featured in this issue - NZIFST - The New Zealand Institute of Food ...

December 2008/January 2009
NZ’s Authority on Food Technology, Research and Manufacturing
Featured in this issue:
Food Safety – managing unexpected risks
Omega-3’s for Baby Boomers
Traveller’s Tale - IUFoST in Shanghai
The official Journal of The New zealand institute of food science and technology inc.

Food New Zealand

Contacts
Rosemary Hancock, Executive Manager
PO Box 8031, Palmerston North,
New Zealand
Phone: 06 356 1686 or 021 217 8298
Fax: 06 356 1687
Email: rosemary@nzifst.org.nz
Website: www.nzifst.org.nz
NZ’s Authority on Food Technology, Research and Manufacturing
December 2008/January 2009| Volume 8, No.7 ISSN 1175 – 4621
Meat Industry Association of New Zealand
Tim Ritchie, Chief Executive
PO Box 345, Wellington
Phone: 04 473 6465
Fax: 04 473 1731
New Zealand Pork Industry Board
Sam McIvor
Chief Executive Officer
New Zealand Pork Industry Board
DDI: 64 4 917 4754
Fax: 64 4 385 8522
Mob: 029 438 8222
Next editorial and advertising
deadline: 16 January 2009
Features for February/March 2009:
Food Research - a look at work-in-progress
and successes at our CRI’s and Universities.
Microbiology - Hurdle Technology update, a
review
Nutrition - What’s happening in government,
in industry
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4 Editorials
5 In-Brief
10 Food Safety - Managing unexpected risks to food safety
14 Aspartame - how safe is it
Donnell Alexander, MNZIFST
22 Conference Report - Functional Foods and Edible Oils
Anne Scott
23 Omega-3’s for Baby Boomers
Wendy Morgan and Monique Cashion
28 Traveller’s Tale - Shanghai Food- the IUFoST 14th World Food
Congress
Laurence Melton, FNZIFST, University of Auckland
30 NZIFST News and Reports
35 NZIFST Careers:
36 Flow cytometry for faster results
Steve Flint, Massey University, Palmerston North.
37 Rosa - from pasta delicatessan to 200,000 meals a year
38 Massey University Food Awards report
40 MIA news
Ali Spencer, MIA
46 Food Technology today
Mary and Dick Earle
46 Book Review - Biofilms in the Food Environment
Steve Flint, Massey University, Palmerston North
50 Events & Conference Diary
David Everett, University of Otago
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Anne Scott, Peppermint Press Limited
anne@peppermintpress.co.nz
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dave@peppermintpress.co.nz
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December 2008/January 2009
Endorsed by the Meat Industry Association of New Zealand & The Pork Industry Board

EDITORIALS
From the Editor
Two seminars, two topics, mixed messages.
Yesterday I attended a seminar run by the Ministry of Health (MOH), called Healthy
Food, Healthy Future. The MOH invited interested parties “to come and discuss a system
for classifying the nutrient profile of foods - an on-line nutrient information tool which
could be a critical link in the shift to wellness through healthier eating.”
Yet again, the gap between industry and government yawned wide.
The first speaker, from FSANZ, discussed their work in developing the nutrient profiling
calculator, reviewed by Adecron’s Anny Dentener in our Aug/Sept issue this year. Then,
Megan Williams, Senior Policy Analyst, Healthy Eating - Healthy Action (HEHA) at the Sector
Capability & Innovation Directorate, MOH, spoke.
She represented the Ministry of Health group charged with monitoring advertising of
food in children’s viewing times. This group has taken the FSANZ calculator and modified
Anne Scott
it to fit their needs. It appeared that a huge amount of time and work had been spent on
a tool so that MOH can monitor food advertising in children’s television viewing times and
measure its ‘healthiness’. Those present felt that they had been dealt a ‘fait accompli’ - “this isn’t a discussion about the FSANZ
calculator, this is telling us what you have done. Yet another set of criteria requiring compliance for food manufacturers! Why
haven’t you gone to FSANZ and discussed changing their tool, rather than developing your own (and coming up with yet
another set of ‘classifications’ for healthiness of food)”.
Faced with a roomful of sceptical food marketers, food technologists, nutritionists and food policy experts, all actively
engaged in the food industry, MOH representatives struggled, at times, to maintain order and were clearly shocked at the
response. Their carefully planned, timed programme lost its way.
Did they achieve their expected outcome Probably not. Hopefully they have retired to rethink just what our taxes are
being spent on. Why is it necessary for senior MOH officials to develop a web-based healthiness measure for application to
foods advertised in children’s viewing time Whom does this benefit
From the opposite end of the communication skills continuum comes Healthy Food Guide’s founder, Kim Mundell,
speaking to about 20 food industry people at the McFoodies Forum, later the same afternoon.
Kim has a simple and direct take on ‘how to communicate health messages’. While committed to publishing nutrition
articles written by qualified, respected nutritionists using evidence based (and published) data, Kim has applied her formula
for getting the stuff read! Keep it simple, don’t direct, offer help and tips, talk to ‘you’, not ‘people’.
It’s worked! Healthy Food Guide is now the 4th highest selling supermarket magazine and they have gained the respect
of independent nutrition professionals.
I strongly suggest the MOH stop navel gazing and start talking to articulate, informed food industry professionals about
how they can work together - and really mean it! Perhaps Kim would help them write their brochures too, in terms that you
will actually read.
Anne Scott, MNZIFST, publisher and editor
From the Executive Manager
Christmas is upon us all too quickly it seems and so I take this opportunity to reflect
on what has been a full and busy year for NZIFST.
This year we have welcomed such initiatives as the Employers Group, a Professional
Development programme, and recently, “introduce a member” rewards. We have reached
our target of 100 student members and also have over 1000 members for the first time in
the history of NZIFST - this is truly a sign that the NZIFST is in good heart for the coming
year. We also opened a new national office in Palmerston North and Kelly Taylor joined
us as a part-time administrator.
The annual conference was enjoyed by over 500 members and non-members in the
fabulous Energy Events Centre in Rotorua and planning is well under for 2009’s conference
in the garden city of Christchurch from 23-25 June- PLEASE DIARY THIS DATE.
Our branch committees have worked hard to provide a wide variety of meetings for
members and I congratulate them on some outstanding attendances. We are also very appreciative
of the support and sponsorship of many companies during the year and I ask
that you please support those who support us. Thanks too to all you volunteers who put
in many hours of your own time on behalf of the Institute - together we can look forward
Rosemary Hankock
to another great year in 2009.
But now... we wish you all a safe and relaxing festive season and we look forward to hearing from you next year.
Rosemary Hancock, Executive Manager, NZIFST
Food New Zealand

In-Brief
In-Brief
John Lawson of Lawson Williams accepts an Employers Group membership plaque from NZIFST Vice President
Dave Pooch at the recent Foodtech Packtech Exhibition
National Heart Foundation recognised
A ground-breaking health initiative from the National
Heart Foundation has won the Supreme Award at the 2008
New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA).
The Foundation’s Project Target 450 - Reducing sodium
in bread, won the Excellence in Prevention Award, and was
declared the overall winner of the HIA.
Project Target 450 saw the Heart Foundation work
with New Zealand’s two major bread manufacturers, Goodman
Fielder NZ Ltd and George Western Food NZ Ltd, to
lower the amount of sodium in certain breads. These collaborations
paved the way for approaches to private-label
companies, Foodstuffs NZ and Progressive Enterprises Ltd,
and independent bakers, Couplands Bakeries Ltd and Yarrows
Bakery.
Feedback from manufacturers suggests that consumers
have not noticed the difference. By the time the project has
been fully implemented, the Heart Foundation expects that
up to 150 tonnes of salt will have been removed from the
bread supply.
Heart Foundation Food Industry Manager, Dave Monro,
says he is looking forward to rolling out similar initiatives to
other food industry sectors.
December 2008/January 2009

In-Brief
New appointments at Nutrition
Foundation
The New Zealand Nutrition Foundation (NZNF) has announced
the appointment of two new nutritionists, Sarah Hanrahan
and Carolyn Cairncross, who will take joint responsibility
for providing advice and expertise on a wide range of scientific
and nutritional information.
Sarah and Carolyn will replace Kelsey Woodcock. These two
nutrition experts bring with them a wealth of knowledge and
experience and will further support the Foundation’s aim to
provide New Zealanders with accurate and balanced nutritional
advice for a healthy lifestyle.
NZNF CEO, Sue Pollard, describes the appointments as providing
a vital resource to enhance the Foundation’s credentials.
“It is extremely important for the Foundation to have the
expertise Sarah and Carolyn bring to the team. Their experience
underpins our relevant and credible, scientifically-robust approach
to nutrition-related issues. With their help we can continue
to achieve our goal of healthy and informed food choices
within an active lifestyle for all New Zealanders”.
Voluntary country-of-origin labelling
Labels on the familiar pottles of Anathoth jam in supermarkets
are to show the country of origin for the fruit used to make
the product. Until now Anathoth has followed food industry
convention by stating on its labels that its jam is ‘made in New
Zealand from local and imported ingredients’.
“Over the past year, customers have been asking us where
the fruit in Anathoth’s jam comes from, so we got a country
of origin labelling project underway in February” said managing
director of the family-owned Barker Fruit Processors Ltd,
Michael Barker.
Barker’s, located in Geraldine, is the new owner and producer
of the popular Anathoth brand sold in supermarkets
throughout New Zealand.
“Even when the fruit in the Anathoth jam is 100% New Zealand
the sugar is still imported, so our labels say ‘made from
local and imported ingredients’. However this wording on the
label wasn’t giving our customers the information they wanted.
Anathoth’s move to showing the country of origin of the fruit
now enables customers to make a more informed choice about
what they’re eating,” said Mr Barker. “Applying country of origin
labelling is an added cost to production, so we’ll be closely
monitoring consumer response to see whether it’s appropriate
to extend the labelling initiative to our other products”.
Anathoth’s move to adopt country of origin labelling is the
first for a major New Zealand jam brand and may be a first for
the wider New Zealand processed fruit and vegetable category.
The full changeover to the new labels across the Anathoth jam
range would take about four months.
Sustainable Business of the Year
Paraoa Bakehouse was recently recognised as New Zealand’s
Sustainable Business of the Year at the 2008 NZI National
Sustainable Business Network Awards.
The awards, held at Auckland’s War Memorial Museum, acknowledged
those businesses actively integrating principles of
sustainability into their daily business operations.
In addition to winning the Sustainable Business of the Year
title, Paraoa Bakehouse also scooped up the top prize in the
Trailblazer (Small and Medium) category.
Food Industry Golf Classic
When: Thursday, 12 February 2009
Where: Akarana Golf Club
Entry Fee: $70 + GST per individual player,
or $260 + GST for a team of 4.
Tee off: 12:30 pm
Entry Includes: Pre-BBQ, nibbles afterwards,
fantastic prizes, best dressed team, on course
refreshments, fun activities.
Sponsorship: Give your brand great exposure on
the day. Sponsor a hole for $350 + GST or $600
+ GST including a team entry. There are other
sponsorship opportunities too, details to follow.
Go to the NZIFST website www.nzifst.org.nz to download registration forms,
or contact Adelle Neilson at adelle24@gmail.com for more information
Food New Zealand

Paraoa Bakehouse’s range of breads includes gluten-free
and wheat-free varieties sold throughout New Zealand. The
Judges were particularly impressed by the company’s commitment
to waste minimisation. While producing 5,000 loaves of
bread a week, the business has drastically reduced the amount
of rubbish it sends to landfill to less than the size of a netball
each week.
Paraoa Bakehouse is certified organic and sources ingredients
from sustainable organic farming producers around the
country. It recycles plastic, cardboard and paper, and unsold
bread is donated to the Foodbank, used for stuffing, turned into
breadcrumbs or croutons or used as animal feed.
Milk protein facility to be built in
Taranaki
Ingredient Solutions Limited, chaired by Peter Jensen, recently
announced it is seeking to raise $27.5 million to develop
high-value protein products at a new milk-processing plant in
South Taranaki.
The facility will produce ‘un-denatured’ micellar casein,
whey protein isolate and protein hydrolysates for export.
Acting Ingredient Solutions chief executive, Dr Neil Domigan,
said “the plant will be the first in New Zealand to produce
these proteins close to their natural state which means they
will have a high nutritional value and will provide processing
advantages.
A grant to review potential sites for the milk-processing facility
has been provided by South Taranaki District Council.
“A letter of intent to acquire up to 40 percent of Ingredient
Solutions’ equity has been signed by a North Asian investor
who is also looking to buy all product produced at the facility
for the first three years,” Dr Domigan said.
Dr Domigan said “the new plant is scheduled for completion
in 2009.”
Major conference on global data
standards
New Zealand’s progress with global standards for supply
chain efficiency, data management and traceability will be under
the spotlight at a major conference in Auckland on 26-29
February 2009.
GS1 New Zealand will bring together senior business people
from this country and internationally for a “Connecting the Dots
2009” event. The agenda will focus on the development and use
of GS1’s global standards and solutions in key economic sectors
that include grocery and hardware retailing, primary sector
processing and healthcare.
New Zealand is one of 108 countries where GS1 standards
have been widely adopted in systems for automatic identification
and data capture that rely on bar coding or radio frequency
identification (RFID). GS1 New Zealand is a not-for-profit body
with broad membership among retailers, manufacturers, distributors
and servicing firms.
In 2009, it will be 30 years since the first globally-standardised
bar codes were introduced to this country through the
then-New Zealand Product Numbering Council, forerunner of
GS1 New Zealand. GS1 bar coding has long since become ubiquitous
in retailing and in supply chains economy-wide.
A new leader in product
identification
2008 has been a year of change, none more so than in
the coding and labelling industry. Earlier this year it was
announced that two of the largest global providers of coding
and marking solutions: Markem Corporation of USA and Imaje
SA of France, both Dover Corporation companies, would form
the world’s leading coding and marking company, Markem-
Imaje.
Today, Markem-Imaje sell and support the full range of
Markem and Imaje marking and coding products.
What does this mean for previous Markem and Imaje customers
Markem-Imaje assures that the investment customers
have made in Markem and Imaje products will continue to be
secure with on-going service and support from a stronger entity,
providing a seamless transition to better quality service. Both
product ranges enjoy a reputation for well-supported, marketleading
coding solutions, and this combination of integrity and
expertise forms the core of Markem-Imaje.
In-Brief
December 2008/January 2009

In-Brief
Nutrigenomics New Zealand -
personalised nutrition
The adage ‘you are what you eat’ has often been used, but
with the recent advent of the field of nutritional genomics (or
nutrigenomics), this has been taken a transformational step further.
Nutrigenomics New Zealand (NuNZ; www.nutrigenomics.org.nz),
a collaboration that consists of over 50 researchers
from AgResearch, Crop & Food Research, HortResearch and
The University of Auckland (UoA) was established in 2003 and
has been developing a nutrigenomics platform for New Zealand
and for New Zealand’s food industries. The collaboration (Tailoring
New Zealand foods to match people’s genes) is now at
the forefront of this technology internationally as it researches
the complex interactions between what a person eats and their
individual genetic makeup or genome. While reams have been
written about this branch of research, simply put, nutrigenomics
is a systems biology approach to analysing the effects of diet
on the activity of an individual’s genes and the implications for
their health and wellbeing.
Crohn’s disease studies
One of the areas under study is Crohn’s Disease, an inflammatory
bowel disease with some known genetic ‘risk factors’,
but not everyone with those risk factor genes develops Crohn’s
Disease. It seems that diet and lifestyle also affect the risk of
developing Crohn’s Disease and this combination of genetic
predisposition and environmental factors, including diet, make
it an ideal initial target to develop a nutrigenomics platform for
New Zealand.
NuNZ has already established that people who have Crohn’s
Disease react differently to some foods, and that this can be correlated
with minute variations in particular genes. We have also
confirmed that there are some foods that should be avoided by
everyone with Crohn’s Disease and others that seem to be well
tolerated. This kind of information is already enabling NuNZ to
provide dietary advice for people with Crohn’s Disease; what
foods they should avoid and which foods might be good for
them. We are researching exactly why certain food components
trigger inflammation in people with a particular genetic makeup
and in the longer term, NuNZ will work with NZ food industry
partners to develop smart foods; foods beyond simply
nutrition, tailored to match people’s genes for better health and
improved well-being.
Much of the research that NuNZ has been doing over the
last four years will be on display alongside the research of leading
international experts at a conference on nutrigenomics and
gut health to be held in Auckland, New Zealand from 22 to 26
February 2010.
Take note of workplace noise
A recent survey revealed that workplace noise isn’t regarded
as a major concern by many who work in high-noise
jobs. Yet the incidence of noise-induced hearing loss in New
Zealand is fast approaching epidemic proportions, with at
least 12 new cases reported every day.
The tragedy of this is that noise-induced hearing loss is
almost entirely preventable. However, you must start acting
today to ward off future deafness, which usually develops
slowly and without you being aware that it’s happening.
Don’t underestimate the risks
One of the main reasons why noise-induced hearing loss
is so common is that your ears aren’t good at telling you that
you’re damaging them.
Noise should be approached like any other workplace
hazard, by applying the three-step hazard management rule:
• If possible, eliminate as many sources of noise as
possible, eg replace noisy equipment with quieter models
• If you can’t eliminate a source of noise, then try to isolate
the noise it produces, eg by using sound baffling or
dampening material
• Finally, use hearing protection, such as earplugs or
earmuffs, to minimise the impact of any remaining noise
that does reach your ears.
• ACC has a range of resources available on how to
prevent noise-induced hearing loss. To find out more,
visit: www.acc.co.nz/nihl
Food New Zealand

Oils and
Fats news
The international
trade fair for food and
drink technology
www.anugafoodtec.com
Oils and Fats
Laurence Eyres FNZIFST
TECHNOLOGY FOR FOOD,
DRINKS & SUCCESS
Olives NZ conference
2008 Pieralisi Olives New Zealand Conference
The Pieralisi Olives New Zealand Conference was held
over three days from 10 October in Wellington. The event
started on Friday with a field trip to Graeme Harris’s olive
grove where Leandro Ravetti demonstrated canopy management,
and continued on Saturday and Sunday with a
series of excellent papers.
The weekend seminar was a great success with excellent
presentations by both Margaret and Laurence. We are
indeed fortunate to have two such knowledgeable presenters
willing to freely give of their time and expertise for the
benefit of olive growers.
Pieralisi Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards
This year a record number of entries was received for
the Olives New Zealand/HortResearch National Extra Virgin
Olive Oil Awards - a total of 126 compared with 104
in 2007.
Very generous sponsorship by HortResearch enabled
the judging to be carried out in Auckland at their Consumer
and Sensory Science Facility. All judges are trained to International
Olive Council (IOC) standards.
The Best in Show trophy was awarded to an oil blended
from Koroneiki and Frantoio olives grown at Matiatia
Grove. The oil also took Best in Class for the “Intense”
category. Matiatia Grove’s owners, Margaret and John Edwards
faced stiff competition for the prize.
Other oils to receive special mention from the judges
were class winners Lot 8 Artemesia from Wairarapa (Medium)
and Matapiro from Hawke’s Bay (Single Varietal).
In total the Judges awarded 17 Gold medals, 78 Silver
and 29 Bronze.
New Executive Officer for Olives NZ
Alastair Bridges has resigned as Executive Officer of
Olives New Zealand after seven years in the role. He was
formally farewelled at the Awards Dinner by way of a humorous
presentation by Margaret Edwards and was made
a life member at the AGM the following day. Our new Executive
Officer is Bruce Robertson, who has an extensive
background in the New Zealand food and beverage industry,
in sales, general management and export consulting.
CROSS CULTURE • CROSS TECHNOLOGY • CROSS CATEGORY
Cologne, 10 – 13. 3. 2009
Your technology is the key
to success !
There is no shortage of trade fair concepts. However, with
its unique crossover approach Anuga FoodTec is the only
fair that covers all segments and bridges all technological
boundaries. Meet the industry’s top decision-makers.
Access new markets and target groups from a variety of
sectors. Benefit from the ideal product range environment:
Anuga FoodTec brings together all the relevant segments
under one roof, from manufacturing and packaging to
distribution.
In short: Present yourself where everyone can see you –
at the leading international trade fair for food and
drink technology !
More information Call us !
Messe Reps. & Travel · robert@messereps.co.nz
Tel. +64 9 623 90 00 · Fax +64 623 90 09
Sydney conference next year
This is the next big event in the world of oils and fats.
See the website http://www.isfsydney2009.com/ for further
details of the Sydney, September 2009 event and venue
0_90x260-Food New Zealand 1
December 2008/January 2009
25.08.2008 11:25:32 Uhr

