Food New Zealand June/July 2020

Official magazine of the International Congress of Food Science and Technology J une /J uly 2020

NZ’s Authority on Food Technology, Research and Manufacturing

Featured in this issue: Overview: Laboratory consumables, equipment and instrumentation plus test kits Traveller’s Tale: Colin Pitt visits a tea plantation in Southern India Chinese consumers’ preferences for fermented meat products Biobased, biodegradable and compostable packaging – shedding light on the confusion

The official Journal of The New zealand institute of food science and technology inc.

Contents

NZ’s Authority on Food Technology, Research and Manufacturing

J une /J uly 2020 | Volume 20, No.3 ISSN 1175 – 4621

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Editorial

5

In-Brief

10

OVERVIEW

19

FIET Project UPDATE

News, views and information from around and about

Laboratory consumables, equipment and instrumentation plus test kits

The natural proteolytic enzymes in meat

22

Mike Boland, Seah Xin Hui and Lovedeep Kaur

FOOD SAFETY FSANZ: Emerging risks: lifting our gaze MPI: New Zealand Food Safety Update

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TRAVELLER'S TALE Observations of the South Indian tea industry

Colin Pitt, MNZIFST

Contacts Peppermint Press Ltd 5 Rupi Court, Mt Wellington Auckland 1072, New Zealand Phone 64 21 901 884 www.foodnz.co.nz Food NZ is mailed to 2500 individuals, primarily in New Zealand, and overseas.

An online edition is shared internationally.

Visit www.foodnz.co.nz to subscribe.

Copyright © 2020 Peppermint Press No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any form by any means (graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping information retrieval systems, or otherwise) without the written permission of Peppermint Press. The views expressed in this journal are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the view of the Publisher, the Scientific Review Board, NZIFST or MIA.

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Food New Zealand

10 Director and Editor Anne Scott, Peppermint Press Limited anne@foodnz.co.nz Director and Writer Dave Pooch, Peppermint Press Limited dave@foodnz.co.nz Advertising Anne Scott, anne@foodnz.co.nz 021 901 884 Design and Layout Johanna Paynter, Pix Design, Regular Contributors Richard Archer, Laurence Eyres, Dave Pooch, David Everett, Rosemary Hancock

Published by Peppermint Press Limited Printed by Print Lounge Auckland Notice to Contributors When submitting editorial for Food New Zealand please observe the following, Editorial to be submitted as plain text files, NO FORMATTING please. Images should be sent as high resolution .jpg or .tiff files. Do not embed images in word documents, send separate files. Any images smaller than 500 kb may not be printed as the clarity of the print may be compromised.

Advertisers Material specification sheet and rate card on website, www.foodnz.co.nz

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PACKAGING

Biobased, biodegradable and compostable packaging Gordon Robertson FNZIFST Let’s be truthful about Sustainable Packaging Claims on-pack Nerida Kelton MAIP, Executive Director - Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP)

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OILS & FATS

Laurence Eyres, FNZIFST

36

RESEARCH

Thoughts on COVID-19 mitigation with oils and fats

Chinese consumers’ preferences for fermented meat products

36

Anne Marie Manzano, Di Lu, Joanne Hort and Li Day

40 NZIFST News, including:

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New Members Branch News

On the cover JOIN NZIFST NOW for Executive Manager, Rosemary Hancock PO Box 5574, Terrace End, Palmerston North 4441, New Zealand Phone: 06 356 1686 or 021 217 8298, Email: rosemary@nzifst.org.nz, Website: www.nzifst.org.nz Meat Industry Association of New Zealand Inc. Tim Ritchie, Chief Executive PO Box 345, Wellington Phone: 04 473 6465, Fax: 04 473 1731

Professional Development Networking – connecting with your peers Regular information about your industry Recognition through awards, scholarships, travel grants www.nzifst.org.nz/join/

Although highly technical, computer controlled instrumentation has transformed food testing, laboratory glassware will never go out of use.

Photo: Pavlo Pyvovar

next issue: August/September 2020 Next editorial and advertising deadline: July 20th, 2020 Features for August/September 2020 Preview: Foodtech Packtech, 20-22 September Part III of the Kombucha series.

June/July 2020

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EDITORIAL EDITORIAL All hail the Worshipful Company of Food Techies I have been musing on professions and professionals. Where did these concepts come from? Today we watch professional football or cricket on TV (although right now they are mainly re-runs). We see professional soldiers and entertainers. Sex workers are professionals. And of course, doctors and teachers and lawyers and engineers are on the top of most people’s list of “what is a profession?” Food Technology? Clearly a profession, probably lumped in somewhere near engineers.

Professionals have knowledge and skills beyond the reach of the untrained person in their field. This takes a long time to acquire. Traditionally, a “true” professional is university educated and has passed rigorous testing against a recognised standard. Entry into a true profession is guarded. A professional must meet the standard, must adopt the attitudes and display the manners of the profession. They undertake to follow a code of behaviours. The more serious professions censure people for breaking the code, to the point of expulsion.

Clearly a Profession denotes a reasonably coherent body of people. Professionals get paid so must offer something of value. And what they sell is a valued service: advice or expertise, not a physical object. Even where an engineer makes something, they design and build someone else’s thing from someone else’s stuff.

Richard Archer, President NZIFST

Codes of ethics can be very useful to members of a profession having to fight battles as the lone voice amongst those with different viewpoints. They give guidance and give the member the right to call for support from all their professional colleagues.

Codes evolve as society and mores evolve. When I first joined NZIE last century, I recall one article of the code forbade an engineer from criticising another. Now the Engineering NZ code forbids an engineer not to dob in an erring member.

Whistleblowing has become obligatory.

The NZIFST is a strong professional body but it also needs to evolve and wriggle to make sure it provides what its members want. And probably not so much the core members but those on the edge – those who might leave, or might join, or might find meetings hard to get to and miss the camaraderie available there.

I have great admiration for the Guilds of old. I think our professions probably grew from the guilds, but recognising the collegeeducated rather than those trained through apprenticeship. The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers is one of the oldest livery companies in the city of London and still nurtures the useful arts of making new shoes from leather. For centuries its masters would have signed indentures with the fathers of young boys to take them into their households and workshops for perhaps 12 years. The boy was slave and learner, the master was teacher and provider – some better than others. When his time was up, the young man left to ply his trade as a daily employee – he became a journeyman (note “jour” meaning day; and note they were always “he” back then). In some trades, travelling for at least three years, in livery, was mandatory for a journeyman, plying his trade in different towns in different lands for different masters. After the required period the young man could submit an item of work to the guild in his chosen city. If judged good enough he would be admitted as a Master in his own right. Then he took on the obligations of maintaining standards and maintaining prices for the good of the Guild. He also took responsibility for looking after the ailing and failing of their number and the dependents of members who fell victim to disease or accident.

NZIFST still has a lot of the good of the old Guild in its bones. We too have obligations to maintain standards, to recognise excellence and to help each other when we need help. We are very lucky to have many very good members for whom this is right and natural. Long live the Worshipful Company of Food Technologists in these our parishes.

Richard Archer, FNZIFST, President NZIFST

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Food New Zealand

IN-BRIEF

In-Brief In-brief is Food New Zealand’s pick of the news stories about NZIFST members, about companies with relationships with NZIFST plus items that catch our interest.

Gold medals for NZ Olive Oils New Zealand olive oils have won seven Gold Medals at the 2020 New York International Olive Oil Competition.

Olive growers from Waiheke to Wairarapa, Kapiti and Nelson to Canterbury won top accolades at the competition, considered to be one of the most prestigious in the world. New Zealand oils shone, achieving best-ever results against 26 other countries.

Stephen Davies Howard, owner of Loopline in the Wairarapa, won two golds, one each for his Picholene and Picual oils.

He says if New Zealanders ever needed a reason to buy local, the time is now.

Welcome To Source Online Keeping you connected to your suppliers all year round.

Look for the red OliveMark to ensure you are buying the authentic New Zealand EVOO

All you need to do is click the link in the graphic above and start browsing.

By supporting your Foodtech Packtech exhibitors, we can all help New Zealand get moving again.

Foodtech Packtech will take place 22-24 September 2020 Attendance is free for all trade professionals.

Woodside Bay Olive Oils on Waiheke Island is owned by Angela and John Goodwin and also won a gold medal. They have only 200 trees but say they’ve shown others you don’t need a massive orchard or large amounts of capital investment to create world-beating olive oil.

Due to volumes available, most of the boutique produced New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil isn’t sold in supermarkets.

Gayle Sheridan, CEO of Olives NZ, wants to encourage people to seek out our locally made, world-beating oils; buying directly from growers online, at speciality retail stores or farmers markets when they resume.

Who is your New Zealand Food Hero?

Who’s your New Zealand Food Hero?

“New Zealand has a maritime climate and a different environment from traditional olive-growing countries. Like the New Zealand wine industry, we produce distinctive and complex tasting oils that are suited to a variety of uses. Our olive oil is fresh, and fresh tastes best.

The full list of New Zealand winners include Woodside Bay (Waiheke Island), Olea Estate (Wairarapa), Loopline (Wairarapa), Kapiti Olives (Kapiti), Kakariki (Nelson) and Old French Road (Canterbury). People should look for the red OliveMark to ensure they are buying the authentic New Zealand EVOO product.

Imported products are not required to meet the same stringent standards.

In these trying times, we want to help businesses trade again and have developed an online platform to help you source the products you need, prior to Foodtech Packtech 2020.

Nominate your Food Hero for the 2020 New Zealand Food Awards.

The New Zealand Food awards, powered by Massey University, have shifted from their usual programme to celebrate the unsung heroes of the food and beverage industry during COVID-19.

“Rather than skip a year, we want to take this opportunity to shine a light on the essential workers in the food and beverage sector and those who have really made a difference,” says Massey University ViceChancellor Professor Jan Thomas.

Loopline Olive Oils won two gold medals at the New York International Olive Oil Competition

“The work that has continued to be undertaken by our food industries on the frontline has been invaluable, and I think New Zealand has come to see their role in a new light in recent weeks.”

Get behind Aotearoa's #NZFoodHeroes by nominating organisations or people – from the truckies delivering goods, to farmers, fruit pickers, food manufacturers and frontline checkout operators. Visit Foodawards.co.nz/heroes to nominate your heroes!

June/July 2020

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IN-BRIEF

DSM Together we can help combat the viral epidemic.

Viral infections are currently of grave global public health concern, as more cases and related deaths of COVID-19 are reported worldwide every day. Certain vulnerable population groups, such as elderly people and young children, can be at higher risk.

Management of viral infections includes standard public health practices to help reduce the spread of respiratory tract infections, as well as reliance on the body’s immune response.

Against this background, a panel of global experts in nutrition reviewed the role of micronutrients and omega-3 fatty acids in their support of an effective immune system.

A strong immune system is the body’s defence against nondesirable and illness-causing agents like microbes and viruses.

Furthermore, a strong immune system is indispensable to effectively manage and recover once infected. Several micronutrients such as the vitamins A, B6, C, D and E, omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), selected trace elements, such as zinc and selenium, and polyphenols support the development and maintenance of a strong immune system. Therefore, adequate intake and consumption of these micronutrients is a costeffective and an efficient way to boost immunity. Please refer to DSM’s website to review the white paper which elaborates the role each of them play in favour of the human immune system.

We share a mission to help keep the world’s growing population healthy. From concept to consumption, see how our innovate science-based health and nutrition solutions and expert services can meet the needs of your target consumers. Let’s stay on this path together.

TeraHertz imaging for food inspection Terahertz (THz) imaging scanners by Terasense offer imaging sensors for the non-destructive analysis of the internal structure of objects making them ideal for applications in food inspection and detecting the contents of packages. THz imaging is far superior to infrared, visual, and X-ray inspection methods.

Food manufacturers can use a terahertz food scanner to check if a pickand-place robotic arm has put all candy bars into a cardboard carton.

Seeing through cardboard or PE packaging poses no problem to THz imaging scanners as individual chocolate bars can be wrapped in any material, even metal-containing foil, which is impervious to THz rays.

Reports of insects and other foreign objects found in food are a serious cause of concern for consumers, food manufacturers, and retailers alike. THz imaging systems can easily detect a common housefly through several polyethylene bags, even if total thickness of such PET coating exceeds 20 mm.

