegetable and crop storage and drying
- Process control of food processing operations
- Quality changes during processing
Current projects include:
- Thermophysical properties of foods
- Drying of grains using fluidised bed and in-store systems
- Simulation and control of evaporators
- Bakery oven design, computer modeling and assessment
- Optimisation of quality of dried cherries
- A study of the effect of a greenhouse dryer on coffee beans
- Drying and storage of macadamia nut
- Changes of anthocyanin profile in processed of blueberries
- Early detection of mould spoilage on wheat grains
- The drying of native Australian plants
Professor Graham Fleet
- Ecology, growth and biochemical activities of microorganisms associated with foods and beverages
- Management of food safety and food spoilage
- Production of fermented foods and beverages
- Use of microorganisms as potential sources of food ingredients and processing aids
Current projects include:
- • Wine and grape microbiology
- • Cocoa bean fermentation
- • Yeasts as spoilage organisms, sources of ingredients for food processing
- • Microbiology of dairy products
- • Heat resistance mechanisms of ascospores in Byssochlamys species
- • The microbiology and biotechnology of rum production
Dr. Alice Lee
- Food allergens
- Endocrine disruptors in the environment
- Development of Immunoassays for food analysis
- Functional properties in foods related to bioactives
Current projects include:
- Development of a sensitive immunoassay for fluoroquinolone antibiotics using a novel hapten design & approach
- Functional food properties of peanuts
- Immunosensors for analysis of aquatic environments
- Enhancing Folate, Niacin and Pantothenic Acid Contents of Peanuts via Biofortification: Studies of Genetic X Environment Interaction and Effects of Processing
- Rapid & sensitive immunoassays for endocrine disrupting steroids: development & application to environmental studies
- Seeking hypoallergenic peanut cultivars: development of rapid phenotyping tests for Ara h proteins & application to genotype variation studies
Dr. Janet Paterson
- Thermophysical and rheological properties of a range of food systems and food ingredients
- Development of effective fortification techniques for addition of vitamins to foods
Current projects include:
- Fortification of rice with folic acid using edible coating materials
- Texture analysis of foods
- Formulation and processing conditions of a standard processed cheese
- Development of the use of Rapid Visco Analyser as a processing vessel for processed cheese
- Effect of biopolymers: hydrocolloids, surfactants and emulsifiers on formulation of processed cheese
- Aspects of production, packaging and shelf-life of Biscuits
- Investigation of fat crystalline forms in chocolate
Dr. Jian Zhao
- Bio-active food components
- Food nanoemulsions
- Structure-function relationship of food components
- Plant coagulants
- Innovative food processing technologies
Professor Weibiao Zhou
- Food process modelling and optimisation
- Advanced process control and sensor development
- Baking, dairy and drying processes
- Non-thermal processing including high pressure processing and high-intensity ultrasonic processing
- Functional Foods. Effect of food processing on some functional components such as antioxidants, isoflavones and probiotics.
Current projects include:
- Modelling and optimization of industrial continuous bread baking oven and its control system
- Development of functional bakery products with tea antioxidants
- Study of bread colour development
- Osmotic dehydration of food with edible film coating and ultrasonication
- Investigation of structural relaxation of amorphous food materials
- Development of new generation rapid test kits for frying oils
- High intensity ultrasound aided fermentation
- Structural and functional properties of high pressure processed starches
- Application of advanced modelling techniques such as artificial neural network, fractals and CFD to several food processes.
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