Food design

To work towards a healthier Australia, there is an increased demand for nutritionally sound value-added food options, including beverages and snacks.

Our research expertise, processing technology and solutions assists the food industry and we develop food options that provide the taste, cost and convenience expected by Australian consumers.

The challenge with public health and nutrition

• Current dietary patterns include consumption of products that are high in sugar, salt and saturated fat, or are low in fibre. 
• This results in an increased societal health burden relating to obesity, under-nutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, as well as contributing to the incidence of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• At the same time, current food ingredient and processing technology cannot meet the increased consumer demand for quality, cost and taste.
• Our knowledge can allow the food industry, including processors and manufacturers to respond to market drivers and provide economic impacts for the agrifood sector.

Our research in food design

Our research seeks to improve consumer acceptance and health outcomes by controlling processing and ingredient function in sustainable foods to achieve desired structure, flavour and nutritional properties.

• We investigate how to formulate and produce stable and affordable high-protein foods with optimal protein digestibility and that deliver more bioavailable forms of key macro and micronutrients, for example iron, vitamins A and B12, amino acids.
• We develop technologies and strategies to substantially reduce less-desirable ingredients, such as antinutritional compounds like polyphenols, sugar, and salt while meeting consumer expectations for taste, quality and cost.
• We design foods that influence the physiology of food sensory perception to motivate food choices and the uptake of new foods by consumers.

Enhancing plant-based protein quality

• Protein quality, including amino acid profile, bioavailability and digestibility as well as protein performance, including solubility, gelling and emulsification are variable in products based on factors like genetics, growing environment and processing conditions.
• Despite being sustainable and nutritious, plant-based food options currently have limited uptake due to disparities in flavour, texture and price compared to consumer expectations. 
• We are working to identify new protein sources, technologies and post-extraction processes to meet the market demand for higher quality, better tasting and equitably priced plant-based foods. 
• Our focus will also encompass the function and interactions of lipid and carbohydrate components within these high-protein food ingredients and food products. 

Optimising micronutrient content

• Deficiencies of key micronutrients can lead to devastating health outcomes, and even death. For example, deficiencies in iron, vitamin A and B12 contribute to increased incidence of anaemia, leading to lower cognitive scores and growth rates in children, poorer pregnancy outcomes, and poorer energy levels for adults (World Health Organisation, 2023).
• There are a number of technical challenges to deliver dietary iron including bioavailability, dietary inhibitors and enhancers, the production of off flavour notes and stomach discomfort, and the risk of pro-oxidative effects leading to lipid rancidity.
• We are working towards cost effective and stable delivery systems that enable greater uptake of essential micronutrients from dietary sources.  

For more information on our research in food design