Terahertz sensing can see through any packaging material, even metal-containing foil

Detecting metal or plastic debris inside food packaging can also be performed with THz imaging scanners

that contaminates peanuts, corn, hazelnuts, and other grain crops and oil plants. For instance, with the aid of THz imagers, industrial customers can detect any sign of infections such as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, which secrete the extremely dangerous carcinogen Aflatoxins B1.

Terasense imaging systems also reveal carcinogenic Mycotoxin fungus

Terasense equipment is available from SciTech Pty Ltd

FOOD TESTING Cawthron delivers industry leading analytical testing, reliable results and market changing insight.

• Method development and validation team • IANZ (ISO) accreditation • Food safety • GMP certified for Nutraceuticals • Export certification • Label claims 6

Food New Zealand

Ph: +64 3 548 2839 www.cawthron.org.nz

IN-BRIEF

SOLUTIONS What do you want to create today?

Heat and Control’s newest oil filtration technology for fried foods is creating safer and more efficient food manufacturing lines

OilSaver 700 from Heat and Control Heat and Control recently added the OilSaver Filtration System to its Oil Management System lineup.

The OilSaver extends the life of frying oil with continuous high efficiency filtration down to 10 microns. The OilSaver preserves frying oil quality by removing solids (coating, crumbs, etc.) using high efficiency filtration during production while the fryer is in use. The OilSaver can be used with any fryer and keeps frying oil in good condition for coated protein products, peanuts, snack foods, appetisers, and other fried foods.

Across industries and specialised solutions.

applications,

we

design

In addition, OilSaver’s vacuum technology makes it the safest option on the market with no chance of spraying dangerous, hot oil from the system.

For 70 years our solutions set the standard for yield, efficiency, and safety across a wide range of industries.

The versatile OilSaver accommodates up to 227 litres (60 gallons) per minute in a small area. The dry cake discharge recovers large quantities of oil and returns the recovered oil back to the fryer.

Our smart and flexible conveying systems keep your line running smoothly. Our innovative, gentle and dependable conveying systems move, size, accumulate and proportionately feed product improving full line efficiency, reducing waste and optimising sanitation.

Every component of Heat and Control’s oil management solutions is designed to maximise oil quality and improve energy efficiency.

With advanced control over oil heating, filtration, transfer, cooling, and storage, as well as rapid oil turnover rate, you’ll be able to create fresh and delicious products.

Contact Heat and Control experts to help you design the optimal solution to your specific requirements.

Established in 1950, Heat and Control is a privately-owned company with a global team that has built an extensive knowledge bank and developed a wealth of experience and expertise. Access to production and technical support from a network of engineers, food technicians, field service technicians, skilled tradespeople, and support teams provide food manufacturers with confidence to achieve production goals.

Whatever your conveying needs, we can meet it with precision and passion.

www.heatandcontrol.com | info@heatandcontrol.com

www.heatandcontrol.com FoodNZ_JuneJuly2020_90.5w x 260h_3mmBleed.indd 1

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IN-BRIEF

What does coronavirus mean for food company strategy?

A review by New Nutrition Business Consumers are taking to baking in a big way and flour is disappearing from supermarket shelves as soon as they’re restocked. Sales of Vitamin C-rich oranges are up and consumers are increasingly searching online for immunity and digestion products.

“From Australia to America, Portugal to Scotland, companies have been contacting us to ask what they should be thinking about, what are the lasting changes are that being wrought by the pandemic, and what they might mean for their strategies,” says Julian Mellentin, food industry expert and director of consultancy, New Nutrition Business.

In a new report, Food & Nutrition Strategy in a Coronavirus World – 20 questions to help shape your strategy, Mellentin sets out, and responds to, the most common questions including: • Will there be fewer brands and fewer start-ups?

• What will happen to the big consumer trends?

• Will local become more important?

• Will packaging stage a comeback?

• Is there a place for indulgence?

• Will immunity dominate NPD and innovation?

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Food New Zealand

“Immunity is certainly coming back as a significant consumer interest in the west (although in Asia it never went away),” says Mellentin.

As the chart shows, consumers’ Google searches for immunity were flat for a long time, and always lower than popular subjects such as digestive health. But recently there has been a surge in consumer searches that use terms such as “immunity boost” and “immunity foods”.

Among foods and ingredients there will be both winners and losers. “In the short term (12-18 months) the biggest winners are likely to be any ingredients that support the microbiome – and particularly probiotics – and any nutrient or food that has an established link with immunity in people’s minds,” Mellentin says.

“Consumer motivation to boost their immune health has for many years been an element in the success of many products in Asia, such as chicken broth and kiwifruit (Zespri, the world’s biggest kiwifruit grower, markets its fruit in Asia for its immune-boosting high content of vitamin C).

“Covid-19 has now provided a sharp reminder to western consumers, too, that there are good reasons to carefully choose items that contribute to the health and well-being of the individual and the family.”

IN-BRIEF

“There has never been a more promising future for immunity and probiotics,” Mellentin adds.

Product developers also need to monitor what solutions are being proposed on social media.

Influencers are often as powerful as traditional beliefs – as seen by the recent surge of interest in elderberry, which has enjoyed a 137% increase in Google searches. Among internet influencers it has been one of the most-mentioned “foods for immunity”.

There are also strong growth prospects for plant-based. “There was a surge of interest on Instagram and other social media about plant-based in March 2020, illustrating that the alreadypositive image of fruits and vegetables will continue to strengthen,” says Mellentin.

Mellentin’s report doesn’t set out to predict exactly what is going to happen or what companies must do – as the global pandemic steadily morphs into an economic crisis, no one can forecast the future with any certainty. Its purpose is to: The report aims to set out what the most likely impacts on strategy will be and enable companies to think in a structured way about what might change for their business, and how their strategy should evolve to respond to the changes. It includes several “what does it mean for business” check-lists to help companies large and small to think through the next 12-18 months.

Food & nutrition strategy in a coronavirus world – 20 questions to help shape your strategy is available at www.new-nutrition.com

Country of Origin Labelling Legislation delayed The Government has been consulting on the Consumer Information Standards (Origin of Food) Regulations 2019 - following new laws passed in late 2018 which demanded clarity for consumers around the origin of food products, including cured pork like bacon and ham.

Due to the disruption caused by COVID-19, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has announced a 12-month delay in recommending the regulations.

They are now due by 4 June 2021 and will commence in December 2021 - more than 18 months from now.

Harrington’s Smallgoods has submitted and provided feedback on the Consumer’s Right to Know (Country of Origin of Food) Act at each stage, and is currently asking the Government to include sausages within the regulations and more clearly prescribe the rules around the size and placement of the country of origin labels.

June/July 2020

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OVERVIEW

Overview – Laboratory consumables, equipment and instrumentation plus test kits

Alphatech Systems Acorn Scientific Acorn Scientific has been supplying New Zealand laboratories with specialised scientific products since 1997 and are the exclusive New Zealand suppliers for a number of overseas manufacturers.

We sell and service a wide range of laboratory equipment and products and specialise in sterilisation, hygiene monitoring, electrochemistry, refrigeration/freezing and data-logging solutions.

We select products to supply based on quality and reliability. We do offer some unique products for niche applications from years of experience supplying the food industry.

Acorn Scientific is a privately-owned New Zealand business with a relatively new management team who are committed to providing expertise and products for customer solutions.

The products we supply to the food industry include: • Sterilisation: Rodwell and Icanclave autoclaves. 3M and Excelsior sterilisation monitoring supplies.

• Water purification: Heal Force laboratory water purification systems.

• Microbiology products: 3M Petrifilm plates for quality indicator testing and sampling products.

• Hygiene monitoring: 3M Clean-trace rapid hygiene monitoring products including both ATP and protein detection technology. We are the service agent for 3M luminometers.

• Allergen testing: New range of 3M Allergen testing products.

• Data-logging: Vaisala temperature and humidity environmental monitoring products and data logging for pasteurisation monitoring (Star-Oddi) and other specialist applications.

• Electrochemistry: pH and conductivity monitoring and other electrochemistry testing products from TPS, Jenway, Ionode, Hanna and others.

• Refrigeration/Freezing: Arctiko, So-Low, Haier and CLST. All cooling applications.

• Separation and handling: Glenammer high quality laboratory sieves.

Alphatech Systems, 100% New Zealand owned and operated, is now celebrating 37 years’ service to the Food Science Community.

The testing for chemicals is essential to understanding their fate and potential environmental impact.

Alphatech brings you these quality brands covering your every need: Biochrom/WPA’s range of Libra Scanning UV/Vis Spectros, including double beam and variable bandwidth.

Cooper-Atkins’ thermometry, including their outstanding meters and probe/sensor customisations for use in the food and beverage sectors.

Eutech Instruments’ renowned food and water analysis instruments including pH/mV/Ion-specific, temperature, Conductivity/Resistivity/TDS and Salinity, DO, Turbidity and Colorimeter meters.

Horiba’s high-quality equipment for water and food testing; they will also create applications to use these meters with your sample (pH, ORP, EC, TDS, DO).

Human Corporation’s laboratory and high capacity RO water systems, from Type 1 Ultra-Pure to high capacity RO systems for research, general lab and industrial applications Laboratoires Dujardin-Salleron’s traditional range of wine analysis apparatus including Ebulliometers, Sulfilysers, Hydrometers and Titrators.

Multisensor Systems’ water and air analysers specialising in hydrocarbon analysis, oil in water detection, THM and ammonia analysis, for use in protecting potable and waste water.

Optika’s specialty instruments for refractometry, sugar purity, optical rotation, and polarimetry.

Pratt Safety’s UN-certified DG Cabinets from 30L-425L. The range covers Classes 3 Flammable Liquids, 4 Flammable Solids, 5 Oxidizing Agents, 5.1 Organic Peroxides, 6 Toxic Substances, and 8 Corrosives.

• Wine testing: Vintessential enzymatic test kits.

Precisa’s Balances with capacity/resolutions ranging from 125g (0.01mg) to 12.2kg (0.1g). The range extends to industrial scales, moisture balances and automatic ashing.

The new 390 and 520 Series Balances with Tablet Style Touch Screens are so intuitive you hardly need a manual!

We also offer a general range of laboratory products including Centrifuges, Incubators, Shaking Water Baths, Ovens, Incubators, Spectrophotometers UV and Visible, Stirrers, Ultrasonic Cleaning Baths, Shakers

VICAM, a Waters Corporation company, offers a complete line of qualitative and quantitative rapid diagnostic test kits, strips and instruments for testing mycotoxins in food, feed and grain products.

• Safety cabinets: Heal-Force Class ll Biological Safety Cabinets and Laminar Flow Cabinets , Monmouth fume cupboards.

Call us - Customer Service at Alphatech. Web: www. alphatech.co.nz

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Food New Zealand

OVERVIEW OVERVIEW

Chr. Hansen With consumer dietary preferences everevolving, the demand for lactose-free dairy products is booming. New Nutrition Business in 2019 reported that lactosefree milk sales were growing at 14% each year. We also know that consumers are increasingly focusing on the safety and quality of the food brands they purchase and consume. Trust and transparency from food companies is paramount (Red Associates for Chr. Hansen).

LactoSens®R is a new biosensor assay kit from Chr. Hansen for the determination of LactoSens®R is a new biosensor assay kit from Chr. Hansen lactose in a wide range of lactose-free and low lactose dairy products. Applications include milk, yoghurt, cream, • Detection limit of 0.008% – below the regulatory threshold of powdered milk, fresh cheeses and even flavoured milk, which up until 0.01% now had been challenging. This kit is suitable for all commonly used • Resilient and robust against historic interferences such as lactases and ensures robust documentation of low lactose or lactose vitamins, sugars, fruits, coffee, chocolate and other ingredients free claims for every batch.

• Intuitive software to ease use and minimise training LactoSens®R enables fast and reliable lactose results • Automatic generation of a PDF for documentation as well as • Prompt results in few minutes, enabling increased productivity enabling export of data in .csv format for storage and future and allowing for immediate product release analysis and reference • Highest precision due to the robust reader and factory calibrated LactoSens®R is the result of more than 10 years of research and the sensors core technology platforms are protected by 2 different patents. The • Validated against HPLC method - the only rapid method which has obtained this validation

sensor production and kit assembly are all accredited by ISO 9001 certification.