FOOD SAFETY
Managing unexpected
risks to food safety
This article was requested from NZFSA in light of media coverage of food contamination incidents
in recent times.
People take risks of varying levels every day. We drive cars,
cross busy roads, and work with electrical equipment. Nothing,
however, seems to provoke such a strong emotive response as
the mention of potential risks from eating food.
Hazards in, and risks from, food are a fact of life. Despite
advances made by science and technology in delivering safe
and healthy food, it is still produced in a sometimes unpredictable
biological system.
Many factors will impact on food safety. Some risks are
known and can be managed, such as the micro hazards inherent
in raw poultry.
However, some risks occur unexpectedly and are not the
result of biological factors.
At least four babies died in China this year and thousands
of other infants fell sick with kidney problems after consuming
infant formula laced with melamine in an alleged attempt to falsify
the composition of the milk. Melamine, being an industrial
chemical, was not something food safety authorities expected to
find in food at such high levels.
On the other hand, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority
(NZFSA) has worked closely with industry to ensure they have
appropriate controls over known biological factors. NZFSA has
detailed strategies in place to further control pathogens in food
products.
But the inability to give guarantees in itself creates uncertainty.
“People often think ‘if they can’t promise me it’s completely
safe, then it must be dangerous’,” says NZFSA toxicologist John
Reeve. “Delivering clear messages is complicated by the way
we perceive risk as individuals. Consumers’ perceptions of risk
from food are often not the same as the risks identified and assessed
in the objective and science-based processes employed
by regulators.”
NZFSA’s mandate is to protect consumers by providing an
effective food regulatory programme that ensures food products
on sale in New Zealand are safe and suitable whether they are
produced overseas or right here. It does this by taking a riskbased
approach to food safety that allows it to identify, evaluate
and manage the risks in food.
NZFSA considers food to be safe to eat when the levels
of hazards, like chemical residues, microbiological hazards and
physical contaminants, are either within acceptable limits or not
present at all. The organisation defines suitability by product
attributes that include aesthetic characteristics or defects, com-
position and labelling that are not related to food safety. These
include features that contribute to reasonable consumer expectations,
such as best-before dates and nutrition labelling.
Risk management strategies
NZFSA’s risk management framework sets out a process that
takes the results of risk assessments and identifies appropriate
options to manage those risks, thereby protecting consumers’
health and promoting fair trade practices.
The framework underpins every area of NZFSA’s work. It is
a four-step procedure which involves:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Identifying a specific food safety problem and assessing
the risks presented
Identifying and assessing the management options
available and deciding on the appropriate level of
consumer protection to be provided
Implementing the risk management decision
Monitoring and reviewing - analysing data from
appropriate points in the ‘farm to fork’ continuum to
service ongoing risk assessment and risk management
activities.
Communicating with stakeholders and other affected parties
is essential at each step of the process.
NZFSA manages risks using a variety of tools. The nature of
the risk determines the tool or tools used and an appropriate
response.
One tool that can be used in production and processing sectors
is the food control programme (FCP), which identifies, controls,
manages and eliminates or minimises hazards and other
risk factors. Based on the principles of Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Point (HACCP), the FCP is a written document
that outlines the processes needed to ensure the resulting food
product is fit for its intended purpose.
Imported food, a special case
Imported food now constitutes 19% of all food consumed
in New Zealand. Following an extensive review into New Zealand’s
food and food related products’ importing system, NZFSA
has updated controls on imported foods.
NZFSA now seeks to manage risks at the appropriate point
in the food chain, to be flexible, and to ensure adequate, sci-
10
Food New Zealand

Keep noise
under control
1676 ACC
Take noisy machinery away from where you work.
Noise destroys hearing.
For more information visit www.acc.co.nz/nihl
December 2008/January 2009
11

FOOD SAFETY
ence-based controls on imported food and food related products.
Currently, identified high-risk foods are monitored at the
border with some pre-clearance where NZFSA has negotiated
assurances with exporting countries. Under the new imported
food regime, foods are being grouped into one of three levels
of regulatory interest (high, medium, low), each of which has
differing import requirements related to the product’s potential
risk. High regulatory interest foods are those foods identified
as having inherently high food safety risks, for example, metal
contaminants, biotoxins, pathogenic bacteria and pathogenic viruses
in bivalve molluscan shellfish.
High regulatory interest foods are allowed to be imported
into New Zealand when they are produced in a country that
has an arrangement with NZFSA. These foods have, therefore,
been produced under regulatory programmes that have been
assessed as equivalent to New Zealand’s. This means we have a
great deal of confidence in the safe production and processing
of these foods - the risks associated with them are known and
managed so these foods are less likely to be associated with
unexpected food risks. Unexpected food risks are more likely to
occur in low regulatory interest foods, says NZFSA Programme
Manager (Technical Standards - Imports) Hilary Eade.
“When NZFSA becomes aware of an unexpected imported
food issue, such as the recent melamine event, the item may
be placed on the Scanning List so we can quickly gather information
to help make informed decisions. This information,
which might include testing data, helps us when making risk
management decisions. Actions may include re-categorising the
food and developing a new standard to specifically manage the
issue.”
Regular monitoring also occurs on a routine basis and is
targeted to explore potential areas of risk. In 2007, US Food &
Drug Administration tests found some farm-raised seafood from
China was contaminated with antimicrobial agents not approved
for use in the US. In response, NZFSA sampled land-based
farmed seafood from many countries for chemicals including
triphenylmethylene dyes, nitrofurans, and tetracyclines but no
residues of health significance were found.
Intelligence gathering
Every day NZFSA staff receive information that could be
relevant to NZFSA, its reputation, credibility and areas of work.
Acknowledging this, the organisation has developed a system to
record, store, evaluate and monitor this information.
Individual staff members gather and monitor information
appropriate to their area of work, and note any relevant information
in the intelligence gathering register.
The Issues Coordination Team filters the information and, if
it considers that there may be a potentially significant emerging
issue, it asks the Issues Advisory Team to assess it.
The Issues Advisory Team consists of relevant experts from
across the organisation. They look at the information available,
and determine whether further investigation is needed, such as
a survey, sampling and testing, or a risk profile. They then agree
on a summary report and hand it over to the most suitable individual
or group which sees the issue through to close.
... for example
One of the topics NZFSA has been keeping tabs on is the
migration of chemicals from packaging into food. Some studies
of suggest that exposure to such chemicals may have an effect
on the human reproductive health system.
“NZFSA keeps up with this scientific knowledge by scanning
reliable sources of information, such as the US Food &
Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority,”
says NZFSA Adviser Ben Leen, a member of the Issues Coordination
Team. “When new information comes to the surface,
the intelligence is disseminated among the relevant experts and
appropriate people within the organisation.”
From this point on, the significance of the intelligence can
be assessed and a decision made about any required actions.
“Current research studies and opinions of scientists indicate
that food packaging products with potential chemical migration
are low risk to human health, but we will continue to monitor
the issue,” Ben says.
NZFSA has an Incident Response Protocol for an emerging
event, such as the recent melamine adulteration of food products,
which may not be adequately handled under normal dayto-day
business activities. An incident team draws on resources
and expertise from across NZFSA and, where needed, from other
agencies as well. The team undertakes a risk assessment and,
based on the best available information at the time, decides on
an action plan to prevent harm to consumers.
Monitoring programmes
New Zealand’s monitoring programmes are designed to
confirm the effectiveness of the existing controls and practices
to ensure pathogens and chemicals in our food do not breach
regulatory thresholds.
Since it was established in 2004, the National Microbiological
Database has provided a continuous stream of information
on the food safety status of meat and poultry produced in New
Zealand. The database provides the opportunity to regularly
rank food-producing businesses against each other in terms of
food safety performance, and forms the basis of New Zealand’s
market access negotiations with several countries importing
New Zealand animal products.
Chemical residues and contaminants always have the potential
for adverse health effects if intakes are high enough, and
there are also potential ramifications for trade access if maximum
limits are exceeded. A similar database to the National
Microbiological Database is also in place to monitor residues in
animal products like meat, seafood and honey. The five-yearly
Total Diet Survey, next due in 2010, analyses foods that have
been prepared for consumption. The survey assesses dietary
exposure to chemical residues, contaminant elements and selected
nutrients from about 120 representative foods across the
average diets of different age-sex groups within the New Zealand
population. Past surveys show New Zealanders’ exposure
to chemical residues and contaminants is extremely low.
NZFSA also conducts an annual Food Residues Surveillance
Programme to assess the effectiveness of controls of chemical
residues on imported and locally-produced foods. Knowing the
levels of residues in foods as they are harvested allows NZFSA
to take appropriate action when and where it is required. If unexpected
residues are found, these can lead to new or amended
controls on foods or on the use of agricultural compounds,
increased monitoring, or providing additional consumer information.
The programme focuses on between four and eight
different food/residue combinations each year according to
NZFSA priorities.
One-off surveys
One-off surveys are also used to inform risk management
decisions. When NZFSA was alerted to the melamine adulteration
in China, for example, staff knew parents would be concerned.
NZFSA’s first move was to test the full range of infant
formulas on the market to reassure them New Zealand did not
12
Food New Zealand

have a similar problem. It went on to analyse other foods that
might be contaminated, such as chocolates and other foods
containing dairy ingredients.
Although imported foods are included in the Food Residue
Surveillance Programme, Fresh Produce Survey and Total Diet
Survey, NZFSA is expanding its monitoring and review programme
for imported foods as part of the Imported Food Review.
Under the strategy, NZFSA will have an expanded annual
programme of surveys, which will be made available on its
website.
FOOD SAFETY
Response
If a food poses a risk to consumers, NZFSA has several response
options up its sleeve.
It can introduce an emergency food standard to deal with
food safety issues that need to be managed immediately. In 2003,
for example, NZFSA introduced an Emergency Food Standard
for imported tahini products after a number of imported products
containing tahini or crushed sesame seeds were found to be
contaminated with Salmonella. The Emergency Food Standard
meant that all imported tahini, crushed sesame seeds or foods
containing these products were monitored and tested prior to
being released when they arrived in New Zealand.
If a food needs to be withdrawn from sale because it is unsafe,
unfit to eat, or contaminated, NZFSA can issue a statutory
recall, or direct the company to initiate a recall or withdrawal
of the product. Most recalls are made under the Food Act, although
the Animal Products and Wine Acts also give NZFSA the
power to require a recall.
A recall involves removing unsafe food from the distribution
chain extending through to food already sold to consumers
so the public needs to be informed. A withdrawal stops at the
point at which food is sold to customers - only suppliers and
retailers will be involved.
A statutory recall order relates to a particular food, preferably
identified by a batch number. NZFSA serves a recall order
on the food business, which is then expected to prepare a food
recall notice and communicate it to consumers. A recall advertisement
will usually be published in newspapers and may
also be communicated through the suppliers or retailers own
communication channels. The notice may be broadcast locally
or nationwide depending in how widely the product has been
distributed. A company-initiated withdrawal is when suppliers
remove product from their shelves before it has been sold.
“In New Zealand, statutory recalls are uncommon because
industry has been prepared to act quickly and is aware it may
be prosecuted if it doesn’t,” says NZFSA Assistant Director of
Event & Emergency Response, Trish Pearce. “They also know
a privileged statement could sully the product and their reputation
as a food safe supplier.”
A Food Act officer works alongside the supplier for both
statutory and company-initiated recalls, and conducts an audit
of the recall once complete.
NZFSA also has the authority to issue privileged statements
when the public needs to be protected. It can be used when the
public needs to be informed urgently, where the supplier fails
to make the recall, or where the supplier cannot be identified
or contacted.
What this all means is that hazards in and risks from food
are a fact of life. While many fears are unjustified, we can never
be sure any food is 100 per cent safe, no matter how good our
systems, inspections and processes are.
But we can be assured that if food poses a suitability or
safety risk, our regulatory framework and NZFSA’s sophisticated
response tools will ensure that it will be assessed, evaluated and
managed appropriately to protect consumers’ health.
December 2008/January 2009
13

NUTRITION
Aspartame - how
safe is it
Donnell Alexander, Consultant Dietitian, Network PR
Recently Dr Bernadene Magnuson, an
Adjunct Professor in Nutritional Sciences
from the University of Toronto, was in
New Zealand speaking about evidence
relating to the safety of the non-nutritive
sweetener, aspartame. There has been a
lot of misinformation circulating in New
Zealand, leading people to question the
safety of consuming aspartame. However,
the many food technologists and nutritionists
who attended her seminars came
away with a much clearer understanding
of the science behind it.
As lead author of a recent review on
the safety of aspartame published last year
in the scientific journal Critical Reviews in
Toxicology,* Dr Magnuson was the perfect
person to present on this topic.
The review process was completed
by a team of nine independent, internationally-renowned
toxicologists, who
reviewed hundreds of studies in over
twelve specialised fields of aspartame
safety research.
The key findings were:
1. Aspartame is completely
broken down in the intestine to
components found in other foods.
2. Aspartame consumption (even
at levels much higher than the
human diet) has virtually no
impact on blood levels of amino
acids, methanol or glucose.
3. Aspartame safety is clearly
documented and well established
through extensive laboratory
testing, animal experiments,
human clinical trials and
epidemiological (population)
studies.
4. There is no credible link between
consumption at levels found in
the human diet and conditions
of nervous system, behaviour, or
other illness.
5. Aspartame does not cause
mutations, and there is no
credible evidence that it causes
cancer.
6. Aspartame does not increase
hunger; rather, studies indicate
Aspartame safety expert, Dr
Bernadene Magnuson, an Adjunct
Professor in Nutritional Sciences
from the University of Toronto
it can be an effective tool in
an overall weight management
programme.
In order to counter some of the misinformation
currently circulating in New
Zealand, Dr Magnuson made four key
points.
Aspartame digestion
Firstly, when aspartame undergoes digestion,
phenylalanine and aspartic acid
(two amino acids present in many proteincontaining
foods) and a small amount of
methanol (also present in most fruits and
vegetables) is produced. The amounts of
these are much less than found in other
foods. For example, aspartame from a
can of diet soft drink provides less methanol
than a banana, and far less than from
the same amount of tomato juice (only
20%). Because aspartame never enters
the bloodstream as a whole molecule,
studies where aspartame is directly injected
into the body, or added to cells
grown in a dish, cannot be used to assess
safety for humans. This also explains why
aspartame cannot possibly cross into the
foetus during pregnancy or into breast
milk, and studies show that amounts normally
consumed in the diet are safe during
pregnancy and lactation.
Methanol digestion
Secondly, it is necessary to explain
how our body deals with the methanol
produced when the body digests aspartame.
The human body is well-equipped
to use small amounts of methanol produced
from foods and drugs. First, the
liver converts it into formaldehyde, which
is used within seconds or converted to
formic acid, which in turn is used by the
body or converted into water and carbon
dioxide for excretion. The fact that
methanol and formaldehyde are breakdown
products of aspartame sounds
scary. Therefore, it is important to know
that formaldehyde is made by our bodies
every day in amounts thousands of
times greater than you would ever get
from aspartame, as it is needed to make
other essential compounds, such as DNA.
Also, the known toxic effects of methanol
relate not to formaldehyde, but to buildup
of formic acid in the blood. To put
this into perspective, studies in healthy
adults and infants consuming up to 100
times the amounts of aspartame New
Zealanders consume on average, showed
no change in the levels of formic acid in
the blood.
The question of
‘independence’
Thirdly, the argument is often posed
that industry-funded studies always find
no adverse effects while so-called ‘independent’
studies find adverse effects.
This argument is both misleading and
14
Food New Zealand

false. For example, three studies in mice
conducted by the US National Toxicology
Programme concluded that aspartame is
not a carcinogen. And two recent large
scale US National Cancer Institute epidemiological
studies came to the same
conclusion. In addition, industry research
most often examines the effects of ingesting
aspartame - so as to test what happens
when aspartame is consumed in
foods and drinks. Many ‘independent’
researchers study unrealistic situations
such as injecting aspartame directly into
the bloodstream, brain or other organs,
or use massive doses. At doses thousands
of times what humans consume, as with
anything, adverse effects will be seen.
What about the
Ramazzini Foundation
Lastly, the studies by the Ramazzini
Foundation are often upheld as scientific
proof of an adverse effect of aspartame.
Because these studies fed aspartame to
rats and concluded an association between
aspartame and cancer, this research
was carefully reviewed by numerous international
food safety authorities and
other experts. All found serious flaws in
the research methodology and interpretation
of results. In addition, fourteen previous
studies in various animal models
found no evidence of aspartame-causing
or promoting cancer development. Thus
the independent reviews all agree that
there is no credible evidence that aspartame
is carcinogenic.
Conclusion
Aspartame is something about which
many New Zealanders have an opinion.
As a result food technologists and nutritionists
frequently field questions on the
subject. The unbiased science, as presented
by Dr Magnuson, is lengthy and
complicated, but the consensus summary
is very simple: aspartame is safe to consume
for the vast majority of people, in
fact it is also beneficial as part of a weight
management or diabetic diet.
Podcasts of Dr Magnuson’s seminar
and some further questions and answers
on aspartame are now available online at
www.gettherealfacts.co.nz for those who
couldn’t make it to the seminars.
* Magnuson BA, Burdock GA, Doull J,
Kroes RM, Marsh GM, Pariza MW, Spencer
PS, Waddell WJ, Walker R, Williams GM.
Aspartame: A safety evaluation based on
current use levels, regulations, and toxicological
and epidemiological studies.
Crit Rev Toxicol. 2007; 37 (8): 629-727.
Andrew McKenzie
Chief
Executive
NZ Food Safety
Authority
Chemical residue monitoring and surveillance programmes
The subject of chemicals in our food is one that is rarely far from the headlines.
It’s an emotive topic, and in cases where chemical residues are found to be
higher than regulatory limits there is an assumption the particular food is unsafe.
In almost all instances this is not the case. Maximum residue limits do, however,
serve an important function as an audit tool and are used by other competent
authorities when assessing the acceptability of the food they import.
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) operates several programmes
designed to monitor chemical residues in food.
The risk-based National Chemical Residue Programmes randomly sample
animal products at the point of harvest, and include all classes of farmed ruminants
(cattle, sheep, deer, goats), pigs, horses, wild animals, poultry, ostrich,
emu, honey, fish and farmed salmon. Monitoring of raw milk and colostrum
at the farm is undertaken via the Dairy National Chemical Contaminants Programme
(NCCP). This programme also monitors a proportion of finished dairy
products.
The Food Residue Surveillance Programme (FRSP) is conducted annually
to assess the compliance with chemical residue limits on imported and locallyproduced
foods. The programme uses a risk-management approach to target
food-residue combinations which for various reasons are more likely to have
residues present.
To ensure the integrity of the results, all testing is done in accredited laboratories.
A Total Diet Survey (TDS) of a range of residues and nutrients is done every
five years. This survey samples and tests a range of foods as consumed in New
Zealand. The residues found are combined with dietary information for various
categories of New Zealanders to determine if the acceptable daily intake (ADI)
is exceeded.
In these NZFSA monitoring programmes, a wide range of contaminant and
agricultural compound residues are analysed and benchmarked against their
respective maximum residue levels (MRLs). These MRLs are not safety limits,
rather they are there to ensure that the commodities are produced following
good agricultural practice (ie, in simple terms using the product as intended.
To explain what an agricultural compound is, why they’re used, why they’re
allowed, how safety limits are set, and what terms such as MRL and ADI mean,
NZFSA published a booklet last year, ‘Agricultural Compound Residues in
Food’.
The booklet explains the complexities around chemical residues in food.
While the topic is anything but straightforward we have endeavoured to make
the booklet easy to understand. The ‘cocktail effect’ of combined residues is
discussed, as are concerns that some chemicals which have a prohibited or restricted
use in some countries may have an acceptable use in New Zealand.
The booklet also explains the laws that apply to the use of agricultural compounds
and NZFSA’s role in monitoring their use in our food supply, and New
Zealanders’ exposure to them.
The good news is that residue levels in New Zealand’s food supply do not
exceed the applicable limits. Results from our most recent monitoring and surveillance
programmes show that farmers, growers and importers, as well as the
professionals supporting them, are taking their responsibilities seriously and, by
doing so, are ensuring that the food products available in or from New Zealand
can be trusted. Similarly the TDS has reconfirmed consumer safety and has
shown exposures to residues from food to be well below the acceptable daily
intake as set by ERMA.
Copies of ‘Agricultural Compound Residues in Food’ are available free from
NZFSA. Hard copies can be ordered by calling 0800 693 721. The booklet can
also be downloaded from our website at www.nzfsa.govt.nz.
www.nzfsa.govt.nz
NUTRITION
December 2008/January 2009
15

