2. About us
The 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: cfs@aut.ac.nz
3. 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 Packaging
The 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 Assessment
Malnutrition 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 Science
The taste of food is critical to its commercial success and our sensory suite is superbly
equipped to evaluate consumer food products.
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. Aquaculture and fisheries research projects range from hatcheries, to
behavioural and life cycle studies, and assessments of environmental impacts.
4. FoodIndustryProblemSolving
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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Website: www.cfs.aut.ac.nz
Email: cfs@aut.ac.nz
PHYSICAL ADDRESS:
Centre for Food Science
AUT University
34 St Paul Street
Auckland 1010
New Zealand
POSTAL ADDRESS:
Centre for Food Science
Private Bag 92006
Auckland 1142
New Zealand
Telephone: +64 (9) 921 9999 Ext: 8757
Image and copywriting credit:
Matthew Jones
AUT UNIVERSITY