Rapid lactose testing with LactoSens®R Resilient & Robust › works in flavoured applications Detection limit of 0.008% › high accuracy and below the threshold limit of 0.01%

Chr. Hansen Pty Ltd 49 Barry St, Bayswater, VIC 3153 +61 3 9762 9600 www.chr-hansen.com

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June/July 2020

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OVERVIEW

Anton Paar New Zealand Anton Paar is a world leader in the measurement of density, concentration of dissolved CO2/O2 and in the field of material characterisation, viscometry/rheometry, process instrumentation and provides custom-tailored automation and robotic solutions.

Laboratory and process measuring instruments from Anton Paar are used in the control of incoming goods, quality control and research

throughout the food industry. The product portfolio ranges from portable measuring instruments over high-precision automated laboratory or process measurement technology to individual industryspecific solutions. Moreover, Anton Paar now offers 3 years warranty on instruments in conjunction with the recommended maintenance intervals.

The products we supply to the food industry include: • Adsorption Analysers - measure high-resolution physisorption, chemisorption and vapour sorption isotherms for precise pore size, surface area, and specific gas/solid interactions • Density Meter - Accuracy in density and concentration measurement.

• Microwave Digestion - Digestion of samples for evaporation, acid leaching, and extractions

Peace of mind

Food & Water Testing Eurofins Food and Water NZ provides a comprehensive range of Microbiological, Chemical and Nutritional Analysis to the Food and Water Industry.

Dedicated technical contact for every customer.

Real-time visibity of due date & time.

Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Customer Portal for results, registrations, invoices & consumables.

Complete IANZ accredited and MPI approved.

Eurofins.

Really Local. Truly Global.

NEW ZEALAND’S LEADING ISO 17025 ACCREDITED LABORATORY

infonz@eurofins.com | 0800 3876 3467 | www.eurofins.co.nz

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Food New Zealand

• Ball Mill – Milling and homogenisation of samples ranging from soft, fibrous to hard and brittle materials • Laboratory Automation and Robotics – Broad automation portfolio with fully customised solutions addressing a wide range of repetitive tasks and measurements • Multiparameter Measuring Systems – Obtain up to seven parameters from one sample in only one measuring cycle • Oxidation Stability – Determination of oxidation stability for vegetable oils and fats by using increased temperature and an excess of pure oxygen • Particle Size Analyser – Measures a wide range of particle sizes in liquid dispersions or dry powders • Polarimeter – Measures the optical rotation and the concentration of optically active substances • Raman Spectrometers – Identification of unknown substances, verification of samples, analysis of chemical composition or monitor in samples.

• Rheometer – Checkss over flow curve and yield point determinations to complex rheological investigations • Refractometer – Measure the refractive index and concentration of liquids and solids • Viscometer – viscosity measurement of liquids pastes and gels To learn more about Anton Paar’s products and their applications please visit our website www.anton-paar.com/nz-en/ or contact our Market Manager Stuart Cragg.

OVERVIEW OVERVIEW

Bio-Strategy R-BIOPHARM offer an extensive range of test kits for Allergens (especially Gluten), Mycotoxins, Vitamins, Enzymatics, Microbiology, Hygiene, Hormones, Anabolics, Antibiotic Residues, GMO and Animal Species Identification. They offer a range of technologies, many AOAC approved, suitable for inhouse production control and for final product testing.

The Malvern Mastersizer particle size analyser from ATA Scientific

ATA Scientific The Phenom Desktop Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) is an essential tool used to study the relationship between food processing conditions and morphological changes of the food components, as the structure of foods can influence nutritional value.

The new Phenom XL G2 desktop SEM is easy to use and offers superfast imaging with fully integrated X-ray analysis to enable food structures to be physically examined and their elemental composition determined.

With the fastest time to image (less than 40 sec from sample loading) up to 200,000 times magnification and <10nm resolution, the Phenom SEM is an essential tool for any laboratory.

The Malvern Mastersizer particle size analyser is used to determine particle size and size distribution for foods and additives. Particle size defines mouth feel and is important for controlling manufacturing costs.

With a dynamic range spanning 0.01 to 3500 microns, the Mastersizer 3000 delivers precise, robust, wet and dry particle size measurements tailored to the operator’s application needs. A small footprint, exceptional dry dispersion capabilities and intuitive software designed to ease user workload have resulted to its enduring appeal and propelled the system as the unit of choice.

Malvern Zetasizer Pro and Ultra is used for the measurement of particle and molecular size, particle charge and particle concentration. The system can be used to determine optimal concentrations of food additives for desired taste and smell performance or to improve emulsion stabilisation of flavourings.

Built on the market-leading Zetasizer Nano range, the new Zetasizer Ultra delivers enhanced speed and ease of use, accelerating sample throughput. Multi-Angle Dynamic Light Scattering (MADLS) technology provides higher resolution, more complete particle size distributions and calibration-free particle concentration analysis to enable even greater insight into your samples.

For further details contact, ATA Scientific Pty Ltd, www.atascientific.com.au

MPI Exemption Audits | Food MPI Food Safety Audits FoodAuditing Auditing|

C. Gerhardt have analysis systems for food and animal feed, raw materials and plant matter. Automated and semiautomated equipment for Nitrogen (Protein), Hydrolysis (Fat) and Fibre analysis/testing.

Heidolph’s extracting, stirring, concentration, shaking, and heating, mixing products are used to manufacture, analyse and ensure the quality of food, pharmaceutical and nutrition products.

LAB-PLAS’s Sterile TWIRL’EM Sampling Bags are used extensively in the New Zealand market and they now offer TWIRL’EM Ecolo Biodegradable Bags, which provide an economical green alternative to other bags or rigid containers that won’t break down in landfill.

The QIAGEN Mericon food safety testing products are a versatile and proven technology, based on real-time PCR. QIAGEN offer products for all workflow stages, from sample preparation to target detection, and have fully automated protocols using instruments for a range of throughputs.

Hamilton Company’s sensors are developed to be the solution for process analytics in the food and beverage industries. Their optical DO and pH process sensors offer lower operating costs, tighter process control, seamless calibration, troubleshooting and connectivity and quick recovery from SIP, CIP or autoclaving.

Ohaus offer food industry specific scales and balances, covering a wide range of applications (check-weighing, percentage-weighing, counting, price-counting etc.) and benchtop/handheld pH meters and moisture analysers.

Miele Professional offer under-bench and stand-alone laboratory washers/disinfectors with a large range of accessories for both wide neck and narrow neck glassware. Available in passive drying or active HEPA filtered drying models.

Priorclave autoclaves have a solution for all your sterilisation needs.

Esco offer a wide range of Laminar Airflow Cabinets in either horizontal or vertical airflow formats providing ULPA filtered clean air; as well as, ovens and incubators from 32L to 240L. www.bio-strategy.com

Wine Safety Auditing Wine Safety Auditing

‘Specialising food ‘Specialising in foodinand wineand safety management programme auditing’ wine safety auditing’ P: +64 7 889 3500 | PO Box 168, Morrinsville 3340, NZ | www.qasltd.co.nz

•• Food and WineinSafety We specialise FoodAuditing and Wine Safety Auditing • Food Safety Programme Management • We are MPI approved for the following; • We are an ISO17020 - Recognised agency Accredited (Food Control Inspection BodyPlans, National Programmes and Wine) • We are aparty MPI verifiers approved food auditing - Third and wine verification have (Food Control Plans,agency; National Programmes MPI approvedand foodWine) safety programme - Evaluators (Food Control Plans) auditors and wine verifiers June/July 2020

13

OVERVIEW Metrohm Metrohm Australia and New Zealand provides experience and knowledge to the food and beverage industry, earned through years of supporting customers with a complete line of instrumentation.

From the process point of view, analytical chemistry supports the manufacturer to improve yields and optimise quality by offering robust, efficient, and sensitive instrumentation.

Here are 4 ways to optimise your food analysis using various applications and techniques.

1. Salt Analysis - Metrohm provides a cost-efficient, fast sodium analysis with the Eco Titrator system. The Eco Titrator Salt plus provides the complete package for the analysis of chloride in a wide variety of food samples.

2. Allergen Testing Solutions - With the range of enzymatic/chemical test kits from BioSystems you can now test your food and beverage production for a wide range of constituents. ELISA kits analyse the presence of substances at very low concentrations, due to the specificity of antigen-antibody binding reactions.

3. Samples are often very complex and need to be homogenised and reduced to a suitable particle size depending on the chosen analysis method. RETSCH offers a variety of mills and grinders suitable for the different requirements of food analysis.

authenticity of food products can be measured non-destructively with Raman spectroscopy. A couple of examples include the presence of contaminants in food, and the identification of food additives and ingredients including cellulose, sorbitol, stearic acid and starch. Raman spectroscopy also provides a means of quantifying the composition of fatty acids in food products, as well as other components in food, such as flavours.

Metrohm ANZ also exclusively distributes Retsch and Microtrac MRB such as Milling, Sieving, and Dynamic Image Analysis and BioSystems for Food Quality and Enology solutions (reagents and analysers).

4. Qualitative and quantitative analysis â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Composition and

Mettler Toledo Conformity in packaged food upholds consumer safety, avoids costly product recalls and delivers tangible top- and bottom-line business benefits. The Product Inspection Division of Mettler Toledo explains how packaged food manufacturers and brand owners can achieve conformity in ten steps:

reputation. Advanced x-ray and vision systems perform multiple content presentation checks simultaneously in real time.

1 Comply with Regulations and Supplier Agreements To trade in certain markets, packaged food manufacturers need to comply with three main types of laws: food safety, weight and labelling.

These regulations are supported by best practice codes of conduct where, upon certification, manufacturers have access to trade with retailers in specific countries.

7 Verify label content

2 Inspect for Contaminants All packaged food must be free from unwanted contaminants.

Metal detection or x-ray systems detect and remove contaminated packages from production lines at high throughputs.

3 Check integrity of package The integrity of the seal or cap is critical. If the closure is misaligned or dense product is trapped under the seal (or film) then this can lead to spillage, spoilage or risk of bacterial contamination.

Advanced vision inspection and x-ray technologies both perform a range of in-line integrity checks to ensure product quality.

4 Ensure correct weight Checkweighing technology offers 100% inspection of the highest accuracy at production speeds and rejects products that fall outside the set parameters. Choose in-line checkweighers to ensure target weights with the utmost accuracy and reliability and to support overall equipment efficiency.

5 Check integrity of product content Safeguarding against missing components and checking that the product complies with food laws is vital to uphold brand

14

Food New Zealand

6 Inspect label position Validating label positioning using Vision technology helps to uphold brand integrity and protects bottom-line profits.

Incorrect labelling information can also result in non-compliance with labelling regulations, a breach of trading agreements and product recalls. Innovative vision inspection technology verifies label content, including text, graphics and print type, according to pre-programmed details.

8 Monitor inspection activities in real time In the event of a product recall packaged food manufacturers need recorded information to provide due diligence to authorities and to reliably trace products. On-going monitoring of quality assurance processes can also help to optimise operational efficiencies and productivity. To safeguard your business, integrate data collection software to prove due diligence on conformity.

9 Ensure the package is perfectly presented Brand conformity involves upholding packaging presentation requirements: from ensuring zero packaging imperfections, such as dents, to the correct use of branding. Vision inspection and x-ray technologies ensure packages are presented in peak condition.

10 Check the checkers It is essential that critical equipment like inspection systems is regularly maintained and calibrated to ensure continuing high levels of accuracy.

A maintenance contract with the equipment manufacturer can be a wise investment.

OVERVIEW OVERVIEW

NZMS Scientific NZMS Scientific helps the New Zealand Food and Beverage industry set up onsite testing solutions that offer cost reductions and faster turnaround times for results without compromising on reliability and accuracy.

The Centrego Toucan ECA 10 L Batch System for on-site generation of cleaning and disinfections solutions, available from Ngaio Diagnostics

Ngaio Diagnostics Ngaio Diagnostics is a well-established New Zealand company with a wide range of solutions for the food industry in the fields of hygiene, food and allergy testing. Ngaio represents some of the world’s leading brands in these fields.

Hygiena’s latest ATP monitoring system, the Ensure Touch, features a touch screen for easy use, Wi-Fi connectivity and cloud based Touch, enabling results to be viewed from any location.

Hygiena also supplies ProClean swabs for detection of protein residues on environmental surfaces, Insite Listeria and Insite Salmonella environmental tests and a range of allergy tests. Insite L. mono Glo test detects both Listeria species and Listeria monocytogenes within 24 – 48 hours. No special equipment is required.