DAIRY
Operational Excellence:
application of lean
principles in an R&D
environment
AM van Wagtendonk, JP Hill, I Walsh, J Vaughan-Jones
Introduction
Last year, in Food New Zealand we described how Fonterra
approaches open innovation (Oct 07 issue) and balancing short
to mid term new product and process development with long
term new technology creation (December 07 Issue).
In this article we focus on how we apply lean principles in
Fonterra’s shared research and support functions with the view
of extending the scope in due time to the New Product and
Process Development (NPD) and New Technology Development
(NTD) processes. Since lean principles are designed for,
and mostly used in, manufacturing settings, application in an
R&D environment poses different and new challenges, some of
which will be discussed in this paper.
Fonterra Research Centre
Dairy research capabilities were established in New Zealand
in 1927 with the creation of the New Zealand Dairy Research
Institute (NZDRI) in Palmerston North. The NZDRI had a long
history of creating leading science and technology that helped
the NZ dairy industry to become a world-leader. With the formation
of Fonterra in 2001 the NZDRI became the central R&D
capability for the company and was renamed the Fonterra Research
Centre (FRC). Today the FRC is home to over 350 food
scientists, technologists and engineers who work closely with
Fonterra business units and customers to develop new and improved
dairy products and processes.
Staff who work at the FRC are organised into four teams:
• Manufacturing Innovation team: responsible for sourcing,
testing, customising and implementing step change/
disruptive technologies that improve the efficiency of
Fonterra’s commodity business.
• Ingredients Innovation: responsible for creating and
applying intellectual property in the development of
dairy ingredient business. This team develops prototype
ingredients that are sent to Fonterra’s in-market
development centres for in-market customisation or
directly to Fonterra customers for functional and sensory
evaluation.
• Brands Innovation: responsible for providing the food
science base for new and improved product development
for Fonterra’s fast moving consumer goods businesses.
They provide prototypes to Fonterra’s in-market consumer
product development centres for in-market customisation.
• Group Technology: this corporate team is responsible
for leading Fonterra-wide long-term technology and
capability planning, providing a Fonterra-wide overview
of innovation outputs, coordinating external R&D
relationships and providing shared research and technical
functions to support the innovation teams at the FRC and
the wider Fonterra business.
To increase the link to ‘market pull’ and speed of commercialisation,
the first three teams report directly to the business
units they support.
Group Research and Technical
Operations
Within Group Technology, Group Research and Technical
Operations (GR&TO) is responsible for leading the development
and delivery of shared functions to support Fonterra’s innovation
process at the FRC and in the wider Fonterra business
in the areas of:
• Pilot Plant capability: FRC has one of the world’s largest
dairy dedicated pilot plants, responsible for providing pilot
plant capability, food safety risk management and export
certification of samples.
• Analytical Services: responsible for testing of interim and
final innovation and manufacturing samples.
• Lab management: This team leads best practice in
equipment procurement, maintenance and repair,
laboratory IT support, consumable procurement and
inventory, Health and Safety (H&S), Hazardous Substances
and New Organisms (HSNO) and PC2 compliance. FRC has
sixteen laboratories.
• Maintenance and Development: responsible for daily
operation of the FRC site (including facilities management,
maintenance of services, plant, stores and compliance/
risk management of the site) as well as design and
development of new plant and equipment to be used in
16
Food New Zealand

R&D trials.
• Consumer and Sensory science: responsible for sensory
analysis in R&D trials and sensory business support for the
wider Fonterra.
• Food Microbiology and Safety: responsible for providing
scientific expertise through microbiological and chemical
risk assessment of products/processes.
• Business Intelligence: responsible for creating a
competitive advantage for Fonterra’s business units by
supporting decision-making at all levels.
• Information Resources: responsible for providing library
service (books, journal subscriptions, database resources,
interloans, document supply, and translation service).
GR&TO has a vision that will see the team move from a
model of isolated services (an “over-the-fence” reactive model)
to a business partner model (proactive model), where consultancy
and value-add discussions and thinking that precede
service provision take place with partners (internal customers).
To achieve this vision our strategy is to apply Operational Excellence
(OE) to everything we do. By applying OE we will
be continuously improving our people, processes and systems,
and we will provide a challenging, fun and secure work environment
in which our people learn and grow so that together
we make FRC a world leader in a research and development.
Why Operational Excellence (OE)
Forty years ago, Toyota was a small car manufacturer in Japan.
Today, through consistent OE thinking, Toyota:
• Has profit margins 8.3 times greater than the industry
average;
• Has a return on assets 8 times greater than industry
average;
• Has 79% fewer product recalls than Ford;
• Has a market capitalisation 50% greater than Ford,
Daimler/Chrysler and GM combined.
Toyota has grown into the most trusted name in the auto
industry around the globe and has created many tens of thousands
of jobs. It has achieved this by being more productive
than its competitors, through what is named the ‘Toyota Production
System’. The name suggests that it applies only to their
manufacturing business, but it actually covers the entire business.
It is the way they plan business for efficiency and effectiveness,
from the concept for a new car through to launch,
from procurement to delivery. It is their Business System and
their competitive advantage.
The following diagram shows the relation between business
performance and best practices.
What is OE
OE is about delivering value to our customers and to make
that value flow. This is done by adhering to the following 5
principles:
1. Define what value means to your customer(s)
2. Value-stream map your process(es)
3. Identify and eliminate all non-value-add steps
4. Re-engineer your process and measure the
improvement
5. Drive for perfection, i.e. keep repeating 1-4.
In a manufacturing setting it is the products that flow from
raw material through the manufacturing process to final product
to the customer. In NPD, ideas are transformed into new
products or processes that flow to customers. In NTD it is the
flow of research and other data, transformed into information,
flowing from source to the right people at the right time in the
right format that creates value.
Some would argue that innovation, or at least the research/
NTD end of the innovation spectrum, does not align well with
the principles of OE because it is seen as restrictive and limits
creativity. We believe that in fact the opposite may be true. By
improving the efficiency of the vast number of repetitive and
standard tasks that are undertaken in research and NTD, we
free up time for more value adding activities, including time for
imagination/creativity and more detailed analysis of and interpretation
of information. The primary product of research or
NTD is knowledge and thus the focus of OE in NTD should
be to improve the flow of this knowledge to the customer to
facilitate decisions. Obviously one important decision from this
flow of knowledge is whether or not to initiate an NPD project
to convert the knowledge into a new process or product.
Fonterra has been involved with OE in its commodity business,
mainly manufacturing, for over eight years. One of the
areas where gains in efficiency of over 30% have been achieved
is in the laboratories that are performing routine tests on commercial
products (routine samples) to support product release.
It would be wonderful if OE could deliver a 30% gain in the
efficiency of innovation. To start exploring if this is possible, the
Analytical Services (AS) group within GR&TO (who do routine
tests on non-routine samples (R&D sample testing) or non-routine
tests on routine samples (more complex tests including
chemical, microbiological, functional testing) was chosen as a
pilot area, assuming that if the laboratories supporting manufacturing
could obtain significant efficiency gains, so would this
team. By now, three other GR&TO teams have started the OE
journey (Maintenance and Development, Sensory and the Laboratories
management team).
We have been unsuccessful in finding a published benchmark
for OE within an R&D environment. Although there is
now a body of literature on OE in NPD, examples of application
of OE in NTD are hard to find. This means our OE journey will
include (1) achieving significant successes in business performance
within GR&TO by implementing best practices, (2) the roll
out of OE into the area of NPD by implementing and creating
new best practices to (3) ultimately creating best practice in the
area of NTD by using lean principles.
DAIRY
How do we do OE
Fonterra has chosen early on to work with Competitive Capabilities
International (CCI), a consultancy firm specialised in
lean practices and to use the tool, TRACC, which they have
developed to implement OE. TRACC is a compilation of a range
of best practice tools around the globe which CCI have collated
in an easy-to-use manual for the OE journey. TRACC provides
a framework for managing the business and its continuous im-
December 2008/January 2009
17

DAIRY
provement efforts. It contains so-called base toolkits (Teamwork,
5S, Visual Performance Measurement (VPM) and Focused
Improvement) and pillar toolkits that can be customised to the
part of the business you are in (see picture). The key process of
OE is Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA).
•
•
•
•
Implementation of OE works exactly like that:
An initial assessment in best practice areas of Teamwork,
organised work environment (5S), Visual Performance
Measures (VPM) and Focused Improvement will show the
gaps in best practices. This means that if teams are already
doing best practices, they obviously keep them, it is the
gaps that drive development of the OE implementation
plan. The assessment consists of over 1200 questions,
and for each question that’s answered with a ‘no’ by the
team the TRACC manual refers to a stop and think or an
implementation action. TRACC has 5 stages, represented in
the below diagram, 1 representing ‘no best practice’ and 5
representing world-class.
Subsequent to the initial assessment, a detailed plan is
developed that includes prioritised actions from the basic
toolkits with clear milestones.
The plan is then executed.
Progress, both in best practise and business performance is
evaluated by assessing KPIs and TRACC assessment score
again. This them leads to another round of PDCA.
To be successful, OE needs to be part of our daily work
routine in everything we do, and be done by everyone. Additionally,
everyone needs to be involved in the reflective process
of PDCA, whereby together we grow Fonterra’s business system
using the TRACC framework as a guide.
Successes so far
Below are some examples of OE successes within the AS
and the wider GR&TO, to give the reader a better understanding
of what OE is about.
1. A3 business plans
Best practice business planning involves the questions: why
do we exist, what are we trying to achieve and how will we
achieve this For this purpose, Toyota have developed and perfected
the ‘A3’ tool, an A3 sized piece of paper that will hold all
information required to reflect a 5 year/1 year/3 month business
plan (A3 is the largest piece of paper that can be faxed and thus
became the default for Toyota in the 1970s). The A3 is divided
in four segments:
• The first quadrant is to describe the business case/the
purpose/the raison d’etre of a team. A clear line-ofsight
from individual employee to company strategy is
important.
• The second quadrant describes the current state of the
team/business unit/company, represented by diagrams
which describe how the current system works in creating
customer value.
• The third quadrant describes the desired state (in time
period that the A3 covers).
• The fourth quadrant describes the actions that need to be
undertaken to take the team from current to target state,
with timelines and people responsible.
• In a horizontal box at the bottom, underneath the 4th
quadrant, teams are encouraged to define and select Key
Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that reflect what their
customers truly value. There can be different types of
customers, each requiring different value propositions.
Defining meaningful KPI’s obviously requires intensive
interaction with these customers. KPI’s that define customer
value are usually in the area of productivity, delivery, cost
and quality. KPI’s in the area of staff morale and safety are
more internally focused and function as a base to drive the
KPI’s in the other areas.
A3’s can be applied to teams, business units and entire companies
as well as to problems and challenges, and are so valuable
because they force the owner’s thinking to be very clear
and focused. Development of the A3 is done by the person who
owns it, operating in a team environment to achieve outcomes,
acknowledging that 70% of the value is in the team’s thinking
about the core of their business and about what value means to
their customers and 30% of the value of the A3 is in using it as a
communication tool to other parties. Deployment of A3’s within
GRATO, initially for development of annual business plans, has
led to far greater and deeper understanding of our business (the
‘why’) as well as greater clarity of what needs to be done, how
it will be done and who will do it.
Although finding the right measures has proven a challenge
for staff working in an R&D support environment and quite
a few staff showed reluctance to be ‘measured’, considering
the high level processes in each team and how they can be
improved has led to a step change in thinking and learning.
It is accepted that next year, when we do another round of
planning, our A3’s may well look different because of what we
have learned during the last year. A3’s are locked down and
not changed during the entire year. The actions in each A3 are
used to define annual performance objectives for teams and
individuals and are clearly linked to KPI targets. This has helped
to make these objectives a lot SMARTER than before (Specific,
Measurable, Attainable, Result focused and Time bound).
2. Leadership
Following on from this, ‘lean’ or ‘level 5’ leadership has
become our benchmark for managers. A relentless focus on
people (growth, development, and empowerment), processes
(continuous improvement) and performance combined with
a different relationship to staff (moving from command and
control to mentoring, coaching and teaching people to learn
and problem-solve) poses new challenges to managers. To prepare
managers for OE, we take them through a ‘day-in-the-life’,
which involves an expert following the relevant manager for an
entire day. Their actual day is compared to their planned day
and feedback is provided on how they could spend their time
more effectively and efficiently. One typical recommendation is
that managers spend less time behind their desk and more time
with their staff. Creating a standard day with some key times to:
(1) spend at ‘gemba’ (the place where it happens, i.e. the work
18
Food New Zealand

floor); (2) plan and prepare for meetings and the next days/
week in terms of purpose, outcomes and approach to different
styles of people; (3) do administrative tasks; is an effective tool
towards creating the desired behaviours in leaders.
One of the key OE lessons for managers is that their role is
to develop and implement processes and systems that set up
staff to succeed in their roles. Managers need to build in regular
checks which will review if the processes and systems are still
‘healthy’ (perform audits as part of their standard work). If the
processes are not working, it is the manager’s responsibility to
fix them. Staff’s role is to work in these processes and systems
and continuously improve them.
In the teams where we have rolled out, the ‘on the bus’
principle from ‘Good to Great’ is useful, in terms of calling for
the right behaviours and attitude from staff as well as from managers.
Rewarding and recognising managers, staff and teams
who actively and positively support and participate in OE is
key to success. Likewise, managers and staff who can’t or won’t
positively and actively participate need to be appropriately and
effectively approached by their manager. The consequence can
be that people move seats on the bus or hop off the bus, if that
is in the best interest of all involved. This will eventually create
an environment where everyone is ‘on the bus’ - an absolute
must for driving performance and best practice at the same
time. Clearly the demands on managers change as OE comes
along.
Our experience was that the initial implementation of OE
involves some pain. Not all staff were able to embrace OE and
the resultant staffing changes have caused problems with service
delivery, or in other words, we have had to take a step or
two backwards in order to facilitate the leaps forward we are
now in the process of making.
3. Visual Performance Measurement (VPM) boards
In order to improve performance of the teams (increase the
flow of value to their customers), people need to be able to
learn what does and what does not work by keeping track of
what they are doing on a daily basis. For the purpose of installing
a culture of learning and continuous improvement, VPM
boards are developed and created by staff themselves: usually
whiteboards on which staff can track a measure that is truly
meaningful to them on a daily, if not hourly basis. An example
is shown below. Teams are encouraged to meet around these
VPM boards daily to evaluate how things are going and identify
problems/issues that need to be resolved (by a proper root
cause analysis). Problems are allocated to the most appropriate
people to resolve over an agreed timeline. VPM’s develop over
time, and in the future are expected
to evolve into the cornerstone
of the management system itself.
This occurs when visual measurement
matures into tight visual
control.
Within AS, this means that
nowadays staff keep track of how
often retests need to be done and
why, how well we deliver results
in the agreed timeline (Delivered
VPM board in
Analytical Services
In Full On Time), and how Inter-Lab
Comparison Programme
(ILCP) tests are within expected
data ranges (as a measure of reliability/quality
of a test). Relevant KPI reports are sent to customers
and equally important, staff are learning to think about
how to improve KPIs on a daily basis.
DAIRY
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> Encapsulated Omega 3s or Omega 6s
> Fat Powders & Creamers
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> Minerals (Iron or Calcium microencapsulated)
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December 2008/January 2009
19

DAIRY
4. Standardising work
Once staff have learned the best way to do a task and once
issues/problems are resolved, these improved ways of working
need to be standardised, so that the task will be done in the
same way each time, by anyone who needs to perform the task
(backup/succession planning) and most importantly so that the
task can be improved in the future. Standard work is a detailed
definition of time and sequence of tasks, sequential and binary
(a specific thing has either been done, and correctly or not
done/incorrectly). Standard work is often displayed on a white
board with red/green magnets to follow if tasks have been done
or not. This can be reflected in, for example, a standard day.
Standard work is used as the basis for leader standard work, to
check against the standard.
Staff are initially reluctant to
talk about ‘standardising’ work,
because it seems to contradict
creativity, empowerment, etc.
Paradoxically, standardising
work unleashes creativity, because
instantly people will start
thinking about how such waste
can be eliminated!
In order to start aligning
staff standard work with leader
standard work, as well as to allow
timeslots in each day for
the GRATO management team
to work on leading and managing
change actions (the toolkit
for the OE Steering Committee),
GRATO managers have
synchronised their diaries to
show similar tasks at different
times of the day.
Standard work for the
analytical team who test
cheese samples
5. Planning for in- and on-the-job activities to install a culture of
continuous improvement
Within the AS team, the culture before OE was very much
to maximise the time spent on performing tests and minimise
activities that distracted from that. OE means that staff need to
learn to accept that working ‘on-the-job’ (continuous improvement)
is an equally important part of their job as working ‘inthe-job’.
Initially, a lot of reading and meeting to discuss the lessons
learned, as well as to ensure OE implementation plans are
developed and executed, seems unproductive and managers
often ask for more resources to cope with the workload. As
teams mature and learn, planning for continuous improvement
will become ‘business as usual’ and by trying to get some quick
wins on the board (often within six months) teams will create
time for OE by doing things more efficiently and effectively.
For example, AS have reduced their sample reception areas
from three to one. They saved 750 hrs per year by converting
a manual work planning sheet in the microbiology laboratory
into an electronic one generated by the Laboratory Information
Management System (LIMS). This represents a 10% time saving
for the microbiology team. They have streamlined the sample
submission process and are now trying to convert this into an
electronic process.
The OE perspective re-enforced the need for roll-out of
LimsLink TM in AS. LimsLink is a programme to automatically
collect and transfer data from the lab instrument into the central
LIMS. In some cases, this can save four hours for each batch
of samples taken through a particular instrument. In addition,
transcription errors are prevented, improving data quality. By
now, 50% of instruments have LimsLink implemented, another
50% to go. All of these improvements have energised staff and
created more time to spend on OE and on performing tests. In
fact, the same work volume and outputs are now generated in
70% test time as they used to achieve in 96% test time! The 26%
time difference is allocated to quality management, training and
continuous improvement and problem-solving, all activities that
will further improve business performance.
Time breakdown before and after OE in AS.
6. 5S in R&D team
One of the core base tools of OE is 5S: creating a sustainable
organised work environment where there is a place for
everything and everything is in its place. 5S is about continually
identifying and stripping out waste, much more than just housekeeping
activities. It is a way of thinking rather than simply a
way of organising your work environment. It is agreed that if an
organisation can nail 5S, it can do OE!
For labs this means getting rid of everything that is not used,
cleaning the area and then putting processes in place to keep
the area uncluttered and clean. Below a set of ‘before’ and ‘after’
pictures of the media room, where media for microbiological
testing are prepared. By thinking about the flow in that
room and applying 5S principles, the team estimates it saves 300
hours of walking over 52km each year. Their available bench
space has increased by over 300% and the ‘saved’ time is now
spent on helping the other staff performing microbiological
tests (a more value-adding activity).
Media room before 5S
20
Food New Zealand

DAIRY
Janneke van Wagtendonk
Media room after 5S
As a first step, Food Microbiology and Safety (FMS), an R&D
team within GRATO, are applying 5S. 5S for R&D teams means,
among other things, keeping data, information and knowledge
in a place where everyone can find it and needn’t waste time
looking for or recreating it. The FMS team is currently developing
and implementing a knowledge management system to sort
and maintain key information to their team.
7. Just-in-time trial documentation
As part of the Fonterra commodity/manufacturing business,
the Manufacturing Innovation team is the front-runner in thinking
about what OE and lean may mean in an NTD environment.
As part of a value stream mapping exercise this team developed
a ‘just-in-time’ trial documentation tool, that has been well received
by their (internal) customers.
Research generates information, and as such, it is key that
this information is shared within the company as fast as possible
while at the same time maintaining scientific rigor and documentation
consistency. The trial documentation tool involves
an electronic spreadsheet as a shared resource to capture all
the information relevant to an experiment as soon as it is made
available. The main requirements of the tool are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A single document available to all team members;
All information relevant to a trial from its conception to its
conclusion in a single place;
‘Required’ fields to instigate scientific rigor;
Flexible enough to allow for changes in format to suit a
wide variety of experiments;
Always up-to-date;
A live document that can be sent to customers who will
then manipulate the information;
Rapid dissemination of information before a formal report
is completed;
A key step in reporting. This way, no information is lost
between completion of the experiment and the writing of
the report (which can be weeks later).
Conclusion
In summary, within GR&TO at FRC we are confident we
have found the right strategy to deliver our vision: OE. Because
of the nature of our R&D site, where the scarce resources are
About the author
Janneke van Wagtendonk trained as an agricultural
scientist and has a Master of Science in Animal Physiology.
After several years as a scientist in the bovine
reproductive area, she joined animal breeding companies
Holland Genetics (the Netherlands, 1991-2001) and
Livestock Improvement Incorporated (2001-2005) as a
project, R&D and eventually Innovation manager.
In 2005, Janneke changed roles and industries by
joining the Fonterra Research Centre (FRC) in Palmerston
North as operations manager. In her current role
as research and technical operations manager, she leads
development and delivery of shared capabilities, consultancy
and services to Fonterra’s R&D teams, as well
as the wider Fonterra environment. They include Pilot
Plant, Sensory, Food Microbiology and Safety, R&D lab
management, Business Intelligence, Information Resources,
Analytical Services and Maintenance and Development
of the Palmerston North site.
not so much capital intensive plant (as in the Manufacturing
part of our business) but people and their intellect, we have
taken on the challenge to think about how we can apply lean
principles to our business R&D. If we are successful, which includes
working with all other Fonterra business units which are
our customers and suppliers through OE, we will improve the
performance of Fonterra’s innovation engine significantly and
become world leaders in R&D delivery. We may not have the
biggest R&D capability, our vision is to become the best.
In the next five years we want to demonstrate successes
within GR&TO, that is, show significant improvements in customer
satisfaction and other KPIs. In five to ten years from now,
we want to apply OE in our NPD processes, and start improving
the efficiency and ‘hit rate’ of innovation end-to-end across
Fonterra. In ten to fifteen years, we want to apply all the lessons
learned and start thinking about what lean looks like in an
NTD environment and start creating best practices in Horizon
3 R&D.
The OE strategy is a journey that will take at least two
decades to get us close(r) to perfection. For AS, all the above
named ‘base’ successes in best practices achieved over the last
year have positioned the team for a step change in business
performance: improved delivery of reliable test results in time to
our customers. Because in the end that’s what OE is all about:
create value for your customers.
December 2008/January 2009
21

