Food processing training centre to boost food industry competitiveness

Australian food manufacturers aiming to stay globally competitive will benefit from a new University of Sydney centre that launched today (3 November).

The ARC Training Centre for the Australian Food Processing Industry in the 21st Century (ARCFPTC) is being funded by the Australian Research Council’s (ARC’s) Industrial Transformation Research Program. The centre will receive $3 million over three years. Funding will be supplemented by industry partners through cash and in-kind contributions.

The centre aims to boost the Australian industry’s capacity to compete globally by:

• developing cost-effective processes;
• producing high-value products such as nutraceuticals.

“The new centre aims to boost the Australian industry’s capacity to compete in a global market, particularly in the production of nutraceuticals for pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements or food ingredients,” said Professor Fariba Dehghani, co-director of the ARCFPTC, who is from the university’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

“The centre will design cost-effective and sustainable processes for producing these types of products with a view to minimising waste while enhancing efficiency and reducing energy consumption.”

The centre will provide a multidisciplinary research environment and will be supported by:

• 14 researchers from engineering, agriculture, science and medicine;
• international collaborators;
• 10 food and biotechnology industry partners.

“This particular ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre has an important focus and it covers a key research sector identified in the Australian Government’s recent Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda - food and agribusiness. This centre will educate a new generation of engineers and scientists and foster the capacity of Australian food industries to further develop advanced technologies in manufacturing and product improvement,” said Professor Aidan Byrne, ARC CEO.

“Another key objective of this centre is to work with industry partners to develop improved processes for the production of nutraceuticals - such as nutrients and dietary supplements - for the promotion of health and wellbeing. These high-value products have the potential to significantly increase Australian exports in agribusiness.”

Partners in the centre include Agricure, Lang Technologies, AB Mauri Technology and Development, Peanut Company of Australia, Ecopha, Marine Biotechnology Australia, Batlow Premium Juices, PharmaCare Laboratories, Perfection Fresh Australia and Stahmann Farms Enterprises.