Ngaio now represents Centrego (UK), the leading manufacturer of ECA devices. ECA devices enable on-site generation of cleaning and disinfections solutions using common salt and water at very low cost. These products are used across many sectors, from general cleaning and disinfection in domestic and commercial buildings to industrial process water treatment in food processing, brewing, and horticulture. The applications for ECA technology are rapidly expanding as corporates and organisations recognise the benefits to the environment and their own margins from using ecologically safe, high performance biocides and cleaning solutions to replace toxic chemical burdens and costs.

Solus Scientific manufactures a range of Elisa kits for detection of Listeria, Salmonella and E.coli in both food and environmental samples. These kits are widely used in medium to high volume labs. The recently released Solus One range offers cost effective, next day results for both Salmonella and Listeria. All Solus kits can be automated to reduce labour costs and increase throughput.

For further information on these products please contact Stef Silvester, Technical sales Consultant at Ngaio, www.ngaio.co.nz

Pathogen, hygiene and sterility testing - NZMS Scientific is the exclusive distributor for the BioControl range of proprietary testing platforms for the detection of foodborne pathogens, spoilage organisms, hygiene and HACCP monitoring. We also supply Veriflow food safety products from Invisible Sentinel and the Promicol ATP bioluminescence detection method for sterility testing.

Allergen detection – Allergens are the largest single cause of global product recalls. Romer Labs offers allergen test kits for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of food allergens. AgraStrip Allergen Test Strips are designed for rapid and simple detection of allergens allowing for quick testing and immediate decision making. For quantitative allergen testing, Romer offers AgraQuant, an accurate and reliable ELISA test method.

Dairy industry testing – If you are looking for cost effective solutions for raw milk composition or moisture analysis, then look no further than the Page and Pedersen range for a real-time and reliable profile of milk composition (fat, solids, density, added water, lactose and protein) in just seconds. Our CDR Foodlab products enable you to conduct several chemical tests (FFA, PV, AV, lactose etc.) on your food samples in just minutes with minimum hands-on time.

Fermentation industry testing – Our Veriflow range uses a patented technology that allows for the detection of wild yeast in beer and wine using the sensitivity of PCR tests, but with the ease of use associated with flow-based assays. The result is an effective and rapid system that minimises sample preparation, speeds-up time-to-results, and provides easy-to-interpret data for the end user. We also offer chemical analysis on wine, beer and kombucha with our CDR range. www.nzms.co.nz

Labwarehouse LabwareHouse supplies laboratory glassware and equipment to the food, wine and brewing industry.

Featuring on our web site this month are quality New Zealand made products. For example, Sistema make food grade storage containers ranging in size from 380mL to 90 litres. Fantastic design and strong enough for repeated use. We also feature imported, handheld, non-contact, infrared thermometers designed to safely take the body temperature of people without contact – these are being used by some companies as a part of their back-to-work Covid response.

We have an easy-to-use online ordering system with no minimums where customers can order anything from a single test tube for a few cents to top-end testing machines.

Along with brewing and wine making, our products for the food sector include a full range of economic and premium range glassware, stirrers, analysers and measuring equipment from Ohaus. Our well organised website makes it easy to find the right product and features a “Brewing and Wine” section where we list frequently requested products such as glassware, magnetic stirrers, wine and beer hydrometers and peracetic acid test strips.

Warehouse manager, Monty runs an efficient product ordering and dispatch system that ensures fast service and low costs for our customers. Monty is happy to advise on product choice for your laboratory needs. Visit us at www.Labwarehouse.co.nz We welcome new inquiries from companies in the food sector and welcome back our old clients.

June/July 2020

15

OVERVIEW

Doing their bit for the Covid-19 Pandemic We’ve spotted several companies stepping up to do their bit during this testing time.

OneLab Improve food safety, quality and productivity Effective measures against food fraud, efficient and healthy food processing and the development of functional food and nutraceuticals are just few of many challenges in modern food and beverage production and analysis. Onelab offers a range of equipment and consumables relevant for your food testing needs. From classical reference techniques, quality control tools, continuous monitoring instrumentation, and research and development tools. Examples of how we can help include: • Moisture Determination • Production Process Control • Food Additives / Contaminants / Residues Testing • Drying (Food and Beverage) – including newly released Freeze Dryers • Titration • NIR Measurement • Weighing • pH Measurement • General Laboratory Equipment • Proximate Analysis – Reference Techniques • Nitrogen / Protein Determination • Fat Extraction Onelab offers a complete range of laboratory and process optimisation equipment and consumables for a wide range of international leaders including METTLER TOLEDO, Milestone, Integra, Interscience, Omni International, SSI Bio, Technoplas, Labconco, Liebherr, Tecan, IKA, Grant and many others.

Contact us at Onelab via our website www.onelab.co.nz

Total Lab Systems Are your gas supplies arriving on time? Are you frustrated with the down-time involved with changing gas bottles? Do you have concerns about the safety of hydrogen bottles on your work site? If you answered yes to any of these questions you might like to consider a Peak Scientific gas generator from TotalLabs.

The Precision Hydrogen SL is the smallest and easiest to use hydrogen generator for GC-FID. The Precision hydrogen SL line has been developed to offer a streamlined laboratory-grade hydrogen gas solution for GC flame detectors at a purity of 99.9995%. Precision hydrogen SL is safe, simple to use, easy to maintain and takes up minimal bench space.

Precision Hydrogen SL produces hydrogen at up to 200 cc/min with no compromise on safety. A range of features ensure that Precision SL will produce hydrogen safely, storing a minimal volume of gas compared to cylinders.

Replacing hydrogen gas cylinders with a Precision Hydrogen SL typically gives a return on investment within 13 months to two years.

16

Food New Zealand

The AE-T portable pneumatic humidifier by AKIMist® from Japan, will sanitise and disinfect enclosed areas up to 800m 3 without causing excessive wetting of surfaces

Tecpro Australia Help stop the spread of COVID-19 with mobile dry fog disinfection unit You’ve probably seen footage of spray disinfection systems being used in Europe and some parts of Asia to help fight the highly contagious COVID-19 infection. These systems are also available here in New Zealand.

Using “Dry Fog” technology, the AE-T portable pneumatic humidifier

by AKIMist® from Japan, will sanitise and disinfect enclosed areas up to 800m3 without causing excessive wetting of surfaces.

The secret to its non-wetting abilities is the size of each droplet – a uniform 7.5 microns. These ultra-fine droplets won’t burst when they come into contact with surfaces such as walls, floors and ceilings. This means there’s no risk of pooling, slipping or water damage.

It needs to be noted that a “Dry Fog” is different to a “Mist”. Misting systems are unable to produce such uniformly fine droplets so wetting (and therefore slip hazards) can be expected. “Dry Fog” is ideal for use in enclosed areas.

The AKIMist® AE-T has a spray capacity of 2.4-9.6 L/hr and comes with a telescopic pole, tank, gauge-mounted pressure regulators and a mobile mounting unit. It’s simple to put the kit together.

Dry fog humidification fills the air and reaches places which might be missed using normal cleaning methods.

The AKIMist® AE-T is exclusively available from Tecpro Australia.

Since 1982 Tecpro Australia has built its reputation on the expertise, honesty and integrity of the advice it provides. Located in Castle Hill, NSW Tecpro Australia is a specialist engineering supply company. For more information, visit www.tecpro.com.au.

OVERVIEW OVERVIEW

(Left) The team at Fort Richard Laboratories filling tubes for Covid-19 sampling kits (Below) The Covid-19 sample collection kit that Fort Richard Laboratories is assembling and distributing

Fort Richard Laboratories Nimble local supplier fills gap in supply of sampling kits during Covid 19 Fort Richard Laboratories was founded in 1974, taking over a small media-making division from pharmaceutical company BioMed. Potential was seen for laboratories to buy in ready-made media – saving technicians valuable time from making it themselves.

For nearly forty years, Fort Richard has traded on its core values – integrity, honesty and trust, successfully growing from a small local company into an exporter of industry-recognised proprietary and licensed brands.

The Covid-19 crisis highlights the clinical expertise of founder Maurice Clist and his sons who were able to rapidly supply sampling and swab kits to support New Zealand’s campaign against the virus.

Samples are tested by clinical labs such as LabPlus and LabTests. Hill Laboratories is also testing in the Waikato Region.

Brendon believes that Fort Richard will be “continuing with this for a while” as, like many governments, ours is looking to secure supply with local manufacture.

The company routinely exports to over 16 countries across Australasia, Asia-Pacific, Central and South East Asia.

Reduce food-safety risk with rapid results testing

Brendon Clist, General Manager, tells the story. “When Covid 19 hit we had our regular winter stocks of Flu sampling kits in hand. These were also suitable for sampling Covid and quickly went out the door.

Towards the end of March, Copan, our regular supplier, notified us that they were restricting supplies of nasopharyngeal sampling kits to countries on a population basis. As a small country we’re at the bottom of the list so had to find an alternative.”

Sampling kits consist of a nasopharyngeal swab and a sterile transport medium, all packed in a single unit package - see photo.

The team at Fort Richard had a recipe for a viral transport medium which they quickly had tested and certified at Lab Plus and CHL in Canterbury. Brendon commented that these organisations have been very supportive.

The second vital part of the kit was the swab. Fort Richard made contact with Chemdex in Singapore who were able to supply swabs originally from China - 500,000… so far.

The process of filling tubes is still operating manually at Fort Richard.

They now make the medium in 60 litre batches. The process rate limiter, at 17,000 kits per day, is the company assembling and packing the sample kits. In another example of intercompany co-operation, contract packers, Trugene Laboratories, in Onehunga, are doing the assembly and packaging.

Listeria Right Now

™

Fast, accurate and easy in-house environmental Listeria detection, in less than 60 minutes “The Neogen® ANSR® unit is now a critical part of our internal Listeria monitoring programme allowing us to monitor our site on a daily basis and respond appropriately on the same day. With the Neogen ANSR unit we now have an increased amount of data allowing us to trend the results and giving us a high level of confidence in our Listeria management programme, I do not believe we would have this level of confidence if we were solely relying on external test results.”

• Enrichment-free, in-house testing tool • Detects very low numbers of Listeria in environmental samples • No growing pathogens in your facility • New to the market and available exclusively in NZ from Fort Richard

Joanne Goodhew, QA Manager, Life Health Foods NZ Ltd.

www.fortrichard.com/listeria-right-now/

Brendon is proud that as well as supplying New Zealand’s needs for test kits they have been able to supply 20,000 kits to PNG, and also to the South Pacific Islands.

Freecall 0508 369 369 • customerservice@fortrichard.com

FOR025_NZFT_IFC_Ad.indd 1

17/02/2019 9:49 am

June/July 2020

17

OVERVIEW Matt Solutions Covid 19 has certainly changed our world. Since we cannot as yet treat or vaccinate against it we have to learn to live with the knowledge it is still out there.

Food Tech Solutions Let's make the invisible visible and how clean is clean enough?

Research is being undertaken at an amazing speed to develop vaccines and possible treatment. Before that happens however we need be to vigilant in protecting against Covid 19.

Our best defence against coronavirus and other diseases is still meticulous handwashing, so how well does your team wash their hands? What you can’t see can spread infection.

Food manufacturers in New Zealand and around the world have had to adjust to the new norm of social distancing and PPE.

GlitterBug is a teaching tool that shines the light on appropriate handwashing techniques. Teach your employees, students and associates the correct way to protect themselves and others against infection with GlitterBug.

A variety of research out there suggests the virus can last up to 3 days on some surfaces and hence the need to clean and sanitise frequently. But, how do you know if clean is truly free of the virus?

GlitterBug Potion, used with the Glitterbug fluorescent torch, is a fun, cost-effective means of showing just how well your team's hands have been washed.

Glitterbug will • Give a graphic visual picture showing the risk of contamination from inadequately washed hands.

The GlitterBug handwash series

• Reinforce the benefits of good hand washing techniques.

• Help make your training sessions more enjoyable.

• Provide a cost effective adjunct to your formal training sessions.

GlitterBug is available in two formats: Potion for teaching handwashing effectiveness and Gel, for teaching correct use of hand sanitisers.

How do you use it?

• GlitterBug potion is applied to each hand.

• The hands are then washed.

• A fluorescent dye in the lotion fluoresces under UV light showing the inadequately washed areas.

• The less fluorescence the better the washing!

GlitterBug gel is used to teach proper technique for hand sanitiser application.

• Gel is rubbed all over hands, mimicking hand sanitiser application.

• When dry it is invisible but under UV light, areas that have not been touched by the product do not glow. These typically include wrists, backs of hands, nail beds and finger webbing.