Conference
FUNCTIONAL FOODS 2008
Functional Foods &
Edible Oils - The Future
November 12-13, 2008
Heritage Hotel // Auckland, New Zealand
Held at the Heritage Hotel, Auckland on 12 - 13 November, the conference attracted a record 169
delegates from industry, research organisations and academia.
The Omega-3 Lipids Seminar, held in the morning session of
Day 1 was hugely interesting for delegates.
Among the highlights was the plenary paper by Philip Calder,
whose talk, Future directions for nutritional and therapeutic
research in Omega-3 lipids set the tone for the conference, a
feast of reasoned argument and stimulating research presentations.
His talk highlighted key basic research issues that need addressing
in order that the full potential of omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids
to improve human health and well-being can be harnessed.
It is generally accepted that omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial
to human health. This is certainly true for the forms typically
associated with oily fish and with the Inuit diet (eicosapentaenoic
acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]), which are
known to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. We now
know many, though certainly not all, of the mechanisms by
which these fatty acids act in the body to exert their cardiovascular
benefit and we are beginning to identify beneficial actions
of EPA and DHA elsewhere in the body, he said, but issued a
note of warning, “the real impact of lower dose regimens that
are relevant to fish consumption, to consuming enriched foods
and to modest supplementation need to be clarified.” Furthermore,
the dose-response relationships between omega-3 fatty
acid intake, omega-3 fatty acid appearance in target tissue(s)
and alteration of physiology need to be better described.
He went on to note that in addition to EPA and DHA, there
are at least four other omega-3 fatty acids consumed in the human
diet or present in the body. Of these, research has focused
upon the main plant form (α-linolenic acid). It seems that this
fatty acid is weaker in its effects than the combination of EPA
and DHA and its chief role may be as a precursor to these more
active fatty acids.
Dr Calder went on to say that other Omega-3 fatty acids
such as steridonic acid, eicosatrienoic acid and docosapentaenoic
acid may have physiological effects and health benefits,
but these are practically unexplored at present.
Recent research has suggested that there may be genetic predisposition
to the effects of dietary fat and to the health benefits
of omega-3 fatty acids; this raises the possibility of “responders”
and “non-responders” and of targeting the therapeutic effects of
omega-3 fatty acids to certain sub-groups or individuals. This
will be an area of great challenge to researchers, manufacturers
and marketers, and regulators, he said.
As always at the annual Functional Foods Conference, student
oral and poster presentations were invited with prizes for
the winners being sponsored by the University of Auckland and
NZIFST.
Philip Calder, Professor of Nutritional Immunology,
University of Southampton was a keynote speaker at the
conference
The winning oral presentation; Anti-inflammatory and cardio-protective
effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
and plant sterols in hyperlipidemic individuals was presented
by Michelle Micallef, a student from the Nutraceuticals Research
Group, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Newcastle,
NSW.
The winning poster presentation; Omega-3 PUFA status
from farmed salmon compared with salmon oil capsules was
presented by Melanie Pauga, a student at Institute of Food, Nutrition
and Human Health, Massey University, Albany.
22
Food New Zealand

Omega-3’s for Baby
Boomers
Conference
W. Morgan and M. Cashion
This is the text of the paper presented by
Wendy Morgan at the Functional Foods and
Edible Oils: the Future Conference.
Translating the scientific evidence on omega-3 fatty acids
(omega-3s) into effective communications and practical solutions
to achieve optimal intakes for good health are key objectives
of The Omega-3 Centre (O3C).
To better understand the strength of evidence for the health
benefits of omega-3s for Baby Boomers, the O3C brought together
leading experts at a workshop held in July 2008. The
outcome is a Scientific Consensus Report on omega-3s and the
health of Baby Boomers to help raise community and government
awareness and understanding of this important nutritional
issue. The following material summarises the report, which covered
a number of areas where
Omega-3 fatty acids in human
health have been studied.
Who are Baby
Boomers
This is a term given to those
born from 1946 to 1965 during a
lengthy period of high birth rates
after the end of World War II.
Approximately 25% of the New
Zealand population are Baby
Boomers and it is predicted that
in 30 years the number of people
aged 65 and over will have
doubled, placing a huge strain
on our health system (Statistics
NZ, 2008).
The average life expectancies
Wendy Morgan
presented the ‘Outcomes
of the Omega-3 Centre’s
Scientific Consensus
meeting’ at the
conference
are around 78y for males and 82y for women (Statistics NZ,
2008). However along with increased longevity is an increase
in the incidence of chronic diseases, many of which are dietrelated
such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer,
cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and arthritis. There is increasing
scientific evidence for the role of long chain omega-3s in the
prevention of many chronic diseases as well as health maintenance.
Increasing the consumption of long chain omega-3s can
help alleviate the cost strain on the health system by reducing
the incidence and effects of a number of chronic diseases and
improving the quality of life for ageing baby boomers.
Omega-3 intakes are low compared to recommended intakes.
Australian adults’ median intake of long chain omega-3s is
121mg/d which is about 50% of their mean intakes (246mg/d)
(Howe et al 2006). This difference, particularly of DHA and
EPA, is likely to reflect a less frequent consumption of fish - the
main source of long chain omega-3s. In other words, a small
proportion of the population eats large quantities of fish but
most consume very little - see Figure 1.
Figure 1: Comparison of actual intakes of long chain
omega-3s to recommended optimal intakes (mg/d)
(Howe et al 2006, NHMRC 2006)
Despite eating more than other age groups, Baby Boomers
in Australia have only modest intakes of fish: around 30g/d on
average compared to more than 155g/d of meat and poultry
(ABS 1999). Fish consumption is significantly lower than meat
consumption for baby boomers in New Zealand. In 1997, 13%
of NZ males aged 45-64 consumed canned fish and 11% consumed
fish (steamed, baked, grilled or raw) at least once per
week compared to 60% for beef/veal. It was a similar case for
NZ females, whereby 16% aged 45-64 consumed canned fish
and 16% consumed fish (steamed, baked, grilled or raw) at least
once per week compared to 53% for beef/veal (Russell et al
1999).
Both government agencies and health professionals can
play an important role in the promotion of increased intakes of
long chain omega-3s. Their activities should address barriers to
increased consumption and take the form of a co-operative approach
to ensure consistency and strength of messages.
Omega-3 in mood and cognition
The long chain omega-3, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA),
plays a fundamental role in brain structure and function. Epidemiological
and cross-sectional studies have also identified a role
for long chain omega-3s in the etiology of depression. The potential
mechanisms to account for these benefits include reductions
in prostaglandins derived from arachidonic acid, leading
to decreased brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels
and/or alterations in blood flow to the brain (Tassoni & Sinclair
2008).
December 2008/January 2009
23

Conference
Observational studies support the relationship between intakes
of omega-3s and altered mood and cognition which need
to be confirmed by thorough intervention studies using sufficiently
sensitive tests designed to measure effects in mood and
cognition.
Vision and maintaining eyesight
Omega-3s, particularly DHA, constitute a high proportion of
the human retina and macular composition, and may be important
in cell membrane maintenance and retinal repair following
oxidative stress. They may also protect against retinal inflammation
(SanGiovanni & Chew 2005, Connor 2000).
The Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES), a population-based
cohort study of vision and common eye diseases in 2895 people
aged 49y or older, examined the association between dietary fat
and fatty acid components and the 5y incidence of age-related
macular degeneration (AMD) (Chua et al 2006).
•
•
•
•
Results included:
Participants with the highest versus the lowest intake of
omega-3s had a lower risk of AMD (odds ratio 0.41).
There was a 40% reduction of incident early AMD
associated with fish consumption of at least once a week.
Fish consumption of at least 3 times a week reduced the
incidence of late AMD by 75%.
People with higher intakes of omega-3s had a 42%
reduction in incident nuclear cataract.
Overall, findings from a range of epidemiological studies
and a recent meta-analysis (Chong et al 2008) support the hypothesis
that increased dietary intakes of omega-3s and regular
fish consumption protect against the development and progression
of AMD. A plausible mechanism is that long chain omega-
3s promote healthy ocular tissue by regulating inflammatory
and immune responses in the retina, thereby reducing the risk
of AMD.
Weight maintenance
Howe and Buckley (2008) assessed the evidence for a role
of long chain omega-3s in body weight and found that most evidence
of body fat reduction in humans comes from short-term
studies (3-12w in duration) which have shown around 1.5kg
reduction in body fat or body weight. Currently there is little
evidence of longer term benefits of long chain omega-3s supplementation,
and it is unclear how much is required to attain
the benefit and whether EPA or DHA is more effective.
Despite these limitations, in a large proportion of overweight
individuals at risk of metabolic syndrome, the multifaceted
health benefits of long chain omega-3s supplementation,
both cardiovascular and metabolic, provide strong justification
for this weight management approach.
Inflammation including arthritis
Fish oil in sufficient doses has anti-inflammatory and analgesic
effects (Cleland 2006). Inflammatory diseases in which fish
oil has been shown to have beneficial effects include rheumatoid
arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, IgA nephropathy,
Crohn’s disease and psoriasis.
Rheumatoid arthritis has been the most thoroughly studied
with beneficial effects being shown on meta-analysis using Cochrane
methodology (Goldberg & Katz 2007). Three months of
treatment with 3g or more of long chain omega-3s may be necessary
for improvement in symptoms. These doses are substan-
With most of our customers we have a long
established relationship. Their activities
are mainly in the food and allied industries
and involves industrial bakeries, candy
manufacturers, coffee and tea processors,
soft drink manufacturers, distilleries,
meat-canning and snack industry.
Come and share the taste of succes with
us at www.frutoria.com
24
Food New Zealand
T H E T A S T E O F S U C C E S S
Frutoria New Zealand Limited
128A Bombay Road • Bombay, Auckland
T 0800-373743 (NZ toll-free)
C 021-809675 • F 09-2360965
new-zealand@frutoria.com • www.frutoria.com

tially greater than those needed to show cardiovascular benefit
and when taken regularly for ≥ 3m achieve a similar reduction
in pain scores to commonly used analgesic type anti-inflammatory
drugs.
Cardiovascular disease and omega-
3 fatty acids
This area has been investigated extensively and evidence is
convincing that fish and fish oil consumption reduces the risk of
cardiovascular disease and consumption of DHA, EPA and ALA
improves cardiovascular outcomes (NHFA 2008, Colquhoun
2008). The Omega-3 Index will be a useful tool for assessing
this risk in the future. The evidence is also strong for the use of
long chain omega-3s in the lowering of high blood triglyceride
levels (Keske 2008).
Rating the level of evidence
The expert panel found that there is no evidence of harm
to Baby Boomers from long chain omega-3s. The evidence is
positive and is rated from interesting (+1) to conclusive (+4) for
effects on mental health, obesity, metabolic syndrome, vision,
rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease - see Table 1
below.
Ranking Meaning Area Evidence
strength
+ 1 Interesting Mental health:
evidence - Depression Interesting,
possible
+ 2 Positive
evidence, no
harm
+ 3 Some good
evidence
+ 4 Conclusive
evidence
- Mood
- Cognition
- Dementia,
Alzheimer’s disease
Obesity
Metabolic health
Weak evidence to
date, important to
follow up
Interesting but
insufficient
evidence to date
Possible
Dose/dietary
intake
Not possible to
define
Visual health Possible Not possible to
define
Vision: age-related
macular
degeneration
Long term
analgesia
associated with
rheumatoid arthritis
Cardiovascular
disease:
- prevention
- management of
existing disease
Probable (no 2 serves fish/w
intervention trials
at this stage)
Convincing 3g/d EPA + DHA
Can reduce
NSAID* use and
thereby lower
serious NSAID*-
related risks
Convincing 500mg/d EPA +
DHA = 2 - 3 serves
oily fish/w
Convincing 1g/d EPA+DHA
- blood triglycerides Convincing 1.2 – 4g/d
EPA+DHA (or DHA
alone)
Table 1: Ranking of current level of evidence for long
chain omega-3s
Copies of this report and the 2007 report on omega-3s for
children are available from the O3C. For more information visit
www.omega-3centre.com.
Acknowledgements
Participants: Dr W Hunter, Deakin University; Ms W Morgan, innovations &
solutions; Prof AJ Sinclair, Deakin University; Dr V Flood, University of Sydney;
Prof P Howe, University of South Australia; Prof L Cleland, Royal Adelaide Hospital;
A/Prof D Colquhoun, University of Queensland; Dr M Keske, University of
Tasmania; Prof L Tapsell, University of Wollongong; and Dr D Roberts (facilitator)
Sponsors: ISSFAL, ILSI Australasia
References
Chua B, Flood V, Rochtchina E, Wang JJ, Smith W, Mitchell P. Dietary fatty
acids and the 5-year incidence of age-related maculopathy. Arch Ophthalmol.
2006;124:981-6.
Chong EW, Kreis AJ, Wong TY, Simpson JA, Guymer RH. Dietary omega-3 fatty
acid and fish intake in the primary prevention of age-related macular degeneration:
a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Ophthalmol. 2008;126:826-33.
Cleland LG, James MJ, Proudman SM. Fish oil, what the prescriber needs to
Calls to action for baby boomers:
Healthy Baby Boomers should ensure an intake of long
chain omega-3s of at least 500mg/day from 2 or more serves
of oily fish per week, foods enriched with long chain omega-3s
and/or dietary supplements of fish oil within the context
of an energy-balanced diet.
People with disease conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis
and cardiovascular disease may benefit from higher levels
of long chain omega-3s and should seek medical advice.
• Around 3g EPA and DHA /day are recommended for
assistance with pain relief in rheumatoid arthritis.
• At least 1g EPA and DHA /day are recommended for
existing cardiovascular disease.
• 1.2 - 4g EPA + DHA (or DHA alone) has been shown
to be effective for treatment of high blood triglycerides
These calls to action are consistent with official recommendations
from the National Health and Medical Research
Council and the National Heart Foundation of Australia.
Calls to action for government and
health professionals:
Both government agencies and health professionals can
play an important role in the promotion of increased intakes
of long chain omega-3s. Their activities should address barriers
to increased consumption and take the form of a cooperative
approach to ensure consistency and strength of
messages.
•
•
Recommendations:
Assess long chain omega-3 dietary intake and status
through red blood cell analysis in the upcoming NZ
Adult Nutrition Survey.
A cost benefit analysis to assess the potential
contribution of an optimal intake of long chain omega-
3s on health status and healthcare costs.
know. Arthritis Research & Therapy. 2006;8:202.
Colquhoun D. Cardiovascular disease and omega-3 fatty acids in Scientific
Consensus Workshop: Omega-3 fatty acids for Baby Boomers. The Omega-3
Centre, 2008.
Connor WE. Importance of n-3 fatty acids in health and disease. Am J Clin
Nutr. 2000;71:171S-5S.
Goldberg RJ, Katz J. A meta-analysis of the analgesic effects of omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation for inflammatory joint pain. Pain
2007;129:210-23.
Howe PRC, Meyer BJ, Record S, Baghurst K. Dietary intake of long chain
omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: contribution of meat sources. Nutrition
2006;22:47-53.
Howe P, Buckley J. Weight maintenance in Scientific Consensus Workshop:
Omega-3 fatty acids for Baby Boomers. The Omega-3 Centre, 2008.
Keske M. Triglyceride lowering in Scientific Consensus Workshop: Omega-3
fatty acids for Baby Boomers. The Omega-3 Centre, 2008.
NHFA. Position statement Fish, fish oils, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and
cardiovascular health. 2008.
NHMRC. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand. Canberra:
Commonwealth of Australia, 2006.
Russell D, Parnell W, Wilson N. 1997 National Nutrition Survey. New Zealand
Ministry of Health, 1999.
SanGiovanni JP, Chew EY. The role of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated
fatty acids in health and disease of the retina. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2005;24:87-138.
Statistics NZ. National Population Estimates: September 2008 quarter
Statistics NZ. New Zealand’s 65+ Population 2007.
Tassoni D, Sinclair AJ. Omega-3s in mood and cognition in Scientific Consensus
Workshop: Omega-3 fatty acids for Baby Boomers. The Omega-3 Centre,
2008.
Wendy Morgan is Nutrition Advisor to The Omega-3 Centre
and the Director of the nutrition and regulatory affairs consultancy
innovations and solutions, PO Box 1189, North Sydney, NSW
2059, email: wmorgan@innovationsandsolutions.com. Monique
Cashion is the Executive Director of The Omega-3 Centre, PO
Box 2220, Hawthorn VIC 3122, Australia tel: 0413 OMEGA3, email:
admin@omega-3centre.com
Conference
December 2008/January 2009
25

Teavigo ®
your Seal of Guarantee
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experiencing explosive growth, and the
need for providing consumers with a quality
assurance has become eminent. Why, because
green tea extract is not just green tea
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With a guaranteed purity level of up to 94%
EGCG on dry basis, Teavigo ® is setting the
standard in the category. Therefore, we are
introducing our Seal of Guarantee, providing
the great and demonstrated benefits of green
tea, and the highest compatibility with your
products. Our seal will only be featured on
products and brands of the highest quality.
Maybe yours
To learn more about Teavigo please visit
www.teavigo.com or contact your local DSM
Nutritional Products representative.
DSM Nutritional Products
Ph 0800 954 512
graham.briscoe@dsm.com
26
Food New Zealand
Invita NZ Ltd
Ph 09 272 2092
paul.grant@invita.co.nz

The Pure Goodness of
Green Tea
Advertorial
DSM Nutritional Products has developed a patented and
highly sophisticated extraction technique to provide consumers
with the purest and most convenient access to all the benefits
from green tea. This has been branded as Teavigo(r), which is
purified EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate, 94%), the most powerful
antioxidant catechin in green tea. It is quantitatively the
most important catechin with powerful antioxidant benefits.
Teavigo(r) is an off-white powder which is free from caffeine,
pesticides and herbicides.
What makes Teavigo(r) a marketable
functional ingredient is a combination of
factors:
tract like Teavigo(r) can be used as part of a complete weight
management program, including regular exercise and a healthy
diet.
EGCG in green tea can also assist in maintaining oral health
by promoting anti-microbial activity (streptococcus mutans),
preventing collagen destruction, plague formation, dental carries,
gingivitis and bad breath.
Long term benefits include cardiovascular health and disease
prevention which ultimately translates to longevity. EGCG
decreases the risk factors for cardiovascular
disease, namely triglycerides and total cholesterol
in the blood.
Health benefits that
matter
The most widespread functional application
for green tea extract is in fortified
drinks offering varying health benefits. This
is followed by various types of food products
and dietary supplements, where green
tea extract might be the only ingredient
or combined with others to give a weight
management benefit.
To differentiate themselves further
among the masses on the shelves, several
green tea beverage brands have chosen to
declare the content of EGCG, and relate that
with added health benefits. For example, in
the USA, Snapple has a green tea beverage
which claims a specific level of 55 mg of EGCG per bottle,
where it acts as a powerful antioxidant and boosts metabolism,
as declared on the label.
Green tea is known for myriad health benefits, and enjoys
relatively high consumer awareness, with its ability to increase
fat metabolism, thus assisting in weight management. It is the
EGCG component in green tea that has been proven to assist in
reducing body fat in a natural way. It causes a slight shift from
carbohydrates towards fat as a source of energy thus increasing
the total energy expenditure. From human studies, it can
be calculated that approximately 1 kg fat is lost over a three
month period due to a slightly stimulated thermogenesis (fat
burning process) providing food intake is not increased. This
was recently confirmed in a study with highly purified EGCG.
The fat burning activity is well documented in animal models
and in vitro studies where EGCG modulates various aspects of
fat metabolism. For example, it stimulates the ß-oxidation of
fatty acids, mainly in the liver, and promotes the expression of
an uncoupling protein in adipocytes that leads to extra energy
expenditure. Furthermore, EGCG inhibits fat absorption and
adipogenesis, the formation of fat storing cells. Recent studies
with caffeine point to its potential health hazard with regard
to insulin resistance. Therefore, it is prudent for overweight
people who are at risk of diabetes type II to abstain from
taking too much caffeine. Thus, a caffeine free green tea ex-
Simplicity
With the health benefits mentioned
above, a food/beverage containing
Teavigo(r) can be positioned with simple
and clear messages.
Consumers can have their conscience
cleared by consuming Teavigo(r) (in a beverage
or food) as it is able to impart wellness
to balance the less healthy practices
and habits, hence limiting daily stress to
some extent.
Taste
Teavigo(r) can be incorporated into
practically any kind of beverage and food
without impacting on the taste and colour of the original beverage/food.
This would not be possible with a normal tea extract
which by itself is astringent and bitter to the taste.
Visual appeal
Teavigo(r) presents itself as off-white crystals that are completely
water-soluble, thus meeting the main criteria as a beverage
ingredient. Once dissolved, Teavigo(r) does not impart
any significant colour change to the original beverage, be it
milk, juice or simply water. Chewing gum and breath freshening
mints and candies fortified with Teavigo(r) would also benefit
from these visual advantages.
Assurance
Quality is trademark of DSM Nutritional Products. Teavigo(r)
offers a highly defined product with superior and constant quality,
free of caffeine, pesticides and herbicides.
Safety is an equally important factor for DSM Nutritional
Products when bringing a new product or ingredient to the
market. We have invested in an extensive program to document
the safety of Teavigo(r), thus guaranteeing you the best green
tea experience possible.
December 2008/January 2009
27

