Food science research centre to open

A new centre for food science research is to be established at Charles Sturt University (CSU), after the university secured $2.15 million in funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC).

The ARC Training Centre for Functional Grains, funded through the Industrial Transformation Training Centres program, will be a research hub for grain scientists from CSU, NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and CSIRO. It will focus on three commodities: rice, pulses and canola.

The Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation - a collaborative research alliance between CSU and NSW DPI - will also be involved with the centre.

Other partners include GrainGrowers, MSM Milling, Flavour Makers, Teys Australia, Woods Grains, Grains and Legumes Nutrition Council (GLNC), Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and Rural Industry Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC).

“We want to improve the profitability of the Australian grains industry and transform the sector into a high-value export industry,” said Centre Director and CSU Associate Professor in Food Science Chris Blanchard.

“Rice, pulses and canola account for $2.5 billion of earnings when sold as commodities, with even greater economic potential for the Australian economy through value adding.”

The centre has identified several aims:

• Identifying the preferences of Australian and international grain customers
• Improving grain storage; developing new grain-based products with enhanced sensory and health attributes
• Training the next generation of food science researchers

“We want to transform the three commodities by examining the functionality of food, particularly the growing demand for healthy food or food with novel applications,” Associate Professor Blanchard said.

“What is called the ‘functional food market’ was worth US$25 billion globally in 2011, yet Australia had only a 1.6% share.”

Associate Professor Blanchard and his team have been commended for securing the competitive ARC funding.

“The ARC received 13 proposals for 2014 under the Industrial Transformation Training Centres scheme, with only seven of those successful,” said CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann.

“Charles Sturt University’s position in the food bowl of Australia offers natural linkages between researchers and food processors of these major commodities.”