This product is sold in easy-to-use pump packs, individually or as a kit with the Food Tech Solutions UV Torch. Go to fts.co.nz for more information or click the “order here” button on the ad below to place your order now.

Mätt Solutions, a New Zealand owned and operated company, in conjunction with Eurofins Technologies can now offer PCR based Covid-19 testing solutions to enable you to detect SARSCoV-2 in swabs of environmental surfaces.

Eurofins Technologies has launched GeneScan VIRSeek SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR, an integrated solution including RNA extraction and test kits based on real-time RT-PCR (Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in swabs of environmental surfaces.

The comprehensive VIRSeek suite of test kits and workflows provides customers with fast tests to broadly screen for the presence of SARS-CoV-2, as well as verification of results with an independent test. This will enable organisations in diverse industries, as well as in healthcare, transport and many other environments to help test, determine, monitor and eventually strengthen the effectiveness of sanitation measures put in place, ultimately contributing to increased health and safety in these respective environments Mätt Solutions are also working with some local labs to enable them to offer these as testing services.

GlitterBug from Food Tech Solutions reveals all!

Shine the light on handwashing effectiveness with GlitterBug

Order HERE

An easy, FUN and cost-effective means of showing just how well your team’s hands have been washed.

The fluorescence will tell the story!

T: 09 576 7326 18

Food New Zealand

W: www.fts.co.nz

E: sales@foodtechsolutions.co.nz

FIET

FIET Project update The natural proteolytic enzymes in meat: their role in tenderising and their survival under storage and processing conditions

Authors: 1Mike Boland, 2,3Seah Xin Hui and 1,2Lovedeep Kaur 1

Riddet Institute, 2Massey University, 3Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore The project team, left to right, Mike Boland, Seah Xin Hui and Lovedeep Kaur

Importance of tenderness in meat Tenderness of meat is one of the most important characteristics that affects consumer preference, repeat purchase and ultimately the value of any meat cut. Cuts that are recognised as tender attract higher prices and can be used by the consumer in more different ways than tough cuts, the latter being usually restricted to recipes with long cooking times.

We have estimated that, if the value of 50% of the tougher cuts in the New Zealand meat industry could be improved by processing to make them as tender as prime cuts, it could be worth $23 M per annum. There is a range of processes reported in the literature that can be used to tenderise meat (Table 1), but none of these on its own has been commercially successful to date. The FIET meat tenderisation project has an approach of adapting and combining different approaches with a view to maximum value addition through tenderisation, with minimum costs.

Table 1. Some different methods of meat tenderisation Method

Principle

Advantages and disadvantages

Sous vide cooking – moderate temperature

Cooking at above 60°C for up to several hours denatures collagen

Produces tender meat. Takes a long time and requires special packaging.

Sous vide cookinglow temperature

Cooking between 50 and 60°C for several hours denatures collagen and allows endogenous enzyme activity

Produces tender meat. Takes a long time and requires special packaging. Food safety risks

High pressure treatment

Denatures myofibrillar and connective tissue proteins to tenderise meat

OK at modest pressures, higher pressure cause toughness. Equipment is expensive.

Pulsed electric field treatment

Electrical pulses make holes in membranes, may release endogenous enzymes from organelles, may release calcium ions to activate calpains

Very rapid processing. Equipment is expensive and full industrial scale does not yet exist.

Dry aging

Traditional method, allows natural enzymes to do their work.

Produces tender meat, but takes several weeks. Can result in off flavours (lipid oxidation / rancidity)

Added enzyme treatment

Has been shown to work well – hydrolyses proteins in the meat

Can over tenderise, causing sliminess; higher temperature sous vide can inactivate the enzyme

Shockwave treatment

Shockwaves break down muscle structures causing tenderness

Very rapid processing. Expensive equipment. Industrial scale does not yet exist

June/July 2020

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FIET

Table 2. Activities of cathepsins B and H (%) in 4 days post-mortem hot boned beef brisket stored at 4˚C (control) and subsequent storage at either 4˚C or -20˚C for 14 days Storage at 4 ˚C

Storage at -20 ˚C

4 days post-mortem meat stored at 4˚C (Control)

+ 7 days postmortem meat

+ 14 days postmortem meat

+ 7 days postmortem meat

+ 14 days postmortem meat

5.67 ± 0.04

5.65 ± 0.06

5.51 ± 0.02

5.60 ± 0.12

5.55 ± 0.13

Cathepsin B (%)

100 a

137 ± 33

172 ± 16

132 ± 33

130 ± 31

Cathepsin H (%)

100 a

219 ± 78

105 ± 13

98 ± 67

97 ± 35

pH

All values are mean ± standard error of mean for three replicates.

Reasons for toughness in meat Toughness in meat is partly a result of processes that occur postmortem. Because there is a cessation of ATP (energy) production in the muscle, the pH falls from neutral to about 5.5, leading to denaturation and loss of water binding capacity and the actin and myosin forming a rigid insoluble and inextensible protein complex. This causes rigor mortis. Another source of toughness is connective tissue – this is the collagen-based structure that gives the muscle structure and joins it to the bones. As an animal ages, the collagen forms crosslinks that make it stronger. This also makes the meat tougher.

Natural meat tenderisation by endogenous proteolytic enzymes One method of tenderising meat is by using the natural proteolytic enzymes already in the meat to break down some of the myofibrillar proteins and connective tissue. This is used in the process of hanging, or dry aging, where the carcass is left to hang at chiller temperatures for a time of up to several weeks. This process is effective, but incurs a substantial cost for chilled storage and can result in off flavours due to lipid oxidation.

Another option for meat tenderisation is sous vide cooking at a temperature where at least some of the proteolytic enzymes are still active. Sous vide temperatures also tend to convert some of the collagen to gelatine by melting its triple helix structure, diminishing its contribution to toughness. This has been of particular interest for the FIET project, as it represents a method of rapidly achieving similar tenderisation as would be obtained from dry aging, without the potential for lipid oxidation. For this to work in the New Zealand industry, it would be necessary for at least some of the proteolytic enzymes to survive under both storage and cooking conditions.

Natural proteolytic enzymes in meat The natural proteolytic enzymes in meat can tenderise the meat after rigor mortis by breaking down (hydrolysing) the structural proteins, both connective tissue and myofibrillar proteins. There are three kinds of proteolytic enzymes that are commonly discussed in this context: • Calpains: The calpains are sulfhydryl proteases that depend on 20

Food New Zealand

calcium ions for activity. There are two types of calpain, m-calpain and µcalpain, that require calcium in millimolar and micromolar concentrations, respectively. The calpains are considered by some researchers to be the major contributor to meat tenderness. Meat also contains calpastatin, a natural inhibitor of the calpains, and high levels of this inhibitor in the meat have been correlated with a lack of tenderness. However, the calpains are not heat-stable and would not be expected to persist during, for example, sous vide cooking.

• Cathepsins: The cathepsins are another class of proteolytic enzymes in meat. They occur in the lysosomes and are released when cell structure breaks down postmortem. Among the family of cathepsins, cysteine cathepsin B, H and L and aspartic cathepsin D are the most abundant in muscles. The cathepsins, other than cathepsin D, are more heat resistant and are potentially active at sous vide temperatures.

• Caspases are proteolytic enzymes that form part of the apoptosis (programmed cell death) process. There is not much evidence that they have a role in meat tenderising, but it has been suggested that they may break down calpastatin, enabling the calpains to be more active.

• Proteasomes have also been raised as a possible source of protein breakdown, but they have not been widely researched or discussed.

Effects of storage on the cathepsins We explored the activity of cathepsins B, H and L using hot-boned briskets, obtained directly after slaughter and butchering from the ANZCO Manawatu meat processing plant at Bulls. Samples were taken immediately upon return to the laboratory and stored either at 4°C or frozen at -20°C. After various times, the samples were extracted and assayed for the different enzymes, using a range of assays. The results for cathepsins B and H are shown in Table 2.

It is apparent that these cathepsins survive well under freezing and may even increase under refrigerated conditions. The latter effect may be due to activation of proenzymes, but may also reflect better extraction possible from aged tissue (due to tissue breakdown during aging). It should be noted that there was considerable animal-to animal variation (up to 50%) in the amounts of enzyme measured (data not shown).

FIET

50˚C 240

We then tested the survival of the calpains and cathepsins B, H and L under different sous vide temperatures, for varying lengths of time. The calpains were found to lose almost all activity in less than an hour at temperatures more than 50°C and a similar result was seen for cathepsin H. Cathepsins B and L were active at the lower sous vide temperatures as shown in Figures 1 and 2, with substantial activity remaining after 24 hours at 50°C. This demonstrates that cathepsins B and L show significant activity under lower temperature sous vide cooking conditions and could play an important role in tenderisation of meat at these temperatures.

60˚C

Relabve acbvity (% of control)

Survival under sous vide conditions

55˚C

190

140

90

40

-10 0

The use of temperatures between 50°C and 60°C is below what is generally accepted as safe for cooking meat – there is potential for survival of food-borne pathogens. The FSANZ guidelines state clearly “If storing sous vide red meat or poultry for longer than 2 days, do not cook at temperatures lower than 60°C”. This is problematic if we are to make use of the cathepsin activity. Fortunately, there appears to be a way through: cooking for a period at low sous vide temperatures to allow the tenderisation to occur, followed by a further sous vide cook at higher temperature to kill off any pathogens. We are now researching this and expect to be able to present the results in a future FIET column.

12

Cooking bme (hours)

18

24

Figure 1. Relative activity of cathepsin B in hot boned beef brisket

sous vide cooked at various temperatures andbeef times.

1. Relative activity of cathepsin B in hot boned brisket sous vide cooked Figure at variousthe temperatures andof times.

Each data point represents mean value samples from three

animals (error barsthe indicate SE).

Each data point represents mean value of samples from three animals (error bars indicate SE).

50˚C 55˚C

200

Relabve Acbvity (% of control)

Progress towards an industrial process for sous vide tenderisation

6

60˚C 150

100

50

Acknowledgements This work was supported through the FIET programme, funded by the New Zealand Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment, and by the Riddet Centre of Research Excellence. We thank ANZCO, especially Jonathan Cox and Bevan Graham, for making fresh, hot-boned briskets available.

0 0

6

12

18

24

Cooking bme (hours)

Figure 2. Relative activity of cathepsin L in hot boned brisket sous vide cooked at various temperatures and times.

Figure 2. Relative activity of cathepsin L in hot boned brisket sous vide cooked at Further reading Each data point represents the mean value of samples from three various temSE). peratures and tim es.

M Boland, L Kaur, FM Chian, T Astruc (2019). Muscle animals (error bars indicate Proteins. In Encyclopedia of Food Chemistry, Each (Edsdata point represents the mean value of samples from three animals (error bars indicate SE).

P.Varelis, L.Melton & F. Shahidi) Volume 1. pp. 164-179.

L Kaur, SX Hui, M Boland (2020). Changes in Cathepsin Activity during Low-temperature Storage and Sous Vide Processing of Beef Brisket. Food Science of Animal Resources 40: 415-425.

New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries Template Food Control Plans: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/foodsafety/food-act-2014/food-control-plans/template-foodcontrol-plans/ accessed April 2020.

Zhu X, Kaur L, Staincliffe M, Boland M (2018). Actinidin pretreatment and sous vide cooking of beef brisket: Effects on meat microstructure, texture and in vitro protein digestibility. Meat Science 145: 256-265.

Food Industry Enabling Technologies (FIET) is funded by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment and its purpose is to support new process developments that have the potential to add significant value to our national economy. The programme has six partners, Massey University (the host), Riddet Institute, University of Auckland, University of Otago, Plant and Food and AgResearch. Funding is $18m over six years (2015-2021) and targets pre-commercialisation activities. If you are interested in more information, then please contact either Ross Holland (R.Holland1@massey.ac.nz) or Professor Richard Archer, Chief Technologist, (R.H.Archer@massey.ac.nz).

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FSANZ

Emerging risks: lifting our gaze Glen Neal, General Manager Risk Management and Intelligence, Food Standards Australia New Zealand So what are the risks and issues facing the food supply over the next 2, 5 and 10 years?

Forecasting risks that might emerge 2, 5, and 10 years ahead may feel like crystal ball gazing, but this year's FSANZ Annual Report is founded on wide-ranging research FSANZ has just published our annual report on emerging risks - as we have done for the past few years.

also broadened this to include not just food safety, but also nutrition and food labelling.