Traveller’s Tale
Shanghai Food- the
IUFoST 14th World
Food Congress
Laurence Melton, University of Auckland
Shanghai - the fabled city...
...the Bund with all its ostentatious self-confidence. In the
1930’s this was one of the wildest, anything-is-possible cities in
the world. The name is synonymous with kidnapped sailors and
the catapult of childhood adventures. Subsequently, home to
Mao Tsetung and Zhou Enlai. All the wild imaginings of youth
come flooding back.
The modern Shanghai is a vast city, 75km across with 20
million people. The Bund is still there but the excitement has
moved away to NanJing Road and across the river to the new
Pudong region with the spectacular double-sphere Oriental
Pearl Tower. I entered Shanghai on the Maglev - the magnetically
suspended train which reaches 430km/hour and is so
much smoother than the superfast European trains. Between
long exploratory walks, including markets and some alleyways,
I travelled by the underground which was cheap ($1.00 per
trip) and fast - much faster than a taxi, which would get stuck
in traffic jams. The roads are crowded with cars, trucks, motor
scooters, bicycles and pedestrians. There is a lot of noise with
people sounding their horns frequently and, to add to the confusion,
often the traffic laws were ignored. Scooters were ridden
on crowded footpaths and the odd bicycle went in the opposite
direction to the flow of traffic. Driving in Shanghai is not for the
faint-hearted. Wherever you go, there is a myriad of people and
invigorating sights and smells. The subway trains can be very
crowded and body contact is frequent. The meek simply won’t
have any chance of getting on in the rush hours. In five days
of underground travel, I saw only five other Europeans, which
is a pity because the transport is fast and efficient, and yes, the
signs are all in English.
A great variety of food was sampled – from the simple
steamed dumplings in the street, to a twenty-five course dinner.
Besides the five Welcome-to-Shanghai feasts, there were
six dinners and lunches of twelve or more courses associated
with the IUFoST World Congress. I really like Chinese food, so
it was a great opportunity to indulge. Frogs (small and large),
eels, turtles, black snails, black rice soup, water chestnuts, lotus,
bamboo, dried fish, cuttlefish, and fresh water crabs were
sampled.
China has 448,000 food companies, 79% of which have fewer
than ten employees, while there are twenty-six big companies.
There are over one hundred food research centres, with
government funds of NZ$27m for 2006-2008. Of these funds,
38% is for biotechnology, 11% for functional foods and 10% for
food safety.
The conference, 19-23 October
2008
With 2010 delegates from seventy-four countries, it was the
biggest IUFoST conference ever. There were 300 students from
overseas, including three from the University of Auckland and
one from the University of Otago. There were 308 oral presentations
and over 900 posters. There was also a large exhibition by
28
Food New Zealand

and Technology. This gave me great satisfaction and also helped
draw attention to the presence of New Zealanders. Previously
the academy included seventy to eighty Fellows, but it was expanded
noticeably with twenty-five new Fellows from all over
the world, emphasising the international nature of the IUFoST
with one each from Poland, the Netherlands, Argentina, France,
Nigeria, Thailand, Brazil, Slovenia, Spain, Korea and India, with
several from the UK, Taiwan, the USA and China. Professors
Harjinder Singh and Andrew Cleland have previously received
the award of FIAFST.
I counted twelve New Zealand delegates, including the students,
which compared well with seventeen Brazilians who will
host the 2012 Conference after Cape Town in 2010.
Traveller’s Tale
“...a great variety of food was sampled” - Chris, Soozie
and Laurie
food manufacturers at the same site. The conference committee,
led by the extremely capable Pingfan Rao (who was a keynote
speaker at our annual conference in Wellington in 2007) organised
sixteen symposia, and twenty-eight technical sessions
which had as many as eight concurrent. There were four forums
devoted to special Chinese interests, including Food for
Children.
From the first speaker, the Chinese were completely open
about the melamine scandal, and
two days later when an Irish keynote
speaker on Food Safety was
questioned about the deplorable
lack of food safety, he stated bluntly
that melamine was not a food safety
issue, but the people concerned
were criminals and they should be
dealt with by the police: nobody demurred.
One wondered how much
this more open attitude was due to
the Olympic Games. The Chinese
are still warmed by the success of
the Beijing Olympics and it was referred
to often. When awards were given out, the rousing music
from the Olympic medal presentation ceremony was played.
At the opening of the 14th World Food Congress, I was
made a Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science
Laurie Melton (right) with fellow
IAoFST Fellow, Gordon Robertson
Outstanding presentations
There were many outstanding presentations at the Shanghai
Conference, including Jorgen Schlundt (WHO) on ‘How Safe
is Our Food’, Michael Rogers who worked with Marangoni
(Guelph) on ‘Gels as Fat Substitutes’, Colin Sage on ‘Sustainability
and Food Security’ (Did you know that there is now only
fifty-five days supply of food stored in the world, compared to
120 days two years ago), Leiv Sydnes (IUPAC) on ‘Biofuels and
Green Chemistry’, Gordon Robertson (formerly Massey University)
‘Sustainable Food Packaging’, Patrick Wall (University
College, Dublin) on ‘The Global Food Chain and Food Safety’
(Globesity and other problems need global solutions!), the venerable
Professor Soichi Arai (Tokyo University) on ‘Functional
Foods’ in Japan which leads the world in this area (New ‘omics
- fluxomics, receptomics, ligandomics, cytomics, epigenomics,
physiomics etc). Lydia Ong (Melbourne University) on the ‘Influence
of Probiotic Microorganisms on the release of bioactive
peptides into cheese’, June Zhao (Otago University) - ‘The Use
of Proton Transfer Reaction - Mass Spectrometry’, Pingfan Rao
(Fuzhou University) - ‘Colloid Properties of Maillard Reactions’,
Michael Granvogl suggested that glycidamide formed in French
Fries and potatoes could be a greater worry than acrylamide.
A high point of the conference was the plenary address by
Professor M.S. Swaminathan on ‘Achieving Sustainable Nutrition
Security for All and Forever’. Swaminathan was named by
TIME magazine as one of the 20 most influential Asians of the
20th Century (in the same league as Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath
Tagore). He is a truly great man and an inspiring
speaker.
The most exciting presentation
For me, the most exciting presentation was that by Paul
Singh (University of California and the Riddet Centre
of Excellence for Food Research) who talked on
‘Food Systems for Space Exploration’. It will take
6 to 8 months to get to Mars and then, because
of the movement apart of the planets, the pioneers
will have to stay for eighteen months before they
can make the return voyage. This means food and
water must be available for over two and a half
years. What a challenge! No wonder they are so
keen to find water on Mars. To test out production
and processing systems, it is now proposed to build
a lunar habitat in 2021. At least a rescue ship can
be sent to the moon if things go wrong, something
which is not possible for the 18months that the Mars
colony is in existence. What a challenge, and what an adventure.
In case you are thinking of volunteering, be aware that
no emergency food backup system has been developed for the
first Martians.
December 2008/January 2009
29

NZIFST
News and views
from NZIFST
Food Elements: Putting the Pieces
Together
NZIFST Annual Conference, June 23-25 2009
Convention Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand
What does it take to produce a successful
food product
The pathway to success can be long, difficult,
and strewn with unforeseen obstacles.
Time to employ some experts, but who are
they And what work needs to be done More
importantly, how do we get people talking to
each other and how can we piece together
their work into a effective package
Developing a successful food product requires
tight integration of a business model,
consumer research, science, technology, product
development, and marketing. Speaking the
same language is an imperative.
Make sure you attend, and send your key
people to the Conference.
Call for Papers and Posters
NZIFST invites the submission of papers for oral presentation
or as posters. Abstracts will be reviewed before
acceptance.
Please refer to the NZIFST website for
General Guidelines regarding Abstract format.
www.nzifst.org.nz/events/annual-conf.asp
Please forward by e-mail as an attachment
in Microsoft Word to David Everett (david.everett@otago.ac.nz)
to arrive no later than 31
March 2009. For abstracts received after this
date there is no guarantee of inclusion in either
the programme or handbook. Notices of
acceptance or rejection will be only e-mailed
to the Corresponding Author of the abstract
submitted. The conference programme chair
will allocate each abstract to either an oral or
a poster presentation. Authors may specify a
preference, however the decision of the chair
is final.
All information is available on the conference
web site at www.nzifst.org.nz/events/annual-conf.asp
NZIFST Directory
executive manager Rosemary Hancock
PO Box 8031, Palmerston North
Ph (06) 356 1686
Fax (06) 356 1687
Mob (021) 217 8298
rosemary@nzifst.org.nz
president
vice president
TREASURER
David Munro
(07) 579 9122
munrodca@wave.co.nz
Dave Pooch
(09) 410 8357
dave@peppermintpress.co.nz
Eric Wilson
027 263 9006
eric.wilson@insightz.co.nz
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP contacts
DAIRY Division
Food Safety
Nutrition
Sensory
Neil Walker
familywalk@xtra.co.nz
Sally Hasell
hasellconsulting@snap.net.nz
Amy Joseph
Amy.Joseph@nz.nestle
Rebecca Shingleton
Rebecca.shingleton@fonterra.com
As a member of NZIFST you will
benefit from
•
•
Professional development programmes
Networking at regular branch meetings,
seminars and the Annual Conference
and gain
• Information through Food New Zealand,
Nibbles and our website
• Recognition through awards,
scholarships and travel grants
JOIN NZIFST NOW!
http://www.nzifst.org.nz/join/
30
Food New Zealand

New Members
NZIFST
NZIFST welcomes the following people to the Institute
New Professional Members
Alistair Carr Senior Lecturer in Food Engineering IFNHH, Massey University Palmerston North
Shaogiang (Chen) Chen R&D Scientist Westland Milk Products Hokitika
Jonathan Cox Product Innovation Manager Mars Incorporated Wanganui
Stuart Ian Dykes Hawkes Bay Wineries Manager Pernod Ricard New Zealand Napier
Yadav (Kuldeep) Kuldeep PhD Student university of Canterbury Christchurch
Colin Pitt Technical Sales Engineer Pall Corporation Hamilton
New Members
Vivienne Cameron QA Analyst / Lab Manager New Zealand Sugar Company Auckland
Sarah Dagger Technical Assistant Zymus International Ltd Auckland
Joanne Gibson operations Manager Griffiths & Co Ltd Waiuku
Fiona Hedley Sensory Project Manager Colmar Brunton Auckland
David Kay Product Development Technologist Hubbard Foods Ltd Auckland
Xin (Lucy) Lu R&D Technologist - Technical Support Frucor Beverages Ltd Auckland
Shaheen Mangera Chemistry Tech Nutricia NZ Ltd Auckland
Olivia Martyn National Innovation & Quality Manager George Weston Foods (NZ) Ltd Auckland
Carla McCulloch laboratory Manager Cedenco Foods NZ Gisborne
Joanne (Jo) McDonald Technical Manager old Fashioned Foods Auckland
Simon Moran R&D Technologist General Mills Auckland
Brenda Sebastian Student university of Zimbabwe Botswana
Kevin Simmonds Process Technologist Fonterra Waitoa Waitoa
Amy Van Boheemen Product Development Technologist Old Fashioned Foods Auckland
Silas Villas-Boas lecturer, School of Biological Sciences University of Auckland Auckland
Kenneth (Ken) Wade Product Technologist Frucor Beverages Ltd Auckland
Dazhi (Patrick) Wang Quality Assurance & Food Safety Leonards Superior Smallgoods Ltd Auckland
Nicole Yue Zhang Product Development Technologist Inghams Waitoa
Michelle McDonald HOD Te Puke High School Te Puke
Hester (Marietjie) Van Schalkwyk TIC - Food Technology & Hospitality Wellington High School Wellington
Former Member Rejoining
Edgar Crisostomo Development Manager Tatua Cooperative Dairy Ltd Hamilton
Managing the future
of Global Supply chains
We invite you to join us
at “Connecting the Dots
2009” and to participate
in GS1 New Zealand’s
30th anniversary
celebrations during
this event.
30
years
Gaining visibility in supply chains
has become a priority in both
global and domestic enterprises.
Driven by a need to improve
competitive position and customer
satisfaction, organisations are
looking to solutions to make supply
chain improvements, efficiencies
and cost savings.
The conference targets those
involved in supply chain visibility
and logistics management and
covers topics such as; global
standards, industry ‘best practise’
implementation case studies, RFID
and the Electronic Product Code
(EPC), supply chain trends and
implications for the future.
KEYNOTE PRESENTERS INCLUDE:
Peter Smith, Managing Director,
Progressive Enterprises
Peter Mcclure, Managing Director,
Fonterra Brands
Paul cressey, Chairman of the
Safe Medication Management
Stakeholders Group
neil lawrence, AIDC Technologies
Programme Leader, NHS, UK
andrew ryan-kidd, GM Finance
& IT, ITM
Sanjay Sarma, Engineering
Professor & RFID expert,
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, USA
Mark roberti, Founder & Editor of
RFID Journal, USA
richard leonard, Group Loss
Prevention & Shrinkage Director,
Tesco Asia
Michelle adams, Director,
Merchandising Operations, Lowe’s,
USA
John albertson, Chief Executive,
New Zealand Retailers Association
For further information, please
contact Pauline Prince on
04 494 1067 or
pauline.prince@gs1nz.org or visit
www.gs1nz.org
GS1 conference and 30th anniverSary celebrationS,
25 – 26th february 2009 – heritaGe, hobSon Street, auckland.
I N A S S O C I A T I O N W I T H
December 2008/January 2009
31

NZIFST
4th International
Symposium on Spray
Dried Dairy Products
April 15 - 17, 2009
Melbourne Convention Centre, Australia
Join research and industry leaders from around
the world at this exciting three-day event,
including presentations, posters and
trade displays on:
• Advances in dairy spray-drying systems
• Modelling and control of spray drying processes
• Alternative technologies for the manufacture of
dried dairy ingredients
• Analysis and characterisation of dairy powder
properties
• Functionality and applications of spray-dried
dairy-based ingredients
Register now at
www.icebergevents.com/
spraydryingmelbourne09
Thanking our Sponsors
Allergen Bureau
Seminar
In October, New Zealand companies associated with the
food industry were updated on allergens, specifically outcomes
of several years of the voluntary food industry group initiatives
and Allergen Bureau role.
Speakers from all sectors impacted by allergens were represented
in a balanced programme. It was an excellent opportunity
to share strategies and learn from colleagues in an evolving
scientific field.
Wendy Wilsher from Cerebos Gregg’s outlined their experience
with implementing the product information form (PIF) for
raw materials. Improved information supply and compliance
have benefited the company. PIF interpretation issues included
changes made to the copyright form, country of origin, “added”
ingredients, allergen, GM and warranty section. Areas for further
consideration are template updates, original or faxed copy
of signature page, responsive updates by supply chain.
Peter Krafft outlined the robustness of the VITAL tool principles,
demonstrating Lion Nathan’s use of the principles to assess
natural ingredient and kosher compliance for beer.
One message delivered several times reminded those present
that “allergen testing will prove that an allergen is present but it
is poor at proving that an allergen is not present”.
Sara Jane Murison, Allergy New Zealand, noted that food
industry initiatives generally allowed consumers to make risk
based decisions. She stressed some manufacturers could improve
their call centre staff knowledge, particularly regarding
mandatory versus advisory statements.
Dr Crump of Auckland Allergy Clinic presented a snapshot
of the changing face of allergen incidence. New Zealand shares
a similar high incidence (~ 25 %) with Australia, UK and Canada
compared with less well developed countries e.g. Indonesia
with incidence < 5 %.
Allergenicity incidence continues to grow with notable
changes in diagnosis patterns:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Increasing incidence of oral allergen syndrome to fresh
fruits and vegetables which is associated with birch allergy
olive tree sensitisation
sensitisation to spices in baby foods
oat may not be a relevant allergen because there is
evidence that it is often contaminated with wheat
very low incidence of soybean sensitisation
He highlighted characteristics of peanut allergies:
75 % occur on first exposure to peanuts
reaction caused by as little as 100 micrograms
common in siblings
approximately 20 % will recur
often have other allergies
current management strategies are not working.
Leigh Henderson, FSANZ, discussed the proposed review of
Standard 1.2.3 allergen labelling requirements including a consumer
survey in 2008/09. An earlier survey identified 3 major
consumer concerns:
•
•
•
insufficient or unclear information
label format
overuse of precautionary statement.
Case studies were presented by several New Zealand companies.
Marion Cumming
Cumming Food Consultants Ltd
32
Food New Zealand

Branch Activities
NZIFST
Auckland
October Event
NZIFST Auckland Branch wanted to support Final Year Food
Science, Food Technology and Food Engineering students, so
the branch sponsored an event with the intention to provide
students with an insight to the roles available in industry, recruitment
advice and what the NZIFST do.
The event was held on the 8th Of October at Auckland
University of Technology (AUT). Over 38 students attended,
from AUT, Auckland University and Massey University in Albany.
They heard from both Carol Filingeri from recruitment
company, Hudson, and Lezel Zietsman, Charlie’s Juice guru and
food technologist. Carol Filingeri has recruited within health
and science, technical, research and development, manufacturing
and FMCG sectors. She spoke extensively on CV preparation,
interview techniques, graduate salary expectations and the
opportunities out there in industry (both in multinationals or
smaller independent companies).
Lezel talked about her experience working for Charlie’s beverage
company (on products including the Phoenix range) and
her previous R&D role at Tip Top Ice Cream on productssuch
as Trumpet, Jelly Tip, Popsicle and Memphis Meltdown. She
shared her excitement in developing products and seeing them
on the shelves and the difference from working with a smaller
entity - Charlie’s.
Overall, it was a great turnout, very well received and the
NZIFST Auckland Branch are looking to make this an annual
event for students.
Believe it or not ‘caviar balls in sparkling wine’ - or so
we are told
November meeting
Tim Etherington-Judge, General Manager at Suite Bar, attracted
a great turnout to the NZIFST Auckland event on Monday
the 10th November. Tim runs one of the country’s leading
cocktail bars and is the Cocktail Editor for Remix Magazine. his
talk was entitled Molecular Mixology. Tim defined the term to
be “the practical application of the theoretical findings of Molecular
Gastronomy to the bar environment” or simply, the creation
of new drink taste experiences by using the application of
food science. Tim started us off with a tasting of a Jagermeister
and Redbull jelly and talked about the use of gelatine in this
application. He demonstrated the effect of egg whites in chang-
ing the characteristics of a beverage and created a drink with
sorbet and hot foam (known as a Hot Frozen 20th Century).
The tastings created much discussion. Everyone also tried making
‘caviar balls’ using sodium alginate and saw what the effect
was when added to sparkling wine. Tim delighted us with his
experience at attending the 2007 42Below Cocktail World Cup
Competition and the innovations/trends currently in cocktails.
The event inspired all and was a memorable night.
Canterbury
October meeting report
How far have we really come in food technology since the
nineteenth century It would appear not a great distance if the
experience of two of New Zealand’s most intrepid adventurers
is anything to go by. At the Canterbury Branch’s October
meeting a large audience gathered to hear Steve Moffat and
Steve Gurney relate their adventures as they described their reenactment
of a trip across the South Island from the West Coast
down the Taramakau and Hurunui Rivers to Sumner by two of
Steve Moffat’s greatuncles
in 1889. Steve
used a wooden kayak
made to the same
specifications as his
uncles’, and clothing
similar to that which
they wore, as well as
eating the same kind
of food. He had to
prepare some of his
meals which included
porridge, corned beef
sandwiches, macaroni,
chocolate and
biscuits.
Steve Gurney used
the most modern
equipment, which included
an inflatable
Steve Gurney and Steve Moffatt
enjoying their respective diets on
the trip
kayak that could be carried on his back when tramping, wore
the most modern sports clothing and ate Back Country Foods
freeze-dried meals. Nutritionist Bronwen King provided nutritional
advice and menu-planning for the trip.
The two men found their diets, though different, were sustaining
and enjoyable. Steve Moffatt had the added chore of
preparing his, though he enjoyed the challenge and found the
old-fashioned food easy to digest, though a little heavier than
he was used to. During the trip the men were monitored by Dr
Jim Cotter at Otago University to see how much of their output
was carbohydrate vs. fat-based.
Prior to the talk NZIFST members snacked on food such as
custard tarts, cupcakes and sandwiches, made by members of
the group from recipes in nineteenth century cookery books.
The Nutrition Interest Group kindly provided a donation for
the speakers. At the conclusion of the talk there was a lucky
draw for 5 6-packs of One Square Meal - a product designed by
Glenda Ryan for Cookie Time, who donated the prizes. Steve
Gurney also donated a DVD of their trip.
Claire le Couteur
December 2008/January 2009
33

