Cafe Scientifique - December 2021

Join us on Wednesday 1 December at The Globe Theatre at 7 pm for a free science talk by Professor Richard Archer.

Free event, donations welcome.

Licensed bar/cafe open from 6 pm.

Richard will be discussing the following theme: 

High Technology Meets Food Processing

For the last six years, just finished 30 June, a major research programme called FIET (Food Industry Enabling Technologies) has been running across three New Zealand universities plus three research institutes.  Massey University was host and MBIE the funder.

The Programme covered  “new” food process technologies.  Some are new inventions, some new to New Zealand, and two are modern incarnations of ancient food preservation processes. This interface between technology and food is a sweet spot for New Zealand industry: we have great raw materials and food is one thing the world will pay for if we can be smart enough to preserve and present it well. The talk will cover ten of the more interesting projects and their technologies:

Ice Bank – the best-performed format now on offer for storing and retrieving “cold”

Rapid Liquid Freezer – robust, compact freezer for sheep or goat milk or other pumpable food

Meat Tenderisation – new technologies for accelerating industrial scale sous vide

Precision Smoking – new device for generating culinary smoke without the undesirables

Creamed Pomace – new process to convert apple, carrot pomace to smooth high fibre ingredient

Atmospheric Freeze Drying – gently dry from frozen for half the cost of vacuum freeze drying

Drying Sticky Products – dry juice or honey to a non-sticky powder with minimal added drying agent

Pulsed Electric Field – reduced oil and energy use on potato chips and brighter wine from grapes

Microwave Sterilisation – fast, even thermal sterilisation of packaged RTE meals at retort pressures

UV of Rolling Berries – extended shelf life by even UV treatment on all sides of berries while rolling

Under the FIET Programme, these new technologies have been developed now ready for commercialisation.

Professor Richard Archer, FEngNZ, FNZIFST, FIAFST

School of Food and Advanced Technology, Massey University

Logan Campbell Professor of Food Technology.