We undertake a distributed system for identifying and managing emerging issues. Issues are identified by FSANZ officers from a range of sources including the scientific literature, traditional and social media, international organisations and agencies, and public and industry consultations.

Strong themes emerged around sustainability, consumer information, innovation technologies and in the public health nutrition space.

In these categories extrapolations based on recent and current developments portray a range of specific challenges that potentially lie ahead.

This tends to yield some new and sometimes familiar suspects: foodhazard combinations that either require further investigation, some sort of specific action or being put on a list to ensure we actively monitor developments.

Understanding these challenges will help ensure FSANZ remains fit-forpurpose and develops the necessary capabilities to ensure consumer trust and confidence in food is enhanced.

In the past year we have ‘lifted our gaze’ from the usual information sources to include the perspectives of some of our stakeholder groups.

We specifically sought risks that might emerge over the next 2, 5 and 10 years from our consumer, public health and industry groups. We also facilitated a session to derive the views of our Board members. We 22

Food New Zealand

Disruptive events – such as the Australian bushfires and COVID-19 – need not be so disruptive after all.

The report is available on our website at: https://www.foodstandards. gov.au/publications/Pages/Report-on-Emerging-and-Ongoing-IssuesAnnual-Report-2019.aspx

MPI

New Zealand Food Safety Update

In this edition, we’re focussing on food safety during the COVID-19 response, the buckwheat organic flour product recall, and the Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award.

COVID-19 and Food Safety We know that many food businesses faced significant challenges under the COVID-19 restrictions.

To help small retail and hospitality businesses get back up and running, we made it easier for them to add key operations, such as takeaways and home delivery. In addition to waiving some fees and charges, we developed a pre-evaluated Risk Management Programme template for a range of businesses (including egg producers, honey/dairy processors, and dual operator butchers) wanting to add-in packaging, labelling and delivery. Scheduled verifications can still go ahead.

Detailed information about re-opening and making changes to food businesses is available online at COVID-19 and food safety.

For the most up-to-date information and guidance on COVID-19, go to: • Unite Against COVID-19 website for general advice • Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment for workplace advice • Ministry of Health’s guidance.

Product recall – Buckwheat Organic Flour We are reminding manufacturers and importers of food about their responsibility to ensure the food they sell is safe and suitable. A key part of meeting these responsibilities is ensuring there is evidence to back up any claims or representations being made about the food.

A recent recall of buckwheat, due to incorrect labelling about the presence of an allergen (gluten), was a good reminder of the importance of accurate information when making claims about allergens.

The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code details the labelling requirements for allergens. It’s the responsibility of food businesses, including importers, to know what is in their products. Likewise, manufacturers are responsible for knowing what is in the ingredients they use and making sure the final food meets the labelling rules. In turn, food retailers can provide consumers with accurate information they can trust.

Failure to ensure accurate labelling information or substantiate claims could result in enforcement action being taken. Food businesses and importers can subscribe to MPI food recalls for details of current and recent recalls, and is a good way to stay informed about issues in the food supply.

Bryan Wilson, Deputy Director-General New Zealand Food Safety, with Rosie Waller, 2019 Winner of the Significant Contribution to Food Safety award

Entries welcome for Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award The New Zealand Food Safety-sponsored Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award is open! Part of the NZIFST Awards, this Award recognises individuals, teams, and/or organisations who have made a significant improvement to food safety in New Zealand. Self-nominations are also welcome. This may include: making improvements in areas such as science and research, equipment or processing technology, product and packaging development; or building and maintaining an effective food safety culture through staff engagement, education, and/ or training. To enter the Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award click here. Nominations close 30 June.

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Travellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tale

Observations of the South Indian tea industry Colin Pitt, MNZIFST

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Food New Zealand

Travellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tale Hillside planting at Kerala in the Southern Indian highlands showing recently trimmed tea plants (Camellia Sinensis), (foreground), terracing (mid-view) and Eucalyptus (background) for erosion and moisture control

On a trip to Kerala in Southern India in late 2019 we had the pleasure of a tour of the Lockhart Tea Co-operative plantation and processing facility near the city of Munnar in the highlands above the coastal plains. Munnar is in the Western Ghats mountain range at nearly 1600 metres altitude and has a cooler climate than the rest of Southern India.

Monsoonal rains are often followed by extended dry spells so cultivation schedules are critical â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as is water management and conservation. Munnar (or Moonar) is named for the confluence of three rivers, and the Mattupetty and Munnar Headworks dams are used for both water storage and power generation.

The majority of tea (Camellia sinensis) cultivation is managed by a cooperative that employs, houses and educates its workers and their families.

Twelve thousand hectares of tea is grown on terraced hillsides in tightly controlled growth and harvesting cycles that conserve the water, the plants and the land. Processing the tea to the bulk packaging stage adds value and maintains control over the quality presented to exporters. Retail sales on-site and guided tours also bring in revenue.

While the land is steep, the soils are rich and were covered in extensive jungle before the British saw the potential for intensive horticulture in the late nineteenth century. Many crops were tried but the similarity of the climate and soils to the well-established tea-growing areas in Assam and Darjeeling saw tea become the major cultivar in the region. Conservation of this soil structure is critical to the health of the industry.

Our tour began with a walk through the terraced growing areas. The tea bushes are maintained in an optimum state to maximise the harvest of the most valuable leaves and to diffuse the monsoon rain, to prevent concentrated run-off. The root sward is also managed to ensure absorption of rain and maintain the soil structure. Tea bushes dominate the ground cover and very few weeds grow between the plants. Portions of the land are very steep and we saw several slips where the plants couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite hold on. These events are regarded very seriously as every area lost is also a loss of production.

The accompanying photo of the terraced, contoured nature of the plantings demonstrate the soil and plant conservation strategy as well as the provision of access paths to harvest the leaves.

The Australian Eucalyptus trees in the background also served multiple purposes: they have been deliberately planted in areas deemed too steep June/July 2020

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Travellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tale

Lockhart tea museum (left) and factory (right), Munnar

Primary foreign matter sorting on the hillside and/or too wet for tea to grow. They were chosen for their ability to desiccate and accrete soils that would otherwise run off into the teagrowing areas and make them too wet. They also serve as a fuel source for the processing plant's boilers: trees are coppiced and the wood is stored to dry out, then used to dry the tea. The fertility of the soil and the climate ensure they regain their height within five years, ready for another pruning.

Tea plants will grow into a very large shrub or tree if left to grow without management. Tea takes three to five years from planting to production.

Plants can live more than one hundred years.

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Food New Zealand

Picking Tea is manually harvested over a two-week cycle. Over the cycle the plant produces three sets of leaves that are classified and destined to become white, green or black tea. The first, uppermost leaves trimmed off are the newly emergent and smallest white tea leaves. The next layer becomes green tea and the final, third layer down becomes black tea.

This harvest interval cycle maintains the bushes at the optimum height for the pickers. The leaves are transported in 25kg bags to collection areas in the plantation where they are dumped onto tarpaulins for the first rough sort to separate out any foreign matter, twigs, insects,

Travellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tale

Primary tea drying or withering step on the upper level of the factory

diseased leaves etc. Leaves are then baled up and transported by tractor and trailer to the processing plant. Every aspect of the work described in this paragraph is hard, hot and laborious. The pickers toil in the heat and carry the bags on their heads up very steep paths to the collection points. The sorters work in the sun. All picking is manual with shears working at amazing speed and accuracy.

Withering Leaves are spread onto large drying racks on the upper floor of the factory. Heated air is pumped from below and temperature and moisture content is monitored. The primary drying step takes approximately twenty-four hours, depending on the initial moisture level.

Bruising or Maceration (CTC â&#x20AC;&#x201C; crush, tear and curl) The leaves are then gravity conveyed down one level to large rollers where they are spread on a round table beneath a heavy rotating horizontal roller head which crushes and rolls them to break open the cell walls and facilitate the next processing step. The machinery in this part of the plant was made in Britain and transported up the mountain one hundred years ago. No mean feat considering the size and weight of each roller. Still going strong after a century, the rolling machines are maintained on-site.

The oxidation step

Oxidation The next phase is oxidation where the leaves are warmed to encourage release of enzymes to release tannins and other flavour compounds.

This process is tightly controlled and the degree of oxidation can produce teas ranging from Oolong (very light oxidation) to Black tea which is completely oxidized. For Black tea, the oxidation process is controlled to produce a specific ratio of theaflavins to thearubigins of around 1:10 to 1:12.The oxidation step is also erroneously referred to as fermentation. The tea darkens markedly over this process. Oxidation is halted at the desired level by raising the temperature and further drying through heated roller drums.

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Travellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tale

Removal of extraneous foreign matter from dried tea is achieved by passing the product over electrostaticallycharged rollers which separate twigs and any other woody particles from the tea which produce different, off, and sometimes undesirable flavours and colours. Terms such as stewy, smoky, sweaty, bright, coppery indicate variations that can range from differences in growing, harvesting and processing conditions that affect the flavour and quality.

Thanks to the hospitable and friendly people of Kerala and the generosity of the workers in the Lockhart Plantation fields and factory, we saw more than the standard tour and our guide had an obvious pride in his colleagues and their products.

The plantation and factory jobs are labour-intensive and only the heaviest tasks are mechanised. It was hot, dusty, hard work but the staff were keen to explain their part in the production processes. They were obviously proud of their industry and the quality of the products.

The Lockhart Cooperative employs, houses, educates and profit-shares with its workers. The plantation and factory are intrinsic to the local economy and culture. Along with tourism the tea industry underpins the Munnar economy.

As we had educators in our party we asked to visit a local school where we were very impressed by the range of resources and the quality of the teaching. The children were a delight and education is obviously highly valued.

Spice Plantation

Drying and sorting To stop all enzymatic activity and attain a stable state, moisture is reduced to 3-6%. The product is transported to heated, inclined shaking conveyors that sort by particle size with the finest products collected for processing into teabag grade. Heavier particles which need further drying are transported onto various inclined conveyor/dryer systems until the required moisture content is achieved.

The oxidation step is the most sensitive component of the postharvest process. At this stage the leaves are partially macerated and the product is warm, with sufficient moisture content to support microbial growth. The process must be tightly controlled to ensure rapid drying without overcooking and production of over-oxidized flavours. Process monitoring is not automated and relies on the experience of the teamakers to keep within the necessary process constraints.

Museum and tasting We toured the tea museum and were also treated to a tasting of the entire range of teas produced on site. Tea has a shelf-life of one year from opening; these brews were very fresh and our guide explained the processes behind each subtle variation so well that we came away with a far greater appreciation of the product we take for granted on our supermarket shelves. There is a large vocabulary of tea tastersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; terms to describe some of the variabilities that can occur in the process, 28

Food New Zealand

We also toured a commercial spice plantation growing coffee, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger and pepper. In contrast to the singlespecies cropping in the tea plantations, the spices were grown in mixed co-cultivation systems, also on steep hillsides. Before we were informed by the guide, these areas appeared to us as wild, verdant, free-growing jungle. Upon entering the plantation, the structured, well-managed and highly-conservative cultivation practices became clear. The hillsides are intensively cultivated but the local wildlife is also accommodated where possible. Drainage systems take water to planting and storage areas. We sampled spices straight from the plant, which were a revelation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fresh cardamom has a much wider flavour profile and an intensity far beyond the products we are accustomed to.

Again, the gardening methods are labour-intensive; very few powered tools, lots of people working hard to keep their gardens and businesses maintained.

We left with a new-found respect for Indian cultivation practices. What looked like wild jungle on the trip up the mountain was revealed to be highly-structured, well-managed and intensively cultivated gardening systems. Crops are targeted into the appropriate areas on the hillsides and flats and a huge variety of food is grown. Plant nurseries containing extensive beds of seedlings are established in every available growing area.

Naturally, we tried the food at every opportunity and can attest to the freshness and intensity of the flavours. The curries were delicious but some come with a warning; the Indian palate seems to be a bit more tolerant of fresh chilli than this Kiwi. I like hot and spicy but I was caught out on a couple of occasions when I ate chillies intended to be placed on the side of the plate. Pass the yoghurt and beer please.

A culinary and horticultural experience to be recommended. India is to be savoured and the food and beverage industries are a revelation not to be missed.