NZIFST
Auckland Regional
Science & Technology
Fairs
This year Auckland Branch was delighted to be able to sponsor
four Science & Technology Fairs in the region. The NZIFST
award was presented to projects of exceptional standard, which
had focused on an aspect of Food Science or Technology. The
winning students each received a cheque for $100.
The Manukau MIT Science & Technology Fair was won by
Roma Anderson, a Year 7 student from Farm Cove Intermediate.
Roma’s project “Squishing Marshmallows” investigated and validated
Pascall’s claim that their marshmallows are the softest on
the market. She developed an apparatus (the “squishometer”)
Anand Rami
Roma Anderson
that emulated a penetrometer and carried out consumer and
oraganoleptic tests to back up the results. The judges were very
impressed with the innovative and thorough way Roma carried
out and reported her project findings.
Nadia Whitelaw, an 11 year old student from Keri Keri High
School won the NZIFST award at the Top Energy Far North Science
& Technology Fair for her project “The Fe Factor”. Nadia
developed a testing regime using a Magic Bullet and a magnet
to determine the iron content of a range of breakfast cereals.
She was interested and pleased when her results matched what
the nutritional panels claimed and was surprised to find that
Cocoa Pops had the highest iron content of the cereals she
tested.
Anand Rami, a Year 8 student at Kings School won the NIWA
Auckland City Science & Technology fair with his project “Eggsperiment
and Soldiers”. Anand explored various methods of
boiling eggs to determine which method was most effective at
preventing cracking. This was the first time Anand had entered
a project into the fair and tells us “this honour has inspired me
to do it again and again”.
The award for the North Shore Fair was won by a student
from Carmel College with a project “Egg-xactly the Truth”. It
combined scientific experiments with evaluations on marketing
and brands and looked at which brands gave the most volume
of egg white, which produced the best volume of meringue and
which produced the best quality meringues.
Congratulations to all the students who won NZIFST prizes,
it’s great to see enthusiasm and interest in Food Science and
Technology at such a young age. We hope that these budding
Food Technologists will consider a career in the food industry!
Nadia Whitelaw
34
Food New Zealand

Innovative technology
in the real world
Jenny Mangan, a New Zealand Science, Mathematics and Technology Teacher Fellow 2008
NZIFST CAREERS
A Teacher Fellow reflects on a year of learning
about the reality of technology in industry and
how this relates to the school curriculum.
As a New Zealand Science,
Mathematics and Technology
Teacher Fellow for 2008 I have
visited industries and research
centres to gain an insight into
“innovative technology in the
real world”. The fellowship
has helped to develop my understanding
of technology in
real contexts. During this year I
have had the opportunity to reflect
on the links between ‘real’
technological practice and the Jenny Mangan at work
Technology Curriculum. I plan during her fellowship
to translate this experience into
more relevant and stimulating teaching and learning activities.
Project aims
The title of my fellowship was ‘Innovative technology in the
real world: what do technologists do’ I was keen to learn about
the latest developments in technology so I can inspire students
and encourage more innovative thinking in the classroom.
My main host was the Centre for Science and Technology
Education Research at the University of Waikato and I am supported
by the Biotechnology Learning Hub and the Department
of Engineering. I have looked for opportunities to learn more
about food technology, biotechnology and biomaterials.
...an open framework
The Technology Curriculum is an open framework which
provides a structure through which students can learn how and
why products are developed while engaging in their own technological
practice. The Curriculum also explores the impact of
technology on society and any ethical issues this may raise. My
fellowship experiences have reinforced how well the curriculum
reflects technology in the real world and sets students up
to develop a broad technological literacy.
I have found many key factors common to different industries
which link closely to the curriculum. I now have a greater
understanding of these and first hand experiences to share in
the classroom.
• New product development is very consumer-focused.
Today’s consumers are concerned about health, lifestyle,
convenience, environment, safety and cost. They are more
knowledge driven and demand evidence about benefits of
a product or ingredient. Therefore credible research data
is needed to support claims and marketing drives for new
products.
• Substantial modelling of products and consumer testing are
required to convince a funding body or client company.
The outcome can mean a “no-go” decision ending a
project that may have been worked on for many years. It
can be difficult to persuade students to plan, model, and
get substantial consumer feedback before developing a
new product idea. Therefore, having real examples to
share with students will help them to understand why it is
necessary and how it will impact on their final outcome.
• Optimisation - the drive to utilise all parts of a material or
ingredient and achieve optimum efficiency at all stages
of manufacturing is ongoing. Research into higher value
applications for by-products or waste streams is frequently
at the heart of innovation and sustainability.
• Innovation and intellectual property protection is a critical
part of new product development. This is an area that
is clearly integral to technological development and one
which I will focus on more in the future.
• Collaboration is the norm in industry and leads to cross
pollination of ideas and supports innovation. A team
approach to projects in schools is quite common and,
although the senior secondary assessment system requires
individual outcomes, I can see many ways a collaborative
approach can be used to support and enhance learning.
• Scientific understanding of material or food properties
at a molecular level is at the heart of innovation and
another driver of technological developments. I believe
more collaboration between Science and Technology
departments in schools will enhance learning in technology
and is in keeping with the principles of The New Zealand
Curriculum.
Sharing career opportunities
Throughout the year I have had contact with many people
working in industry and research. I now feel confident to discuss
the nature of the work, opportunities and career pathways
with my students. I am keen to highlight the food industry as
an exciting field with numerous career opportunities for young
people. The work has tangible outcomes and positive benefits
for New Zealand society, as well as opportunities for travel and
work overseas.
If you are interested in hosting a New Zealand Science,
Mathematics and Technology Teacher Fellow contact teachers.fellowship@royalsociety.org.nz,
ph: 04 470 5764, or visit:
www.royalsociety.org.nz.
Acknowledgements
I appreciate the support offered by all the Industries I have visited which
include: Fonterra Reporoa, Te Rapa and Palmerston North, The Riddet Institute,
MIRINZ, Scion, Potatopak, Crop and Food Research and MARSPetcare. It was
also stimulating to attend the NZBio and NZIFST conferences and the Foodtech
Packtech exhibition and seminar series.
December 2008/January 2009
35

Microbiology
Flow cytometry for
faster results
Steve Flint, Associate Professor in Food Microbiology, Massey University, Palmerston North
The international trend in the development of methods to replace
standard microbiological testing procedures is very much
focused on pathogen detection. Modern food manufacturing facilities
have comprehensive pathogen control measures. Testing
for pathogens is mandatory and confirms the efficacy of these
control measures. However, the analysis of foods to determine
microbiological quality and process health relies on enumeration
tests for a broad range of viable micro-organisms. The key
requirements are for simple, rapid enumeration tests for viable
micro-organisms.
The Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health has a
reputation for applying rapid microbiological
test methods for food
analysis. Professor John Brooks
(now at AUT) pioneered the use of
impedance technology for microbial
testing of foods and this is still used
today as an effective tool in food
microbiology research in our laboratory.
Flow cytometry is the preferred
method for rapid microbiological
enumeration testing of food. Viable
cell counts are obtained within
1-2 hours using relatively simple
Graph showing a relationship between
traditional plate counts and flow cytometer
counts
procedures. The rapid results enable timely plant operational
decision-making and provide confidence in rapidly releasing
product. Flow cytometry has been in routine use for testing
total bacteria in raw milk. However tests on food for viable
microbial counts are relatively new. Protocols are available for
testing some foods but there are still challenges in overcoming
interference from the food matricies in order to obtain an accurate
result.
Most of our work has been done with the Chemunex systems
(D-count and BactiFlow) to enumerate viable cells in milk
powders. Challenges include reducing the background interference
from the product matrix to develop a reliable test procedure.
Results from the flow cytometry method correlate well
with standard plating methods when the trials are carefully controlled.
Gaining acceptance for routine use in a manufacturing
environment has been difficult, owing to mistrust of the new
technology and failure of the results to correspond exactly with
the standard methods.
Flow cytometry continues to be
the most rapid method for enumerating
viable cells, although, longer
term, biosensors may provide a
simpler, faster alternative. We are
looking at other flow cytometry systems
and pursuing applications for
monitoring process health. We have
an interest in two biosensor systems
that we will be following for future
dairy applications.
References
Flint, S. H., Drocourt, J-L, Walker, K.
M., Dwyer, M. T., Achter, R. N. (2006). Development and evaluation of
a protocol for the rapid enumeration of total bacteria in milk powder.
International Dairy Journal, 16, 379-384.
Flint, S. Walker, K., Waters, B & Crawford R. (2007) Description
and validation of a rapid (1h) flow cytometry test for enumerating thermophilic
bacteria in milk powders. Journal of Applied Microbiology,
102, 909-915.
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36
Food New Zealand

From pasta
delicatessen to
200,000 meals
per year
OUR SECRET
IS SIMPLE.
No really, that’s the secret – simple.
Consumers tell us they want to
packaging
Anne Scott
This is a story about two people, Justin and Nickie Lemmens, who
bought a pasta delicatessen and found themselves, six years later, manufacturing
200,000 chilled, ready-eat meals per year.
Pasta Pasta, in the heart of Wellington’s Kandhalla
(renamed Rosa just before they purchased
it) sold fresh pasta and sauces. The new owners
expanded the business beyond its continuing retail
success by going into the food service area.
Some time down the track, they began to look at
supplying supermarkets.
During the late 90’s Progressive launched
a fresh, ready-to-eat model where meals were
cooked and sold on-site at Foodtown supermarkets.
Shoppers loved the idea so Progressive decided
to look for alternative ways of fulfilling the
need with a fresh ready-to-eat range that could
go across all their stores. Justin and Nickie supplied
the answer.
Following a two year negotiation, they are now supplying their own,
Rosa brand, and Progressive’s Food-to-go meals nationally to Foodtown
and Woolworths.
Packaging the product
When researching packaging for their product they heard that Sealed Air
had packaging technology and technical expertise that fitted their needs.
“They were absolutely fantastic,” says Justin, “very pro-active in supplying
support, both in packaging materials and the machinery itself.”
Meals are packed in a polypropylene tray using a Cryovac Intact Sealer.
The skin packaging technology supplied by Cryovac gives great product
presentation, and the close contact of the film to the food maintains the
physical integrity of the meals’ presentation. The packaging is designed for
microwave reheating which makes this a true convenience product.
Justin is a mechanical engineer with experience in project management.
Nickie has experience in hospitality and food service, both front-of
house and in the kitchen. It hasn’t been easy, it has stretched their financial
resources and they are just about to move into a new production kitchen,
having outgrown the space they moved into only two years ago. Add forty
staff, with all the stress of managing a production team and you can see
that they are very busy.
They aim to minimally process their products; to produce fresh, quality
food that offers convenience and health. With a commitment to this, plus
adoption of technology that allows them to present a good-looking product
that is safe, and good to eat, they have achieved that goal.
get dinner on the table faster.
No more chopping and marinating.
Quicker cooking. Less clean
up. We know because we ask
them. And then, whether it’s
fresh or pre-cooked, produce or
protein, we deliver.
Take Cryovac ® Simple Steps.
It’s heat and serve, microwavable
packaging with vacuum skin that
self-vents. Which means goodbye
hot, messy pouches, and hello
happy dinner-makers.
Heat and serve is just the beginning.
From ready-to-cook to convenient
portions. Cryovac solutions are all
designed to make mealtime simple
for busy consumers.
For more information, visit us at
mktgservices.nz@sealedair.com
0800 323 213
December 2008/January 2009
37

FOOD AWARDS
Massey University Food
Awards: - innovation
and creativity
Yet again the Massey University Foods Awards brought innovative food product development into
the public eye.
Hot roast chicken at convenience
stores
Who among those with access to a hot supermarket chicken
spare a thought for holiday-makers, country and small town residents,
who cannot pop out and get a ‘hot roast chicken dinner’.
Tegel Foods saw the need and seized the opportunity, well,
grasped the nettle
is perhaps a
better metaphor.
The technical
development required
to pack a
chilled cooked
chicken for distribution,
ready
for microwave
reheating and
sale in convenience
stores,
with all its inherent
food safety
challenges, kept
The team from Tegel Foods, (at rear, l to
r) Philip Taunt, Malcolm Clack, David
Taylor, Kevin O’Neil, Colin Ernstzen,
(front) Emily Choi, Amber Mepsted,
Brenda Galbraith, Christine Cash,
Andrew Stevens
the company’s
NPD team busy
for four years.
That’s how long it took them to perfect a process for cooking,
packaging and sealing roasted chicken that allows smaller
stores throughout the country to sell the product with confidence.
Not only were all food safety and presentation challenges
overcome, the chicken tastes just as it should.
As well as winning the Premier Award, Tegel Foods Deluxe
Roasted Chicken won the Food Safety Award, for a product that
assures customer safety and provides public confidences.
Stable UHT cooking cream a
technical challenge
Winner of the Massey University Food Service Award, Fonterra
Brands (NZ) Ltd, Anchor Cooking Cream, also stretched the
technical expertise and creativity of its development team.
Combining real dairy cream with acidic ingredients in hot
culinary sauces can often result in curdled disappointment, but
the Fonterra Brands Team at Takanini solved that problem,
building on earlier work on starch based products and with
technical support from Adecron. Working with starch and stabilisers
in UHT means a delicate balancing act between ingredients,
equipment and processing. Results can vary from totally
broken down starch to thick product that struggles to come out
the other end. Even when the process worked, some of the successfully
packed product failed in application as it spat in the
pan and/or curdled in applications.
Stability must be maintained over the months of shelf life
needed for a commercial UHT product. With clever formulation
work and a modified plant set-up the team developed a “perfect
for hot cooking” UHT cooking cream with stability in cooking
over its whole shelf life, full dairy cream flavour and just the
right thickness to give a creamy coating on food, doing away
with the need for a chef to have to “reduce” the cream. The
judges were impressed.
Among health and convenience-focused winners were Hubbard’s
Berry Berry Good Cereal, which won the Heart Foundation
Tick programme Healthier Choice Award. The cereal was
designed specifically to provide a healthier, higher fibre children’s
breakfast cereal with Heart Foundation Tick approval.
Also meeting the nutrition standards of the Heart Foundation
Tick programme, Cookie Time Ltd won the Markem-Imaje
Bakery Products Award for its Smart Cookie, a healthy cookie
alternative designed for school tuck shops.
Tick national
manager,
Ian Mathieson,
says that there
has been strong
growth in the
Tick programme
this year, with
more than 100
The team that ‘whipped the cooking
cream’ (l to r) Mike Haley and Sarina
Carson from Fonterra Brands and
Anny Dentener from Adecron with Ray
Winger, Massey University
new products
gaining Tick approval
in the last
six months.
“It’s encouraging
to see
manufacturers
and food technologists
respond to increasing consumer demand for healthier
choices with the Tick,” he adds. “It’s more important than
ever to encourage manufacturers to put the health of Kiwi kids
first.”
The award winners are announced on Monday 20 October
at a food industry gala dinner in Auckland.
38
Food New Zealand

Massey University Food Award Winners 2008
Massey University Premier Award - Tegel Foods, Tegel
Deluxe Roasted Chicken
A healthy hot-roasted takeaway chicken that has been
precooked and packaged and is available in Four Squares
nationwide.
(Also awarded The New Zealand Food Safety Authority
Award, Rapid Labels Convenience Food Award, Massey
University Meat Seafood and Poultry Products Award, New
Zealand Institute of Food Science & Technology Research &
Development)
Massey University Enterprise Award - Functional Whole
Foods New Zealand Ltd, 3six9 Dressings
Tasty, flavoursome, healthy flaxseed dressings, rich in
Omega 3, 6 and 9. They contain all natural ingredients with
no added sugar, are gluten free and available in three great
flavours.
(Also Highly Commended)
Massey University Export Award - New Zealand Natural,
Kiwi Pavlova Ice Cream
A distinctly kiwi ice cream, with crunchy meringue pieces
expertly mixed into the smooth kiwi flavour. (only available
at ice-cream parlours)
Markem-Imaje Bakery Products Award - Cookie Time Ltd,
Smart Cookie
Designed for the school market, it is the first sweet biscuit
to in NZ to achieve the Heart Foundation Tick.
O-I Beverage Products Award - The Greenstone Drinks
Company Ltd, Teza Juiced Teas
Batch brewed teas with a genuine tea flavour and subtle
fruity undertones. Available in four flavours - Lemon & Mandarin,
Velvetberry, Mango & Ginger, Peach & Passionflower.
Massey University Cereal and Bread Products Award -
Nutrition Fit 2004 Ltd, Em’s Power Cookies & Bars
A tasty, healthy snack with good honest cereal flavours
- the perfect pick-me-up for athletes.
Massey University Cultured or Fermented Food Products
Award - Fonterra Brands (NZ) Ltd, Fresh n Fruity Yoghurt
Fruit Mousses
A light and fruity dessert in the “guilt free” category with
tantalising, fruity flavours.
BOC Dairy or Dairy Replacement Foods Award - Zilch!
No Added Sugar Frozen Desserts
A range of tasty frozen desserts in a assortment of flavours
and varieties including frozen yoghurt, sorbet and ice cream.
Giving diabetics an opportunity to eat a delicious dessert.
Massey University Food Service Award - Fonterra Brands
(NZ) Ltd, Anchor Cooking Cream
A full bodied cream that does not split when cooking
with other acidic ingredients and cuts down preparation
times in food service kitchens.
Crop and Food Research Fruit and Vegetable Products
Award - Green Monkey Ltd, Premium Organic Baby Food.
100% organic baby food, available in a combination of
pureed flavours. With convenient flat packaging and requiring
no heating, it is perfect for mums on the go and is an
excellent way to introduce fruits.
(Also awarded FMCG Magazine Meal Solutions Award,
A.J. Park Packaging Design Award)
Foodtech Packtech Gourmet Foods Award - Levante
Technologies Ltd, Tio Pablo Chocolate Azteca
An authentic Mexican hot chocolate, blended with a tantalising
mix of spices and peppers.
Massey University Industrial Products Award - Fonterra
Cooperative Group Ltd, Milk Protein Concentrate
Milk protein concentrate for export.
Foodtech Packtech Snacks and Confectionary Award -
Smartfoods Ltd, Vogel’s Mixed Grain Pita Crisps
A healthy and tasty snack using multigrains and embodying
strong New Zealand flavours.
Massey University Speciality Products Award - Frucor
Beverage Ltd, Mizone Rapid
An effective hydration sports drink formulated especially
for athletes.
Progressive Food for Life Award - NZ Bakels Ltd, Gluten
Free Health Baking Ingredients
A multi functional range of baking products making home
baking for Coeliacs much easier.
Highly Commended - Tru2U Gourmet Flavoured Flaxseed
Oils.
Delicious oils introducing Omega 3 into the home in a
flavoursome way.
FOOD AWARDS
Inspiring product
development
technologists of the
future
Food Technology teacher
Carolyn Norquay
Participating in the Massey Food Awards
Student Product Development Challenge
proved to be a valuable experience for a
group of Year 12 Food Technology students
from Saint Kentigern College in Auckland.
Their NCEA level two Food Technology
project, similarly structured to the Award
project, required them to investigate and
Two of the students
pictured in the PD lab
at Massey University,
Auckland
work on the concept of convenience food.
Russell Cowley of Kato Pacific Marketing
Limited willingly agreed to be the students’
client.
The students soon learned that working
with a client meant they had to be organised
and they had to be able to communicate
their ideas. They had to consider his
plant and equipment and work within real
constraints. The key factors and the way key
factors interact became very real for the students:
“if I modify the ingredients to bring
the cost down then the sensory properties of
the product also change.”
It was hard work, but everyone learned
so much. The support of Russell Cowley and
Massey University provided an added dimension
to our Food Technology programme, and
has really helped to promote the Food Technology
curriculum to the wider community.
December 2008/January 2009
39

