From the CEO
This month, we introduce you to UNSW’s Associate Professor Pat Spicer, who traded a product-development position with Procter & Gamble in the United States to pursue a research career in Sydney. Right now, Pat is bringing his passion for developing new products and solutions - and his industry experience - to our plant-based milks project with Sanitarium.
We also welcome chemical ingredients company EcoMag into our consortium. EcoMag has teamed up with experts in advanced formulations within UNSW’s School of Chemical Engineering to embark on an exciting collaboration that could bring in $1.5 billion per annum of revenue, using magnesium-rich wastewater from Western Australia’s sea-salt extraction industry.
The CRC is collaborating with partners and other research bodies to drive innovation in food logistics. As part of this, we are supporting a three-part
online seminar series on cold chain optimisation organised by the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.
On the communications front, we are steadily building our eNews subscription base and social media presence. With this in mind, please do share this eNewsletter with your colleagues and interested parties.
David Eyre
CEO, Future Food Systems
Project news
EcoMag Ltd seeks $1.5b opportunity in 99% pure MgOs
EcoMag Ltd turns Pilbara sea-salt waste streams into high-purity magnesium compounds for an array of applications in and beyond the food industry. Now, the bicoastal company is working with UNSW scientists to scale up production and, potentially, increase the mesoporous surface area of its products to make them suitable base materials for high-value food ingredients, health products and nutraceuticals.
Read more
InProfile
Meet Pat Spicer: complex fluids and nano materials expert
Associate Professor Pat Spicer, in UNSW’s School of Chemical Engineering, is applying his passion for developing novel products, formulations and solutions to exciting new research challenges. Now, he's working with Professor Cordelia Selomulya and the R&D division of CRC partner Sanitarium to improve the functional properties of emulsifier- and additive-free plant-based milks.
Read more
Partner news
Optimise Your Cold Chain to Reduce Food Waste Seminar Series
1-2pm AEST, Wed 3 March, Thu 11 Mar & Wed 17 Mar 2021
The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources is helming this free webinar series focused on cold-chain optimisation for perishable produce. The series features industry experts discussing innovations in packaging, storage and logistics that help cut food loss and waste on the journey from farm to truck, coolroom to market.
Read more
Hort Innovation helping get kids to eat their greens - happily
Australia’s leading horticultural-industry body has launched a positive initiative to teach kids the connection between fresh, healthy foods and better moods.
Read more
CRC-NA: Improving access to Asia for Northern Australia’s premium perishable produce
Coordination and cooperation right along the supply chain are key to ensuring that perishable produce from Queensland and the Territory meets the standards required to gain access to high-end Asian markets, contends the CRC for Developing Northern Australia.
Read more
ANPC, Bruker patent COVID-19 diagnosis tool that could help us all travel the world again
Scientists at the Australian National Phenome Centre at Murdoch University have filed a patent jointly with Bruker Biospin GmbH on a fast new detection tool based on SARS-covid-2’s biological fingerprint that could help streamline border biosecurity control.
Read more
Community collaboration drives initiative to bring high-tech business to New England region
The University of New England, Armidale, is at the centre of a proposed new science and innovation hub. Recent community consultation led to a decision to seek funding to progress the initiative in 2021.
Read more
58-plus tonnes of trial fruit and veg nets NVPCC research team AIH award
Researchers from the National Vegetable Protected Cropping Centre at Western Sydney University have netted an Award of Merit from the Australian Institute for Horticulture for donating their glasshouse-grown produce to those in need.
Read more
Newsbytes
Arnott’s building share in $2.8b cereal and snacking sector
Having bought out Freedom Foods in December, Australia’s iconic biscuit manufacturer has acquired a controlling interest in Diver Foods in the ramp-up to launching its new cereal and snacks division, Good Food Partners.
Read more
Australia ripe for regional renaissance, says National Farmers’ Federation
In its just-launched Regionalisation Agenda, the NFF contends that digital connectivity, modern manufacturing processes and political unanimity have converged to make this the ideal time for Australia to regionalise. What’s needed now is policy coordination at a national level.
Read more
Blackmores reports five-year-high in sales to China
In its latest half-yearly figures, Australia’s largest supplements manufacturer has reported record revenue from China and strong South-East Asian performance, offsetting a slump in local sales.
Read more
Why the world’s so excited about pulses
With demand growing globally for healthy, sustainable plant-based proteins, could pulses become one of the world’s most in-demand agrifood sectors?
Read more
Events
Regions Rising RAI National Summit
17-18 March 2021, in person and online
The 2021
Regional Australia Institute National Summit connects stakeholders in government, business and the community ‘to ensure a collaborative and future-focused discussion’ that can inform Australia’s leaders and shape the national conversation as we continue, post-COVID-19, to transition toward greater regionalisation.
Read more
Dairy Reporter webinar: Creating value-added functional ingredients
On demand
These days, many dairy enterprises are turning to R&D to boost their bottom lines, ‘going beyond milk, yogurt and cheese and looking to create functional ingredients that can be added to a wide range of products’, notes Dairy Reporter. In this free, hour-long webinar, discussion centres on how companies can develop profitable, innovative products incorporating dairy ingredients.
Read more