Packaging

Biobased, biodegradable and compostable packaging – shedding light on the confusion

Gordon Robertson FNZIFST Introduction The term biobased means derived from biomass, and biobased packaging materials are defined as materials derived primarily from annually renewable sources, thus excluding paper-based materials because, although obviously biobased, trees generally have renewal times of 25–65 years. The current interest in sustainability and the desire for renewable resources is driving development of biobased packaging materials. The term biobased is frequently used as a synonym of renewable, and while this is true in most cases, the term renewable refers to a material that is composed of biomass and can be continually replenished.

Biobased plastics The term bioplastic is used rather loosely to describe both biodegradable plastics and biobased plastics that may or may not be biodegradable, leading to confusion. To avoid any confusion the term ‘bioplastic’ should be qualified to indicate the precise source or properties of the polymer concerned. Biobased plastics are derived from biomass such as organic waste material or crops grown specifically for the purpose and tend to be more expensive than those based on fossil fuels.

Classification of Plastics Plastics can be classified into four categories depending on whether or not they are biodegradable and according to the source of the feedstock used to make them. These categories are 1) biobased and biodegradable 2) petrochemical-based and biodegradable 3) biobased but not biodegradable 4) conventional petrochemical-based plastics (Figure 1).

The biobased and biodegradable category includes thermoplastic starch (TPS) that retains the hydrophilic characteristics of starch and is suitable for low-moisture foods. TPS is not really a viable alternative to most petrochemical-based plastics but the packs readily degrade in home composters. Polylactic acid (PLA) is synthesised from lactic acid monomers derived from genetically modified corn, sugar beets, sugarcane or tapioca. The biggest problem with PLA is its high water vapor transmission rate. It can only biodegrade in industrial composters where the temperature exceeds 58°C. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are microbial polyesters that are produced by many bacterial species as intracellular particles that act as

Figure 1. Four categories of plastics depending on whether or not they are biodegradable and the source of the feedstock used to make them energy and carbon reserves. PHAs have high performance properties including excellent strength and toughness, as well as resistance to heat and hot liquids but are usually too expensive to be used for food packaging.

The petrochemical-based and biodegradable category includes a considerable number of plastics that have been available for many years including PCL, PVOH, PBAT, PBS and more recently PPC and PGA. The quantities used for food packaging are very small. (See glossary on pg 29) The biobased but not biodegradable category includes several common plastics used for food packaging. Bioethylene can be produced by the catalytic dehydration of bioethanol, produced by the fermentation of carbohydrates, followed by normal polymerisation to produce polyethylene (PE). It is not biodegradable and has the same properties, processing, and performance as PE made from natural gas or oil feedstocks. The major producers are in Brazil and use sugar from cane as the starting material.

BioPET can be produced from terephthalic acid (TA) and ethylene glycol (EG) from molasses. Several routes are available to produce TA from a wide variety of feedstocks including sugarcane, corn, and woody biomass via isobutanol and para-xylene. 100% biobased bottles can be made from the new plastic polyethylene furanoate (PEF) using Avantium’s patented technology that converts biomass into furanics

The term bioplastic is used rather loosely to describe both biodegradable plastics and biobased plastics that may or may not be biodegradable, leading to confusion

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Packaging

building blocks such as 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) that can replace TA and be polymerised with EG to PEF. DuPont has taken a similar approach using FDME (the methyl ester of FDCA) to produce polytrimethylene furandicarboxylate (PTF) through polymerisation with bioPDO (1,3-propanediol).

What is most exciting about these two new polyesters is that, in addition to being biobased, they have greatly improved thermal and mechanical properties compared to PET. For example, their barrier properties are up to 5 times greater resulting in longer shelf lives and/ or lightweighting potential.

Global production Global plastic packaging production is about 100 million tonnes/ year. Biobased plastics production has grown from 80,000 tonnes in 2005 to 1.2 million tonnes in 2011 and 2.11 million tonnes in 2019 (Figure 2), about 2% of total plastic packaging production. Of this total, 1.17 million tonnes were biodegradable and 0.94 million tonnes non-biodegradable. By 2024 global production is expected to reach 2.43 million tonnes. Strongest growth will be led by biobased, non-biodegradable bioplastics such as bioPE and bioPET, which are dubbed “drop-in” solutions as they can be readily substituted in-line for petrochemical-based plastics and recycled alongside their conventional counterparts.

Biodegradation Biodegradable is a generic term that indicates a material is biologically available for microbial decomposition, with no detail on breakdown products, time or extent of degradation or end environments.

Biodegradation is the partial or complete breakdown of a material as a result of microbial action (enzyme secretion and within-cell processes), ultimately into CO2. Biodegradation can take place in many environments, including soils, compost sites, water treatment facilities, anaerobic digestors, and marine environments. Biodegradability depends not on the origin of the raw materials but on their chemical composition. The extent to which a biodegradable plastic will break down is dependent on the surrounding environment. Humidity, temperature or concentrations of microorganisms vary in different environments, resulting in different biodegradation rates.

Compostable This is a specific term which describes a polymer that has been independently certified as meeting the relevant performance standards.

For packaging to be called compostable it must biologically decompose and disintegrate in a composting system (under either commercial or home composting conditions) to set levels within a defined period of time. The compost must also meet specific quality criteria relating to ecotoxicity and other characteristics. The biggest benefit of composting is avoidance of methane production from anaerobic biodegradation should the material end up in a landfill.

A disadvantage of the more widespread adoption of biodegradable 30

Food New Zealand

Figure 2. Global biobased plastics production in 2019.

Source: www.european-bioplastics.org/market/ plastics is the need to separate them from the non-biodegradable waste streams for plastic recycling to avoid compromising the quality of the final product. There is also some limited evidence to suggest that labelling a product as biodegradable will result in a greater inclination to litter on the part of the public.

Testing New Zealand does not have standards for biodegradable or compostable plastics but accepts Australian Standards AS 4736 (biodegradable materials suitable for commercial composting) and AS 5810 (biodegradable plastics suitable for home composting).

Other recognised standards defining industrial compostability in which temperatures are expected to reach >60°C include ASTM 6400 (USA), EN 13432 (European) and ISO 17088 (International). AS 4736 is similar to EN 13432 and requires that at least 90% of the organic matter is converted into CO2 within 6 months, and that no more than 30% of the residue is retained by a 2mm mesh sieve after 3 months composting.

The test conditions for the home composting standard AS 5810 specify a lower composting temperature of 25±5°C. One challenge is that biodegradation tests carried out in artificial environments lack transferability to real conditions and, therefore, highlight the necessity of environmentally authentic and relevant field‐ testing conditions. At a laboratory level, the biodegradation rate is expected to be a function of the surface area of the tested sample, and the higher the surface area, the higher the biodegradation rate, all other environmental conditions being equal.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has noted that 100% biodegradable is an absolute claim that usually means ‘entirely’ or ‘totally’, and describing a product as ‘100% biodegradable’ indicates that the whole of the product will biodegrade in the same way and over the same time period—and that is not likely.

The Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA) offers a verification programme for individuals or companies that wish to have their claims of conformance to the Australian Standard verified. The seedling logo

Packaging

environmental value. A long-term goal is for compostable packaging to be accepted in kerbside organics collections by the majority of councils, particularly where both food and garden organics are being collected for composting. In the short to medium term, priorities include commercial and away-from-home collection systems.

Figure 3. Australasian Bioplastics Association seedling logo for industrially compostable bioplastics that meet AS 4736

Figure 4. Australasian Bioplastics Association seedling logo for home compostable bioplastics that meet AS 5810

(Figure 3) is a symbol that the product’s claims of biodegradability and compostability as per AS4736 have been verified; the home compostable verification logo (Figure 4) applies to AS 5810. The seedling logo is a registered trademark owned by European Bioplastics and administered by the ABA in New Zealand and Australia. However, packaging certified as compostable to AS 4736 will not necessarily compost at every commercial composting facility, as not all facilities operate at an appropriate level to cope with these materials.

Environmental impacts A meta-analysis of 44 life cycle analysis (LCA) studies found biobased materials save primary energy and greenhouse gas emissions but may increase eutrophication and stratospheric ozone depletion. Most impacts are caused by the application of fertilisers and pesticides during industrial biomass cultivation. Loss of biodiversity, soil carbon depletion, soil erosion, deforestation, as well as greenhouse gas emissions from indirect land use change, were not quantified in the LCAs.

Why is biodegradation popular?

To many consumers, biodegradation appears natural: it is what nature does, so it must be good. The public also believes that biodegradable packaging will solve the solid waste problem and the litter problem.

Other advocates suggest that composting will reduce the quantity of waste going to landfills but to realize the benefits of biodegradable plastics, municipal composting facilities must be available. However, today few cities have such facilities or the capacity to collect green waste separately and this is a major drawback to the expansion of biodegradable plastics.

According to the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, biodegradable and compostable materials should only be used in preference to other materials when they achieve the best outcomes and can be recovered through widely available recycling or organics recovery services. In some cases, LCA may be necessary to identify the most suitable recovery system to achieve the highest potential

Although a polymer may be marketed as biodegradable, this may only apply to a limited range of environmental conditions which are probably not encountered in the natural environment, leading to misunderstandings and confusion as to what constitutes biodegradability. For example, some items such as plastic shopping bags may be labelled as ‘biodegradable’ but it is quite possible that they will only degrade appreciably in an industrial composter. Such polymers will not ‘biodegrade’ in domestic compost bins or if left to litter the environment, and this lack of clarity may lead to behaviours that result in a greater degree of littering.

Conclusions Are biobased, biodegradable packaging materials the best option?

Few have the mechanical and barrier properties required for food packaging. Converting a solid material into a gas via composting or biodegradation should only be a last resort. It is much better to capture the embodied energy and material for reuse through recycling.

Composting a biobased, biodegradable packaging material after a single use is a wasteful approach and is not sustainable.

Biobased but not biodegradable is the way forward to sustainable packaging.

Glossary of abbreviations EG

Ethylene glycol

LCA

Life Cycle Analysis

PCL

Polycaprolactone

PVOH

Polyvinyl alcohol

PET

Polyethylene terephthalate

PP

Polypropylene

PLA

Polylactic acid

PE

Polyethylene

PBAT

Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)

PBS

Polybutylene succinate

PEF

Polyethylene furanoate

PPC

Polypropylene carbonate

PGA

Polyglycolic acid

PTF

Polytrimethylene furandicarboxylate

TA

Terephthalic acid

Dr. Gordon Robertson, FNZIFST is a food packaging consultant and Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland. gordonlrobertson@gmail.com

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Packaging

Let’s be truthful about Sustainable Packaging claims on-pack Nerida Kelton MAIP, Executive Director - Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP), Board Member – World Packaging Organisation (WPO) With the 2025 National Packaging Targets significantly shifting the packaging design landscape in Australia and New Zealand, a critical element that is coming up short is truthful and accurate environmental claims on-pack.

Gone are the days when you could get away with simply writing ‘recyclable’, ‘biodegradable’ or ‘compostable’ on pack. The 2025 National Packaging Targets are now the perfect opportunity to review all environmental on-pack symbols and wording.

Changing face of on-pack logos Plastic Identification Code (PIC) The use of the Plastic Identification Code (PIC), or the symbol of the chasing arrow with a number in the middle, that is seen on most plastic packaging identifies the type of plastic the packaging is made of. For example, PET is classified as 1, HDPE is 2, PVC is 3, LDPE is 4, Polypropylene is 5, Polystyrene is 6 and 7 is Other or mixed plastic types. To most consumers this symbol means they can put the plastic pack into the recycling bin, even if it isn’t a recyclable plastic.

Do The Right Thing logo The ‘Litterman’ guy has been around for years. You will all know – even if it is subconsciously – the symbol of the man who throws the rubbish in the bin. Whilst he is familiar to consumers ask yourself "what does the logo really mean"?

The ‘Do the Right Thing’ slogan and symbol was a part of a marketing campaign launched in the 70s that was intended as a ‘Don’t Litter' campaign. According to Keep Australia Beautiful ‘When the Do The Right Thing campaign was launched, 80% of people recognised the catch phrase and in 2015, only 38% said they knew the phrase.’

Confusing claims and wording Another challenge within the Sustainable Packaging journey is when brands decide to use words like ‘biodegradable’ or ‘compostable’ onpack. The article by Dr Gordon Robertson on the preceding pages, starting on page 29, clearly sets out the true nature of these packaging materials.

Before selecting compostable packaging, a responsible brand should be identifying whether there are facilities available to their consumers for the collection compostable packaging with their organic waste and effectively communicating this information on-pack so consumers understand the end-of-life process.