MIA NEWS
MIA News
Meat industry research at
crossroads
With meat industry research and development
at a crossroads the meat industry is seeking
a way forward to keep it at the top of its game
and a major revenue earner for New Zealand
in the future. Speakers at the recent 2008 MIA
conference in Dunedin, addressed the issue.
MIRINZ Inc, jointly governed
by the Meat Industry Association
(MIA) and Meat & Wool New
Zealand (M&WNZ), is nine years
old this year. Its industry-good
objective has been to improve
profitability in red meat processing
in New Zealand. So far, work
has been funded by money
raised from the sale, in 1999,
of the Meat Industry Research
Institute of New Zealand (MIR-
INZ) to AgResearch. However,
the pot will run dry by the end
of next year and new research
and development (R&D) funding
streams are being planned
to ensure that funds continue to
be available for industry-good
activities.
A new MIA R&D Steering
Committee has been assembled
and the shape and principles of
a new collective R&D mechanism have been drafted. “R&D is
expected to deliver a commercial rate of return,” the MIA’s trade
and economic strategy manager Dan Coup said, “and it will be
industry led and controlled, strategy driven and commodity-levy
funded.”
The MIA sees industry-good funding as essential, as the
‘transformational technology’ required to keep the New Zealand
meat industry ahead of the game is high risk and expensive.
“The scientific priorities are straightforward,” says
Andy West
The MIA’s Dan Coup enjoying a lighter moment with
AgResearch senior food engineer, Mike North, at the
MIA conference
While an individual company, with limited resources and operating
in a competitive market, is unlikely to fund such projects,
much can be achieved when working together as an industry.
“We’re ready to go into consultation with members,” Coup
told delegates. Though timelines are yet to be finalised, some
investment opportunities have already been fleshed out.”
“The Government’s Fast Forward initiative has been warmly
welcomed by the industry and the research fraternity,” Coup
said. “New technology, including automation and robotics, will
help to address strategic threats such as competition for labour
from many sectors, (particularly urban areas), increasing competition
for land from dairy, and competition from emerging
low-cost producers such as Brazil and China,” Coup said.
M&WNZ R&D strategy manager
Max Kennedy outlined the
six areas in which MIRINZ Inc
is active: processing efficiency;
product quality and added value;
food safety and spoilage;
overseas regulations and customer
requirements; health and
safety and the environment. A
number of projects require continued
funding, he pointed out.
MIRINZ Inc is contributing to a
project on ovine dressing and
evisceration research that aims to
streamline current manual processes
and involves contributing
funds towards the initiation of
a meat automation consortium.
This will need additional FRST
funding to go ahead.
Others, including optimised
processing, smart stimulation,
super-tenderisation (‘targeted
tender in 24 hours’), the Meat Stretcher (BOA) and research into
nuclear magnetic resonance - have all received additional funding
from M&WNZ and Meat & Livestock Australia.
“In the next 12 months, we will be driving the commercialisation
of the existing portfolio and acting as a bridge to the new
meat industry R&D initiative.” Kennedy said.
Target discretionary consumers for high margins
From the Crown Research Institute perspective, AgResearch’s
vision is to double the value of a sheep, in real dollar terms,
by 2020, while doubling the efficiency of production. Chief executive
officer Dr Andy West noted, in his presentation at the
conference, that the focus must be on targeting discretionary
consumers for high margins.
His ‘Holy Grail’ is to create a perfect demand/supply balance,
with precise lambs, precise meat, precise timing and convenience
- all leading to healthy and happy consumers. Consumers
demand products that are safe, affordable, functional/healthy,
enjoyable, and guilt-free.
“The scientific priorities are straightforward,” West said. “We
need to maintain market access and consumer confidence, deliver
valuable products and improve efficiency.”
40
Food New Zealand

Workforce retention: challenge for
meat industry
Workforce retention is a challenge for the meat
industry. Considerable labour shortages have
been forcing companies to make production
less labour intensive, thus generating
significant losses of production and revenue.
The MIA’s office solicitor/policy analyst Robyn
Deacon looks at the issue.
The industry is working on a number of fronts - with government
officials, unions and other organisations such as the
New Zealand Industry Training Organisation (NZITO) - to help
address these labour shortages and improve workforce retention.
Effort is focused around improving career promotion and
addressing the difficulties generated due to the seasonal nature
of the work.
Regarding career promotion, a public perception make-over
is needed to promote the meat industry as producing quality
food products and highlighting the attractive career advancement
and employment opportunities that are available. The
industry is a hard-working, clean, team environment where employees
are well looked after and provided with the technical
skills and training they need to do a good job. The promotion
of these industry attributes will not only attract more staff but lift
current workers’ pride in what they do.
To realign public perception with the reality of the meat
industry as a career, meat companies and organisations such
as the MIA and M&WNZ are producing promotional material
such as a ‘Career Guide’ DVD detailing a diverse range of agriculture-related
careers. There is also a partnership with Work
and Income, using the online job-matching tool ‘Jobz4u’ which
matches job requirements with job seeker suitability. Relevant
industry roles in the tool include slaughterer, lamb boner, beef
boner, trimmer and packer.
The seasonal nature of the meat industry is the most challenging
issue for workplace retention, as it makes looking after
people more difficult. Meat companies themselves are attempting
to flatten out seasonal highs and lows to create more continuous
employment all year round and also to improve job
quality by introducing more mechanisation and withdrawing or
easing more physically demanding tasks.
“Although times are trying at present, investment in workplace
retention continues and we expect to see visible progress
in improving the perception of the industry and the difficulties
of seasonal work in the near future,” Robyn Deacon says.
Fourth MIRINZ Workshop a success
Networking and exchange of meat science ideas were on
the minds of participants in this year’s AgResearch MIRINZ
Workshop in Hamilton.
This is the fourth time the Workshop has been held and
organiser, AgResearch senior food engineer Mike North, reports
that it was definitely a success for the 70 attendees.
“We changed the format this year by shortening the presentations
and providing more time for discussions. Thankfully,
the audience was responsive to this change and we got some
excellent in depth coverage of key areas.”
Feedback from the speakers indicates that they were very
MIA NEWS
December 2008/January 2009
41

MIA NEWS
Deep in discussion during one of the workshop’s breaks
are (from left): Katja Rosenvold, AgResearch’s team
leader meat science, and her general manager Robert
Finch; research associate Peter Dobbie talking with
Tim Aitken, chief executive of Greenlea Premier Meats
Ltd; while at the front Neil Smith, Silver Fern Farm’s
technical manager for the North Island converses with
AgResearch microbiologist Nick Penney
Networking is always key to the success of AgResearch
MIRINZ events. Caught centre is Eva Wiklund, senior
meat scientist for AgResearch discussing her latest
research ideas with Owen Young, academic leader, food
technology, at AUT
happy with the interaction and the opportunity to ‘pressure test’
the direction of their research, North says. “One outcome of the
workshop was that delegates agreed that we need to work to
strengthen the connection between industry and research, and
to align our goals and strategies where possible.”
Global industry working together on
nutrition
The global meat industry is working proactively on nutrition
issues, according to one of the two New Zealand speakers
at this year’s International Meat Secretariat’s (IMS) World Meat
Congress in Cape Town, South Africa.
Fiona Carruthers, chair of the IMS human nutrition and
health (HNH) committee and also nutrition manager for Beef
and Lamb NZ, used last year’s World Cancer Research Foundation’s
‘Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention
of Cancer: a Global Perspective’, as a case study of the Committee’s
work around issues management. The report had the
potential to be very damaging for the sector, but cohesive work
by the “strong network together with open communication” between
members of the IMS HNH committee placed accurate
and scientifically-established facts about meat in front of the
media and consumers.
Table Mountain in Cape Town was the fitting platform
and stunning backdrop for the global meat trade’s
biennial conference
“The short-term impact of the report was assessed as a
24-48 hour media hit, so we needed to focus on the media
and consumers. It was all about maintaining confidence in the
product and reducing focus on any single food being seen as
causing cancer,” Carruthers said.
“In the longer-term, we needed to maintain red meat’s position
in health and nutrition guidelines as an important part of a
balanced diet, which was potentially more insidious as it could
be used to inform national/international dietary guidelines, so
we focused on Government, policy makers and health professionals.”
Comments from the chair of the UN’s Inter-governmental
Panel on Climate Change, Dr Rajendra Pacheuri, (a vegetarian)
on the need for people to have one meat-free day a week to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, caused consternation when
they were reported during the time the conference was being
held. Carruthers identified the ‘eat less to save the planet’ mantra
as the biggest current issue facing the global meat industry.
According to her, stand-out presentations came in the second
session looking at meeting the demand for meat. These
were marketing papers from Gary Johnson, McDonald’s Corporation’s
senior director of worldwide supply chains, whose topic
was ‘Leaders listen to consumers’ and Raymond Ackerman,
executive chairman of the Pick ‘n Pay Group in South Africa, on
the role of the retail sector. Another was M&WNZ’s new chief
executive, Scott Champion, who discussed R&D horizons for
the global sheep industry, telling delegates, “Consumers need
beef, let’s make them want lamb.”
This year’s Congress attracted around 450 delegates representing
38 countries, gathered to hear presentations from over
50 speakers covering production, economics and trade access
issues, marketing, animal diseases affecting the industry, quality
and traceability, developments in meat research, meat safety,
nutrition and climate change.
For more information and copies of most of the Congress
speeches visit www.worldmeatcongress2008.co.za.
Staff
Siobhan Ryan has moved from the MIA to a new role at the
Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry.
42
Food New Zealand

Day-in-the-life: meat
industry Personnel
Manager
MIA NEWS
Managing people is one of the most challenging and rewarding of all the components of
operating a business. The meat industry brings its own set of unique challenges and rewards to
the role of personnel management. In this month’s edition, Emma Nicols looks to the far south to
catch a glimpse into a day in the life of James Neylon, personnel manager at the Alliance Group’s
Mataura plant, just outside Invercargill.
James’ day starts bright, early and chilly with the 50 kilometre
drive from his home in Invercargill to the Mataura plant,
arriving in time to begin his day by 8am.
He starts by compiling a list of tasks for the day, which usually
succumbs to interruptions of pressing issues. James’ work
ranges across every aspect of personnel management: staffing,
HR planning, performance management, training, compensation,
industrial relations and also, at the Mataura plant, health
and safety management.
Two other team members work with James in these tasks:
the paymaster, who handles salary administration
for the process workers at Mataura, while
James handles the salaried staff; and the health
and safety assistant, a former nurse, who helps
James to run and co-ordinate the many health
and safety training and development initiatives
at the plant.
The Mataura plant currently employs over
850 process workers and up to 70 salaried
staff. Some local families have three generations
currently working at the plant, where a
number of employees have clocked up over
50 years of service.
The small town feel brings a positive atmosphere
and sense of community to the
workplace, allowing James to enjoy a much
more personal relationship with current employees
which helps him assess potential
workers. Employing several members of one
family is a relatively common occurrence and
can make recruitment easier in some cases, as
the personnel team will have at least a minimal
Alliance Mataura’s James
Neylon
background knowledge of potential skills or drawbacks a new
employee may bring to the workplace.
Originally from the Southland-Otago area, James became
the personnel manager at the Mataura plant just three years
ago, having first entered the industry in the 1980s. Originally,
James worked at the slaughter board at the Makarewa plant,
took a pause to work in the forestry industry for a few years,
then returned to beef and lamb boning at the Mataura plant for
10 years. Having always enjoyed working with people James
expressed an interest in transferring to personnel management.
Although he had already been put through the Diploma of
Meat Technology at Massey by the Alliance Group earlier in
his career, James took the initiative and took some correspondence
courses from the Diploma for Management for Personnel,
through the Southern Institute of Technology in Invercargill. On
completion of the correspondence course he was offered his
current position as personnel manager.
Today, James is writing up contracts for two new salaried
staff: a lab technician boilerman and a beef slaughter supervisor,
a process that has been complicated slightly by the advent
of Kiwisaver. The automatic enrolment of workers in Kiwisaver
adds to James’ and his paymaster’s workload,
creating a rush of work as employees opt out
of the scheme between the first two and eight
weeks of each season.
James’ day also includes some disciplinary
activities, which he finds the most challenging
part of his job. Today, this includes writing
rejection letters for a few workers who wished
to return next season, some written warnings,
and arranging return flights home for the 10
Malaysian halal slaughtermen working at Mataura.
There are also recruitment advertisements
to finalise - always an issue in Southland where
the unemployment rate is the lowest in the
country and the meat industry has to compete
with full time year-round work. IT, Health and
safety, and technical training must be organised,
and there is always work to be done on
salary administration, superannuation, and the
plant’s medical scheme.
Despite the constant workload, James is very positive about
his job and takes pride in being able to offer employment to
those in need, and to make the experiences of his employees at
the plant as good as they can be.
“The best parts of the job”, James explains, “are telling
someone there’s a position available for them; talking to a parent
who is over the moon because their 17 year old son has a
job; or taking a chance on someone who has been unemployed
for a reasonably long time and wants to roll their sleeves up
and get on with it. The meat industry has been extremely good
to me and I enjoy what I do - I’m in a position to help people
solve their problems.”
December 2008/January 2009
43

MIA NEWS
Meaty Morsels
Snippets from the vast array of research, technical, market and policy information received by the
Meat Industry Association
Ali Spencer
•
•
Development of geriatric designer diets - A visiting
American expert in animal sciences told the recent
‘Horizons in Livestock Sciences’ conference in Christchurch
that there is a growing focus on developing foods for
geriatrics. Dr Zerby, from
Ohio State University’s
Department of Animal
Sciences, said an
important part of this is
developing meat for the
elderly, who need food
that is easy to chew and
swallow as their salivary
glands start to wear out.
American researchers are
already working on such
meat, which will also
contain added zinc and
iron to ensure the elderly
obtain the levels of
micronutrients they need.
Some nursing homes in
the States already use
geriatric meal plans to
attract senior inhabitants.
Grass-fed New Zealand
beef and lamb is often
already leaner than the
meat produced by grainfed
animals, he noted,
‘The elderly need meat
that is easy to chew and
swallow,” Dr Henry Zerby
told Horizons delegates
but it is important to control portion size. Horizons was
sponsored by AgResearch and CSIRO.
New meat processor category in this year’s
‘Glammies’ - For the first time, the processor of this
year’s champion lamb will be recognised in this year’s
Golden Lamb Awards (the Glammies). Entries have opened
for sheep producers vying to become New Zealand’s
champion lamb producer. Entered carcasses will be
collected from plants around the country including Silver
Fern Farms, Wilson Hellaby, Taylor Preston, Alliance
Group, AFFCO (Land Meat NZ), Blue Sky Meats, Ashburton
Meat Processors and Wallace Corporation. The competition
will also feature a brand new section for best lamb retailer.
Finalist entries will be tasted by a panel of celebrities and
chefs in Wanaka on 13-14 March next year.
• Red meat industry wins funding for GHG footprinting
- The red meat industry (beef, mutton and venison) is one
of four primary industry sectors to have been awarded
money in a second round of funding to further develop its
greenhouse gas (GHG) footprinting capability, the Minister
of Agriculture Jim Anderton announced in November.
A total of $500,000 was awarded to red meat, pip fruit
and summer fruit sectors to enable them to develop
expertise in measuring and managing emissions across
their supply chains. The UK’s Department of Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), recently launched its
draft international carbon footprinting standard - the
PAS2050 - and underscores the importance of this work,
the Minister said. Japan will also launch carbon footprint
labels on food packaging and other products from the
Northern Hemisphere’s Spring next year (March/April).
They will provide detailed breakdowns on each product’s
carbon footprint under a voluntary government-approved
calculation and labelling system now being discussed by
the trade ministry and about 30 firms.
• SFF returns to profitability - Silver Fern Farm’s annual
results, released at the end of October, show that the
company, New Zealand’s largest marketer and exporter of
red meat, has returned to financial profitability. Figures for
the 12 months to end August 2008 showed that net profit
before member distributions and tax was $51.2 million
compared to a loss of $68.8 million for the same period
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44
AdvancedPackaging Silverson.indd 1
Food New Zealand
2/11/06 1:37:34 PM

•
•
•
•
last year. The company attributes this turnaround to a more
favourable exchange rate, increased throughputs and cost
containment measures aimed at improving operational
efficiency and reducing debt.
SFF severs partnership - The
financial sector’s turmoil hit the
PGG Wrightson(PGGW)/SFF
partnership and meant PGGW was
unable to pay the first instalment
of funds to SFF in October. This
left SFF with no alternative but to
terminate the agreement relating
to the proposal, according to the
meat company. This step provides
certainty to SFF shareholders and
other stakeholders, including
employees and suppliers, and
enables the company to move on,
chief executive Keith Cooper says.
SFF’s focus remains on making a
difference to the future strategy
and structure of the NZ red meat
industry, with the ultimate aim of
improving farmer returns.
Alliance Group increases
presence in North Island - South
Island farmer co-operative Alliance
Group has purchased the assets
of the North Island meat company
Levin Meats. Ownership of the plant
changed on 6 November. Company
chairman Owen Poole says Alliance
has confidence in the industry’s
future and was taking a long-term
strategic approach. The plant will
double Alliance Group’s lamb
and sheep capacity in the North
Island, as well as providing cattle
processing facilities. The acquisition
increases product availability during
the winter to match farmer support
and market demand, improving
customer service and increasing
sheep meat revenues overall. Poole
says the company’s market strategy
is to achieve maximum contribution
from every product item sold.
MIRINZ Inc funding recipient
Silver Fern
Farm’s chief
executive Keith
Cooper will be
pleased to see the
company return to
profitability
Alliance Group
chairman Owen
Poole is confident
enough in the
industry’s future
to buy into a
North Island meat
plant
recognised for excellence - Dr Nicola Simmons of
Carne Technologies Limited, has been named 2008 winner
of the International Meat Secretariat prize for scientific
and technological excellence in red meat research for
a plenary paper she presented at the International
Congress of Meat Science and Technology conference in
Cape Town, South Africa earlier this year. The IMS prize
recognises contributions to meat science knowledge,
industry application and meat science and technology. Dr
Simmons is part of the Carne team that has worked on
various projects for MIRINZ Inc, including the Meat Quality
Model, Super-tenderisation, Smart Stimulation and the Meat
Stretcher.
Scientific writing award to Cronshaw - Cantabrian
Tim Cronshaw, The Press’ agricultural editor, has won
this year’s AgResearch Science Writers Award for two
articles ‘The fine art of the ultimate fleece’ and ‘Unlocking
the fading secret’ that appeared in the Christchurchbased
newspaper. This was one of two prizes scooped
by Cronshaw in the New Zealand Guild of Agricultural
Journalists & Communicators’ annual awards. His other
award was the BNZ Farm Business Writing Award,
established to recognise high quality writing about farm
business. Cronshaw was runner up for the supreme BNZ
Rongo Award to Tony Benny of TVNZ’s Country Calendar.
• Supreme Champion found in sausage competition - A
‘moist and moreish’ cheese kransky from Hellers sizzled its
way to the top of this year’s Great New Zealand Sausage
Competition, organised by Retail Meat New Zealand. The
competition included 12 categories, three more than last
year. Judging took place over three days, with sausages
being judged in fresh and cooked form.
Sarah Walker (bottom right) is the latest Iron Maiden
in Beef+Lamb’s promotional campaigns. Others in the
picture are Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell, Tanya
Hart, Beef+Lamb’s New Zealand marketing/PR manager,
Sarah Ulmer and Beef+Lamb CEO, Rod Slater
• BMX Champion to join Beef+Lamb dancing stable
- Olympic BMXer Sarah Walker is joining Beef+Lamb’s
current Iron Maidens, Sarah Ulmer and Caroline and
Georgina Evers-Swindell, in consumer promotion
campaigns for New Zealand Beef and Lamb. Announcing
the appointment at the organisation’s 21st birthday party
in Auckland, chief executive Rod Slater says the sporting
partnerships over the past ten years have paid dividends
“beyond our wildest dreams.”
MIA NEWS
For further information on any of the above items contact the Meat Industry Association on 04 473 6465 or by
email info@mia.co.nz. Visit the web-site www.mia.co.nz.
December 2008/January 2009
45

