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F-FILESF-Files – Supporting the next generationof food technologistsMuch of our reporting in the F-Files aims to provide an introduction to our areas of research interest, and to some of the keystaff involved.Research within the IFNHH covers a range of disciplines: engineering,processing and modelling, food (bio)chemistry, food materialscience and structure, sensory science, microbiology, and of coursethe nutritional sciences. Because of the complex nature of foodproduction, manufacture and consumption, research activities areincreasingly reliant on taking a multidisciplinary approach, and thishas been highlighted in our recent articles focused on food structure,perception and digestion.That food production requires such a diverse set of scientific disciplinesis recognised also in our teaching. The Massey University food technologyundergraduate degree programme – the BFoodTech(Hons)– is a four year one. For the first three years, students are required todevelop proficiency in all of the disciplines listed above – which constitutea remarkably broad range of subjects to encompass in a singledegree course. This provides the underlying food science knowledgenecessary for a career in the food industry. However, it is understoodthat these skills need to be applied in an industry context to be reallyrelevant and effective. In this respect, the BFoodTech(Hons) teachesnot only the requisite disciplines integral to food science, but alsoinstils an awareness and an understanding of how to apply them ina diverse range of food industry settings. This is especially true oncethe students enter the fourth year of study. Here, they undertake aprogramme of individual and group-based product and process developmentprojects that provide them with the necessary skills andcompetencies for extending their fundamental food science trainingand become highly proficient food technologists.acterisation, quality assurance, scale up, incremental product redesign,and new product development. This not only draws on all theskills garnered over the first three years of teaching, but also fosterspractical skills, such as self-organisation and timekeeping, projectmanagement, communication and reporting. Often the industrypartner will take an active role in the direction of the student. Forstudents, realisation that their efforts may be reflected on the supermarketshelves can be a hugely motivating factor, and, of course, developingindustry contacts early on is no bad thing with the end of thecourse appearing on the horizon. The final year project is carried outby students not only at Massey University’s campuses at PalmerstonNorth and Albany, but also at our Singapore campus.Diverse project topicsThis year’s projects have covered a remarkably diverse set of foodsystems:Industry relevance in final yearprojectsThe key to this approach is to ensure that the activities in the students’final year have a high degree of industry relevance, particularly in thecase of their individual product development projects. These projectsspan both semesters in the fourth year, a total of 24 weeks. At thestart, students are given a project brief outlining the main objectivesof the work. They are then required to scope out the project, carryingout a literature review of the topic area and, as part of developing anappreciation of intellectual property, conducting a freedom to operatesearch. They are then required to construct and implement a projectplan as part of meeting their objectives, this usually culminatingin food production at pilot plant scale. Their progress is monitoredby academic supervisors, and appraised through project reporting atregular intervals.The scope of project activities extends from relatively fundamentalfood research projects through to close-to-market new product development.This allows the students some choice based on their preferencesand aptitudes. However, in all cases, the projects must havea clear market application in mind. Many of the fourth year studentprojects are in fact sponsored by food industry partners, allowingeach student to work in the context of a real-life industry scenario asdefined by their industry sponsor.Such projects might focus on aspects of food safety, nutritional char-Sam Neumegen investigated mechanisms by whichfoams could be intensely colouredSam Neumegen undertook a research-focused project investigatingmechanisms by which foams could be intensely coloured. Hisapproach was to reverse-engineer an existing piece of (non-food)prior art using food-grade materials in a way that was consistent withhis hypothesis for foam coloration. In addition to designing appropriateformulations and developing protocols for foam generation,he needed to develop new techniques for characterising changes infoam colour over time. While not specifically commercially driven,the project generated a number of novel scientific findings, with potentialmarket application in product areas such as beverages. Sam’sproject was sponsored by the Riddet Institute.10Food New Zealand
F-FILESCloser to market, the task of producing amodel Thai frozen meal of high quality wasgiven to Ngan Dinh. Possible causes forloss of quality due to freezing and thawingwere identified early on and strategies for processingto mitigate these losses were generated.Of particular importance to the thawedand heated product quality was the rate offreezing. Ngan conducted freezing experimentsand identified a model that was able topredict the time of freezing. The model wasthen used to identify variables that greatly affectedthat rate. Using the model, the freezingprocess was optimised and then validated.Recommendations concerning pre-freezingproduct formulations and processing weremade on the basis of experimental results.Ngan Dinhdeveloped afrozen Thaimeal of highqualityProcessing equipment of an appropriate scale for commercial productionby the sponsor was identified, and costs estimated. The projectwas sponsored by Chada Thai, in Palmerston North.Gemma Wynne-Lewis had the task of developing an entirelynew range of baked snack bars for another industry sponsor. A classicproduct development process was followed. After an analysis,with the help of a focus group, of the strengths and weaknesses ofbars currently on the market, a consumer survey was used to identifythe important purchasing drivers for baked bars. The data obtainedenabled the generation of new product concepts, which werethen developed further with the help of another focus group. Themost popular concepts were then identified by means of a secondconsumer survey. Two of these concepts were then formulated intoGemma Wynne-Lewis’ final year project was thedevelopment of a new range of baked snack barsprototypes. Sensory testing was used to improve the prototypes anddevelop a range of flavours. Achieving a bar water activity that waslow enough to ensure a long shelf life while ensuring a product thatwas perceived as being not overly dry was a challenge successfullymet. The project delivered a range of flavoured bars that were wellliked by consumers, as well as being formulated in a way that alloweda number of positive nutrition claims to be made, and thatcould be produced at below target costing.Want to know more?These projects represent a small cross-section of the kinds of projectsundertaken by our students. As part of student development,we strongly encourage the New Zealand food industry to provide thecreative ideas for these projects, as it really does provide studentswith an early appreciation of life in the industry, and ultimately providesyou with better future employees. Certainly, for small to mediumsized industry partners, a fourth year project also representsan extremely cost effective approach for research and development,although of course it should be noted that these projects, being essentiallylearning exercises, are not guaranteed to end in successfulproduct launches! So, if you are interested in sponsoring a fourth yearproject, please contact Michael Parker who co-ordinates the foodtechnology projects paper. [m.e.parker@massey.ac.nz]December 2011/January 2012 11
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