FOOD TECHNOLOGY
Reviewing the situation:
Food Science and Technology in today’s world
Mary and Dick Earle
So, what is food technology
Preparation of food changes the raw constituents of our diet
into what we eat. Done in the home this is loosely called cooking;
it is a skilled art. However the modern world has moved
this very major human activity from the home towards industry.
In industry, the scale and resources justify extensive study,
based on knowledge but focused on its practical application.
This study is called food technology. In the abstract, it can be
seen as the study of controlled change: in practical terms, it
is everything needed to transform the raw materials into final
products that people need to eat to go on living; that people
wish to eat; that people can and will buy.
For industrial use, the transformation needs to be
systematic and controlled, which leads to the need
for quantitative skills and problem-solving skills in
manufacturing and food service, and inevitably
includes human and organisational dimensions
well beyond the technicalities of transformation.
Therefore food technology is widely
multi-disciplinary.
Science is systematic knowledge and
method. It must withstand tests for validity.
It has gained much credence
and respectability in the last 100
years and created the scientific age,
which is now growing into the technological
age. Science was extended
to become applied science, regarded
perhaps as diluted and somewhat
less refined. Technology is broader.
It is based on fundamental knowledge, but the concentration is
on application. The emphasis shifts from knowledge to doing
and accomplishing. In our view, the professional application of
systematic principles to food transformation is food technology,
differing in scope and emphasis from food science. However
as Keith Farrer has commented in his book on food science
and technology in Australia that one should always write “Food
Science and Technology is” because in his view the coupling
is both necessary and inescapable; they come together as one
whole. Members of NZIFST have both to know and to do, thus
making it appropriate to examine just what is implied. It includes
looking at knowledge, industry, and humanity, and moving
towards a philosophy.
Knowledge
INDUSTRY
Food science and technology is multidisciplinary and hence
unusual in a world orientated towards separate disciplines.
Many people, especially in the USA, call themselves food scien-
KNOWLEDGE
Philosophy
The Coupling Triangle
HUMANITY
tists and concentrate on a particular area, in earlier times mainly
chemistry, but gradually over the years microbiology, sensory
science and nutrition joined in; and then food engineering expanded
as an important area. These groups call themselves food
scientists and food engineers. But what of those multidisciplinarians
who design and control the foods, food processing and
distribution - the food technologists Somehow they have been
seen as a more lowly form of practitioner of these sciences. To
us, this seems an inversion of importance; the highest knowledge
should surely be taking the basics into action - technology
providing food and health to humanity and incorporating all the
skills needed for this.
A problem in partitioning off knowledge areas such as science
and engineering is that it makes it difficult to combine this
knowledge and then use it, through scientific application, to
develop products, production, and marketing which will meet
consumers’ needs. In the days of the craftsmen, development
used past experience. Sadly, craftsmen have long disappeared
from the larger food manufacturing operations. Food processing
in large plants is often run by people who do not have the long
46
Food New Zealand

and varied experience needed to build knowledge, especially
today with amalgamations, take-overs and closure of plants. So
there is a need to expand the multi-disciplinary knowledge over
the total area; in fact right along the whole food chain from land
and sea to the final consumer of the food.
Technologists use not only scientific research as a basis for
development but also their experience built over the years.
The difference between the craftsman’s and the technologist’s
use of experience is that the technologist has so much more
background, the chemical, physical, biological and mathematical
knowledge, to scientifically describe the changes and the
causes and their relationships. The technology they recognise
is wide and multidisciplinary. It is not narrowly concentrated as
most people see science. So in food science and technology we
are ahead of many other sciences because we do recognise that
there are no divisions into well defined areas. But we still have
to establish the multidisciplinary whole.
This is what was attempted in developing the Bachelor
of Technology degrees at Massey University. Around us were
strong academic forces leading the university into ever narrowing
areas of science and engineering. But an attempt was made
to build a broader basic knowledge which would serve both
the needs of industry and of humanity, and also provide the
understanding and skills to identify problems and solve them.
Food technology was the first course and by now it has had the
time to develop into an identifiable knowledge area recognised
widely throughout Australasia and South East Asia. It needs to
develop in new areas in the 21st century. More importantly, the
knowledge needs to be transferred to the food industry and
expanded by experience. There are a few large multinational
companies who have a significant part of the knowledge in
food science and technology today and the research and development
facilities to transfer it into practice, but there are large
sections of the food industry which have neither the skills nor
the knowledge.
Industry
NZIFST expands its online
educational resources
New, free online textbook - Fundamentals of Food
Reaction Technology – the Web Edition, by Richard L.
Earle and Mary D. Earle, www.nzifst.org.nz/foodreactiontechnology/
When Professor Dick Earle’s book Unit Operations
in Food Processing was published by NZIFST as a free
online textbook in early 2004, the people behind the
project had no idea how popular it would turn out to
be. Originally published in 1966, the English version
was by then 13 years out of print.
Four years later, Unit Operations in Food Processing
– the Web Edition is accessed by 850 people each day,
from all around the globe.
Based on this success, the authors Dick and Mary
Earle are pleased to announce that another, related text
has been published free online by NZIFST with the kind
permission of the copyright holders, Leatherhead Food
International Limited. Web editor is Chris Newey.
Fundamentals of Food Reaction Technology, which
discusses reaction technology in food processing, was
originally written as a companion text to Unit Operations,
and was published in 2003 by Leatherhead Food
International and the Royal Society of Chemistry.
It is essentially an introductory course in reaction
technology for all interested in food technology, food
engineering and food science. In this book, for example,
perhaps the most extensively used of the unit operations
– heat transfer and its applications – moves across
to cooking and preservation.
There are many other important transformation processes.
They all have the same quantitative bases which
can be treated systematically and explained under the
unifying system of reaction technology. The observed
changes can be sensory, physical, microbiological, but
basically they are chemical changes, and the rates of
change can be followed using quantitative kinetics analysis.
This is the knowledge included in Fundamentals of
Food Reaction Technology.
The book has been published so that individual
Chapters can be downloaded and printed (as Flashpaper
files), but like Unit Operations, the text will eventually
be expanded into a complete set of web pages,
including a set of answers to worked problems available
to teachers on request.
FOOD TECHNOLOGY
... in food science and technology we are ahead of many other sciences
because we recognise that there are no divisions into well defined
areas. We aim to establish a multidisciplinary whole
Major changes have occurred in food production, processing
and marketing. Small farms, factories and grocery stores have
developed into large agricultural organisations, and multinational
processing, fast food and supermarket companies, have been
created in order to produce large quantities of cheap food. A
major outcome has been the dominance of the supermarkets in
this chain - not only specifying the products that consumers can
buy, but also controlling processing, by contracting production
right back to the farms and by increasingly having plants of
their own. This has seen a contraction of processing by some
of the large multinationals with a consequential decrease in the
related research and development. There is global food production,
processing and distribution, but at the present time it is
not universal for all humanity’s needs and it is proving unstable
with the recent large increase in energy crops.
Another change is the move to more self-regulation in the
food industry and less government involvement in enforcement.
Food safety is an area for which the company is responsible.
Self-regulation demands higher ethical standards and also that
there be greater knowledge at the production and processing
levels. An added factor is the need for certification throughout
the food chain. This self-regulation needs an increase in technological
knowledge and in education, or the government will
have to take over again.
The increased interest in nutriceuticals and functional foods
at the research level will also sharply increase pressure on tech-
December 2008/January 2009
47

FOOD TECHNOLOGY
nological knowledge. In the past, if someone recommended
a diet, the industry would try to supply products for this diet.
There would be a cry for lower fat, sugar, or salt and we would
see fat replacement, sugar substitution and lower salt or salt
replacement. Today, there needs to be greater co-operation between
the industry, nutrition researchers and dieticians to build
reliable knowledge to prove the benefits of reformulations and
new products, not only on one aspect of health, but on the
total health of the consumers. In other words the food industry
needs to move towards the standards demanded of the pharmaceutical
industry.
Humanity
Humanity is moving to a dichotomy - rich, over-fed populations
and starving populations. Yes, there are political and economic
causes, which food scientists and technologists can only
influence but cannot counteract. But we can build the knowledge,
and its implementation, to help overcome the problems
of each group.
In the rich populations, there is a tendency for the consumers
to blame the food industry and therefore the food technologists
for their obesity because of the convenient, cheap, high
calorie foods that are marketed to them. There are societal/consumer
concerns about production and processing methods and
specific ingredients. Of course governments also become concerned
and put more regulations on to the food industry. There
are requirements for labels to include ingredients, nutritional
... throughout the world, there is a
need for coordinated effort to apply
the knowledge developed over
the years in the richer countries
to benefit the people lacking the
basic knowledge to preserve and
process food
values and, now, the place where the food was produced. In
other words, consumers and society want more knowledge of
what they are eating and also information and advertising that
are truthful.
Poor populations, in both the rich and poor countries, need
calories and provision of the basic nutritional needs such as
protein, vitamins and minerals, lack of which lead to deficiency
diseases. In the rich countries, poor people are moving back
towards the state of the European and American populations
before World War 2. During World War 2, there was a real effort
in Britain to provide everyone with their nutritional needs so
that the health of many was actually improved by the end of the
War. This showed how co-operation between nutritionists and
food technologists in research, development and production
leads to a balanced diet for many. ‘Nanny state’ maybe, but the
results were demonstrable. Knowledge of combining nutrition,
food processing and food products had increased markedly by
the end of this period, but were subsequently lost.
In the wider context of poor nutrition and, indeed, starvation
throughout the world, there is a need for coordinated effort
to apply the knowledge developed over the years in the richer
countries to the people lacking the basic knowledge to preserve
and process food.
The philosophy of Food Science
and Technology in the 21st century
Knowledge, industry and society are combined in building a
philosophy for food science and technology in the future. There
is a need for a modern philosophy to maintain, build, use and
transmit the knowledge and skills of food science and technology
with the moral aims to maintain the health and safety of the
population at an affordable cost.
The multidisciplinary knowledge of food science and
technology is developed by scientific research of nature and of
the technology itself. Industry develops from this knowledge
base but is of course driven by economic, commercial and indeed
political forces. It can be driven by creative innovation,
as can be seen in other technologies such as information technology
and indeed in the food industry in the 1960s and 70s.
There is a need for innovation today. Over the last 40 years a
great variety of scientific research has been published in the
food area but how can this be translated into innovation in the
food industry
Food technologists need to systematise and problem-solve,
but they also need to be creative and innovative. For example,
different food manufacturing processes have been broken
down to unit operations and the effects of different conditions
can be studied. Problems in processing can be identified and
new processes developed to give different and improved products.
Knowledge about food reactions, both in processing and
in distribution is growing and gradually, in reaction technology,
systems are being developed which can control the development
and the production of food products with known and
measured qualities.
There is a need to balance knowledge and innovation
so that the new developments do not lead to consumer or
societal ill-health or other problems but instead to the adequate
diet that we all need to remain healthy. Food science and
technology professionals need to have moral standards and
ethics which are the basis for their research, development and
production of food products. There also must be a moral understanding
of the effects of food production on the society such
as changes in the environment and the long term sustainability
of food chains.
The philosophy for the future in food science and technology
should be to seek multidisciplinary knowledge and apply
it in production, processing, and distribution so that everyone
has access to safe food that provides the nutrition necessary for
health at a price that can be afforded. This means that food science
and technology professionals must be aware of the wider
ramifications of their work as well as of the specialised knowledge
needed for their particular area.
Apply the knowledge
So all in all the food professionals should focus on application:
on understanding it and how it can be implemented, on
the measurement and prediction that brings it under control,
on the systems which empower and reinforce inspiration and
creativity, and on balancing the physical and human aspects so
necessary for solving the problems of giving people the food
they desire and need.
48
Food New Zealand

Book Review
Biofilms in the Food Environment
Edited by Hans P. Blaschek, Hua H Wang, Meredith E. Agle
2007, Blackwell Publishing, IFT Press, USA
ISBN-13:978-0-8138-2058-3/2007
BOOK REVIEW
Biofilms are the main source of microbial contamination of
foods although food manufacturers have only recently been
made aware of this fact.
This book introduces the topic and takes a balanced approach,
covering both harmful and beneficial biofilms. The
editors highlight the importance of biofilms in the management
of foodborne pathogens as well as focussing on colonisation
of the digestive tract by beneficial biofims. They also discuss
the harnessing of biofilms to create value added products. This
book provides a broad overview and is an excellent introduction
to biofilm issues in the food industry. It is best suited to
students requiring information on biofilms for their studies or
research.
Chapter 2 addresses the importance of microbial contaminaiton
on the surface of minimally processed fruits and vegetables.
This is a topical area of concern, particularly with the well
publicised outbreaks of food poisoning in the US attributed to
contamination of salad vegetables (spinach) with E. coli O157:
H7 and the recent association of tomatoes with Salmonella illness
in the US.
There are two chapters on Listeria monocytogenes, which is
appropriate given the importance of this pathogen to the food
industry. However, readers need to be aware that many other
foodborne pathogens can also be found as biofilms. The control
of L. monocytogenes is introduced in Chapter 3 and comprehensively
covered in Chapter 4. A relatively large section covers
the interactions between L. monocytogenes and other microorganisms
and reflects the abundant literature on this topic.
The topic of mixed-species biofilms, introduced with the
Listeria discussions, is dealt with in more detail in Chapter 5.
Detection and characterisation of the component species and
communication between species form the basis of this chapter.
This is an appropriate topic for general biofilms in the food
manufacturing environment. However, situations where species
are limited through the stresses of a normal manufacturing
process (e.g., heat) are also common in the food industry, for
example in a dairy manufacturing plant.
The topic of gastrointestinal biofilms is rarely covered by
books on biofilms. It is good to see that this is highlighted in
here, given the current emphasis in the food industry on probi-
otics. Food affects biofilms in many locations within the body
and there is growing interest in this area, for example with
prebiotics. This topic is likely to become more important when
formulating foods in the future.
Another beneficial aspect of biofilm research that is likely to
influence foods in the future is the preparation of value-added
products by harnessing the high biomass possible through biofilm
culture in bioreactors. The production of alcohols, organic
acids, enzymes and antibiotics has been well researched on
a laboratory scale and there is potential to develop economic
industrial-scale units. This topic is discussed in the final chapter
of the book.
While this is very much an introduction to biofilms in the
food industry, the key topics covered; biofilms and food safety,
the gut microbiota and bioreactor applications stimulate thinking
about some novel applications appropriate to the food industry.
Steve Flint,
IFNHH, Massey University
Palmerston North
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December 2008/January 2009
49

EVENTS
Australasian Courses and Conferences
January 30-31, 2009
Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration 2009
Queenstown, New Zealand
www.pinotcelebration.co.nz
February 9 - 20, 2009
FoodCompAustralia 2009 - Training course in Food Composition
data
Sydney, Australia
http://www.sseau.unsw.edu.au/docs/foodcomp/index.htm
February 24-25, 2009
IDF/DIAA Conference on Functional Dairy Foods
Melbourne, Australia
www.fil-idf.org
March 22-25, 2009
World Potato Congress 2009
Christchurch, New Zealand
www.wpcnz.org.nz
April 15-17, 2009
4th International Symposium on Spray Dried Dairy Products
Melbourne, Australia
www.icebergevents.com/spraydryingmelbourne09
June 23-25, 2009
NZIFST Conference 2009,
‘Food Elements:
Putting the Pieces Together’
Christchurch, NZ
www.nzifst.org.nz
Jun 21-22, 2009
South Island Hospitality
Show 2009
Christchurch, New Zealand
www.sihs.co.nz
September 27-30, 2009
2009 World Congress on Oils
and Fats & 28th ISF Congress
Sydney, Australia
www.isfsydney2009.com
November 17, 2009
10th Functional Foods Symposium
Owen Glenn Centre, Auckland
February 2010
Nutrigenomics New Zealand Conference,
Owen Glenn Centre, The University of Auckland
www.nutrigenomics.org.nz
March 21-24, 2010
5th IDF International Conference on Mastitis
Christchurch, NZ
www.fil-idf.org
November 4-11, 2010
IDF World Dairy Summit
Auckland, NZ
www.fil-idf.org
Riddet Institute Inaugural
Conference
16-18 February 2009, Palmerston North
The Riddet Institute, which last year became a government-funded
‘Centre of Research Excellence’, is holding a
conference in February next year to mark its establishment.
Over three days, the conference, entitled “The Future of
Food”, aimed at the food industry and food scientists and
will feature an impressive line-up of international and local
speakers.
Day one includes a half-day food industry summit for
CEOs, government policy makers and media. This is followed
by speakers on the topics of “Foods for Health and
Wellness” and “Future Foods” including presentations by
some of the Institute’s leading scientists. Day three is the
Harper Symposium, devoted to the theme of the “Future of
Milk Proteins”.
Conference speakers come from the UK, USA, Japan,
Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Riddet Institute co-director, Distinguished Professor Paul
Moughan, says, “The conference will be a pivotal gathering
for all those involved in the future of New Zealand’s
most important economic sector. This is a not-to-be-missed
event.”
A conference registration brochure can be found on the
Institute’s website www.riddet.ac.nz
New Zealand & Australia Sensory
Network Symposium
January 27 - 28, 2009, Auckland, Whangaparaoa Peninsula
We have two great speakers lined up for the Symposium this
year - this is an opportunity you don’t want to miss!
One-day workshop
The joys and frustrations of working with trained panels
Presenter: Suzanne Pecore from General Mills (USA)
Half-day workshop
Applying group dynamics theory to trained panels and discussion
groups
Presenter: Tara Connell from Peak Partners (NZ)
Half-day discussion
Presentations on latest research from sensory scientists and
students
Debate how NZ/OZ sensory professionals fit into the global
sensory community
For more information or to register contact Veronika Jones at
veronika.jones@fonterra.com
Cost - $550 NZIFST/AIFST member, $625 non member, $300
students
Details on venue at Shakespear Lodge
http://www.arc.govt.nz/albany/main/parks/our-parks/
parks-in-the-region/shakespear
50
Food New Zealand

International Conference Diary
List compiled by Dr David Everett, University of Otago
EVENTS
February 1-4, 2009
ProSweets Cologne 2009
Cologne, Germany
www.prosweets-cologne.com
February 23-26, 2009
2nd International Hospitality
Fair
Bengaluru (Bangalore), India
www.internationalhospitalityfair.
in
March 10-13, 2009
Anuga FoodTec 2009
Cologne, Germany
www.anugafoodtec.com
March 25-27, 2009
Dairy Structures - Health and
Functionality
Wadahl Mountain Resort,
Norway
wenche.traneid@umb.no
April 1-3, 2009
Third International IUPAC
Symposium on Trace Elements
in Food
Rome, Italy
www.tef3-2009.it/welcome.html
April 5-8, 2009
CoFE 09 - the Conference of
Food Engineering
Columbus, Ohio, USA
www.cofe09.org
April 20-24, 2009
Tharp & Young “On Ice Cream”,
Asia Pacific Edition
Singapore
www.onicecream.com
April 20-24, 2009
IDF Dairy Science and
Technology Week
Rennes, France
www.fil-idf.org
April 22-24, 2009
Total Food 2009 - Sustainability
of the Agri-Food Chain
Norwich, UK
www.ifr.ac.uk/totalfood2009
May 11-12, 2009
Grains are Functional
Berlin, Germany
www.icc.or.at/igv17_first_
announcement.pdf
May 16-20, 2009
Codex Committee on Food
Additives
Beijing, China
www.codexalimentarius.net/
web/webindex_en.jsp
May 18-22, 2009
IDF/ISO Analytical Week
Kislovodsk, Russia
www.fil-idf.org
May 23-27, 2009
Codex Committee on
Contaminants in Foods
The Hague, The Netherlands
www.codexalimentarius.net/
web/webindex_en.jsp
May (tentative), 2009
Codex Committee on Food
Labelling
Ottawa, Canada
www.codexalimentarius.net/
web/webindex_en.jsp
June, 2009
IDF Regional Symposium on
Dairy-based Infant Formulas and
Fermented Milks
Huhhot, China
www.fil-idf.org
June 6-10, 2009
Institute of Food Technologists
Anaheim, California, USA
www.ift.org
June 9-11, 2009
Food and Function 2009,
International Scientific
Conference on Nutraceuticals
and Functional Foods
Zilina, Slovakia
www.foodandfunction.com
June 15-18, 2009
International Symposium on
Food Rheology and Structure
Zurich, Switzerland
www.isfrs.ethz.ch
24 June 2009
ICBFE 2009 - International
Conference on Biotechnology
and Food Engineering
Paris, France
www.waset.org/wcset09/paris/
icbfe/
July 1-3, 2009
4th International Dietary Fibre
Conference
Vienna, Austria
www.icc.or.at/events/df09/
July 12-16, 2009
American Dairy Science
Association
Montreal, Québec, Canada
www.adsa.org
July 26-30, 2009
8th Pangborn Sensory Science
Symposium
Florence, Italy
www.pangborn2009.com
August 10-15, 2009
World Soybean Research
Conference VII
Beijing, China
www.wsrc2009.cn/en/index.asp
September 7-9, 2009
10th International Gluten
Conference
Clermont Ferrand, France
www.icc.or.at
September 9-11, 2009
International Society for
Mycotoxicology Conference
Tulln, Austria
www.ism2009.at
September 14-19, 2009
Drinktec
Munich, Germany
www.drinktec.com/link/
en/15610366
September 20-24, 2009
IDF World Dairy Summit
Berlin, Germany
www.fil-idf.org
September 30 - October 2,
2009
6th NIZO Dairy Conference:
Dairy ingredients: Innovations in
Functionality
Papendal, The Netherlands
www.nizodairyconf.elsevier.
com/index.asp
October 18-21, 2009
3rd International Symposium
on Delivery of Functionality in
Complex Food Systems
Wageningen, The Netherlands
www.delivery-of-functionality.
com
October 21-23, 2009
Flour- Bread ‘09 5th
International/7th National
Congress of Cereal
Technologists
Opatija, Croatia
November 2-6, 2009
Codex Committee on Nutrition
and Foods for Special Dietary
Uses
Germany
www.codexalimentarius.net/
web/webindex_en.jsp
November 9-13, 2009
Codex Committee on Food
Import and Export Inspection
and Certification Systems
Australia
www.codexalimentarius.net/
web/webindex_en.jsp
November 16-21, 2009
Codex Committee on Food
Hygiene
Washington DC, USA
www.codexalimentarius.net/
web/webindex_en.jsp
November 17-19, 2009
Food ingredients Europe 2009
Frankfurt, Germany
europe2009.fi-events.com/
content/default.aspx
2010
February 4-5, 2010
Envietech
Vienna, Austria
May 17-21, 2010
IDF/ISO Analytical Week
Montreal, Canada
www.fil-idf.org
June/July 2010
ICC Vienna Conference
Vienna, Austria
www.icc.or.at
June 7-11, 2010
Microstructure of Dairy
Products, and Symposium on
Science and Technology of
Fermented Milk
Tromsø, Norway
www.fil-idf.org
July 11-15, 2010
American Dairy Science
Association
Denver, Colorado, USA
www.adsa.org
July 17-21, 2010
Institute of Food Technologists
Chicago, Illinois, USA
www.ift.org
August 23-31, 2010
IUFoST World Congress
Cape Town, South Africa
www.iufost.org
August 26-27, 2010
ICC Symposium
Cape Town, South Africa
www.icc.or.at
If you would like us to include your course or conference in this listing contact Dr David Everett, DrCheese@mac.com
December 2008/January 2009
51

52
Food New Zealand