There are two other options currently available for use of compostable packaging.

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The Australian Bioplastics Association (ABA) provides a voluntary system for companies or individuals wishing to have their compostable and biodegradable plastics packaging certified. There are two certifications available. Australian Standard 4736-2006, compostable and biodegradable plastics – ‘Biodegradable plastics suitable for composting and other microbial treatment’ and Australian Standard AS 5810-2010 Home Composting – ‘Biodegradable plastics suitable for home composting’.

Recyclable Symbols and Logos “Can this packaging truly be recycled in the country we sell the product in?” Brands need to be re-designing their on-pack communication with honesty, clarity and clear and easy-to-understand explanations.

So where to from here?

In April 2018, in conjunction with partners, Planet Ark and PREP Design, the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) launched an Australasian labelling scheme that aims to increase recycling and recovery rates and contribute to cleaner recycling streams.

The Australasian Packaging Recycling Label (ARL) Programme provides designers and brand owners with the tools to inform responsible packaging design and helps consumers to understand how to correctly dispose of packaging. The two elements of the programme are the Packaging Recyclability Evaluation Portal (PREP) and the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL).

Packaging Recyclability Evaluation Portal (PREP) PREP provides a way for brand owners, manufacturers and designers to assess whether an item of packaging could be classified as ‘recyclable’ through kerbside collection in Australian and New Zealand. PREP produces a report for each ‘project’ that is evaluated. PREP provides the evidence base for applying the Australasian Recycling Label on-pack.

Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) The Australasia Recycling Label (ARL) is an evidence-based, standardised labelling system that provides clear and consistent on-pack recycling information to inform consumers of the correct disposal method. The ARL is designed to be used in conjunction with PREP, which informs the user of the correct on-pack ARL artwork for each ‘separable component’ of packaging. It is a simple and effective method to improve consumer recycling behaviours.

AIP Training The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) have also developed a number of training courses that will greatly assist your Sustainable Packaging journey including: Tools to Help you Meet the 2025 National

1. The establishment of ‘closed loop facilities’ for the collection of compostable materials and certified packaging. These closed loop systems are designed to facilitate the collection and recycling of nutrient rich organic material, such as food scraps, along with the certified compostable packaging and return the nutrients into the soil rather than allowing them to rot away in landfill.

Packaging Targets: PREP and ARL

2. Clearly identifying home compostable certified packaging and encouragingthe consumer to dispose of it via their home composting -– but not in the recycling rubbish.

Flexible Packaging: Now & Into the Future’ and The New Sustainable Packaging Guidelines.

Food New Zealand

Introduction to Sustainable Packaging Design Lifecycle Assessment Tools for Sustainable Packaging Design The Future of bioplastics and compostable packaging

Go to www.aipak.com.au for more information.

OILS & FATS

Oils and Fats News A regular round-up of news and opinion from the Oils and Fats Group of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry.

Laurence Eyres, FNZIFST

Matiatia Olive Grove on Waiheke

Dr. John Edwards â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a Tribute Dr. John Edwards, the husband of Margaret Edwards, one of our longstanding members and very good friends, passed away very recently after a brief illness. This happened during the Covid19 lockdown which must have been both terribly traumatic and stressful.

John was a very successful dental surgeon and he applied his rigorous scientific skills to assisting Margaret in producing globally recognised olive oils from the island of Waiheke at Matiatia Grove.

John and Margaret were early pioneers in the production and sensory training for extra virgin olive oil. Their oil consistently won gold medals in New Zealand and overseas. John was a kind, modest, goodhumoured gentleman with a wealth of knowledge about medicine, horticulture, and nutrition. He will be deeply missed by Margaret, his family, his friends, and all in the olive oil world. Our annual dinners and AGM will never be the same without him.

Lipids, antioxidants, and immunity - eat well Eating well: avoiding processed food could help you survive COVID-19.

Whilst the whole world scrambles urgently to find a vaccine for Covid19, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to build our immunity, keep

fit and eat a healthy diet. There are some very good and interesting presentations on YouTube and one of them by a leading medico in the front line of the UK warns that those on a typical Western diet of junk food and sugary drinks are 10x more likely to succumb to the virus than those who are of a healthy weight and eat a wholesome diet with fruits, vegetables and nutrients. Apparently 65% of people in USA are pre-diabetic. In New Zealand 18.6% of the population 15 years and over have pre-diabetes.(Coppell et al, 2013) Nutritionists and doctors are warning people to avoid the temptation to use the lockdown as an excuse to give up exercise and gorge on easyto-prepare but nutritionally poor processed food.

European Scientist reports that nearly three-quarters of the first few thousand COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care in the UK were overweight or obese, and "patients with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome might have to up 10 times greater risk of death when they contract COVID-19".

The research was carried out by Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist with the UK's NHS (see YouTube reference).

"What is staggering is that looking at all the data, it is irrefutable that metabolic disease is the leading cause of mortality from COVID-19," said Dr Malhotra.

"This covers much of what we are already being told, that outcomes for June/July 2020

33

OILS & FATS

A bacterial disease, Xylella fastidiosa, spread by insects, has killed millions of olive trees in Europe since 2013 patients suffering from type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure are far worse than in otherwise healthy adults. What is not being spelled out is that poor diet and obesity is behind this."

A very interesting and informative summary of the use of Vitamin D supplementation in the fight against coronavirus can be seen in a video

by Dr. Renu Mahtani.

In New Zealand, AUT nutritionist Dr Caryn Zinn joins other international scientists to call for public health messaging on healthy diet to reduce Covid 19 risk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s9QEKmvLK0

• Obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome associated with an up to 10-fold increase risk of death from COVID-19 • Ultra-processed food which makes up half of the Western diet blamed as primary culprit • Only 1 in 8 adults are metabolically healthy • Dietary changes can rapidly reduce risk of health complications and can potentially send type 2 diabetes into remission within weeks.

International experts in medicine, dietetics and nutrition call for immediate update on public health messaging to eat whole nutritious food to rapidly reduce risk of COVID-19 complications and potentially save hundreds and thousands of lives https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkW2qD6gjzI

Respiratory infections and Vitamin D There is a seasonality to influenza that correlates well with the seasonal drop in vitamin D or 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels.

Levels of 25(OH)D are quite low in nursing home residents, and supplementation with 2000 IU of vitamin D can bring levels to normal safely in most patients. The use of vitamin D as a prophylactic for influenza has shown promise in prevention of illness and reduction of secondary asthma in children.

The mechanism of how vitamin D works for influenza A has been described in the literature.

In some trials, patients with influenza, have been treated with the Vitamin D hammer. This is a 1-time 50,000 IU dose ofVitamin D3 or 10,000 IU 3 times daily for 2 to 3 days. The results are dramatic, with complete resolution of symptoms in 48 to 72 hours. One-time doses of Vitamin D at this level have been used safely and have never been shown to be toxic. The cost of Vitamin D is about a cent for 1000 IU, so this treatment costs less than a dollar.

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Food New Zealand

Selenium - The Moonstone A recent review entitled Micronutrient Selenium Deficiency Influences Evolution of Some Viral Infectious Diseases describes the role of chronic micronutrient selenium (Se) deficiency on the evolution of some contemporary RNA viruses.

The significance of host Se status is based on the antioxidant properties of amino acid (aa) selenocysteine, the catalytic centre of selenoenzymes. The glutathione peroxidase (GPx) family regulates biologic oxidative homeostasis by neutralising metabolically produced “reactive oxygen species” (ROS: H2O-2, O-2, OH). Left unchecked, hyperoxidation disrupts biomolecules, cellular lipid membranes, organ tissues, metabolic pathways, and genetic mechanisms. Location and function of each tissue type of GPx is specific and not transferable.

Intracellular glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPx1) resides in most body cells including red blood cells and, as measured in the blood, is a bioindicator of subject Se status.

New Zealand is one of the countries void of Se bioavailability from soils for food crop uptake and adequate human nutrition. Worldwide, soils average 0.4 mg Se/kg of soil. Variability in Se accumulation in grains demonstrates this influence.

• Analysis of samples of NZ wheat and Australian wheat in 2000 samples showed that NZ wheat range was 0.01 to 0.02 mg/kg: contrast Australian wheat 0.08 to 0.10.

• The work of Otago scientists including Professor Marion Robinson in the 70s and Christine Thomson indicated that New Zealanders are selenium deficient.

• There is a good review by Margaret Rayman in the Lancet, • Eating 1 Brazil Nut (if it's not rancid) per day could solve this deficiency or take a supplement.

Selenium and Human Health, Margaret Rayman, The Lancet, (2012), vol. 379,p. 1256-1268

OILS & FATS

Cleaning of hands and surfacesremove the lipids Antimicrobial cleaning products are of high importance to public health, the economy, and society. Recent trends have increased their importance and relevance. Annually, 1.7 million hospital-acquired infections (HAI) are reported in the United States, resulting in 99,000 deaths and an increased cost to the national health care system of US$20 billion. Many of these can be prevented by compliance with recommended disinfecting protocols. Disease outbreaks in recent years are more severe due to global travel, large scale food processing, adaptation of microorganisms, and reduced vaccination rates. Natural disasters in recent years have had a more severe impact, particularly when large metropolitan areas are affected. These events may disrupt water, sanitation, healthcare access, and hygiene practices. In addition, those who require sheltering during and after such events are at higher risk for illness from viruses due to crowded conditions.

Washing the virus off with water alone might work. But water is not good at competing with the strong, glue-like interactions between the skin and the virus. Water is not enough.

Soapy water is totally different. Soap contains fat-like substances known as amphiphiles, some of which are structurally similar to the lipids in the virus membrane. The soap molecules “compete” with the lipids in the virus membrane. This is more or less how soap also removes normal dirt from the skin. The soap not only loosens the “glue” between the virus and the skin but also the Velcro-like interactions that hold the proteins, lipids and RNA in the virus together.

Why does soap work so well on the Sars-CoV-2, the coronavirus and indeed most viruses? The short story: because the virus is a selfassembled nanoparticle in which the weakest link is the lipid (fatty) bilayer. Soap dissolves the fat membrane and the virus falls apart like a house of cards and dies – or rather, we should say it becomes inactive as viruses aren’t really alive.

The slightly longer story is that most viruses consist of three key building blocks: ribonucleic acid (RNA), proteins and lipids. A virus-infected cell makes lots of these building blocks, which then spontaneously selfassemble to form the virus. Critically, there are no strong covalent bonds holding these units together, which means you do not necessarily need harsh chemicals to split those units apart. When an infected cell dies, all these new viruses escape and go on to infect other cells. Some end up also in the airways of lungs.

Washing regularly with soap and then drying is very effective, as we keep being told and it is scientifically correct. https://www.theguardian. com/commentisfree/2020/mar/12/science-soap-kills-coronavirusalcohol-based-disinfectants

Specialty lipids for pain Persistent pain affects nearly half of all people seeking medical care in the US alone, and accounts for at least $80 billion worth of lost productivity each year. Among all types of chronic pain, neuropathic pain stands out: this is pain resulting from damage or disease of the somatosensory nervous system and remains largely un-treatable. One area of research that appears to integrate many aspects of health is focused on understanding the endocannabinoid system (ECS) because of its role in systemic energy metabolism, inflammation, pain, and brain biology. Physical activity is important for maintaining health throughout the life cycle. The benefits of exercise facilitate macronutrient use, promote organ health, and augment the maintenance of metabolic

activity and physiological functions.

An estimated 2 million people in the U.S. are addicted to prescription opioids—powerful doctor-prescribed medications for chronic or severe pain. The drugs are commonly prescribed to treat gastrointestinal pain caused by conditions such as Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), raising the risk of addiction among this population.

A review published ahead of print in The American Journal of Physiology—Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology explores newer, potentially safer therapies for treating chronic abdominal pain with lower risks of addiction and side effects. Apparently in the USA , the problems compound when prescription medicines are restricted by doctors and people turn to street drugs like heroin and fentanyl.

That is why people are turning to more acceptable analgesics like the cannabinoids and a lipid called palmitoylethanolamide (PEA).

Cannabinoid agents are medications that target the endocannabinoid system, which controls visceral pain, nausea, and vomiting. Rita LeviMontalcini was the professor of neurobiology at the CNR Institute of Neurobiology, Rome and she shared the Nobel Prize for medicine with Stanley Cohen in 1986 for their discovery of nerve growth factor (NGF).

She showed that mast cells are able to bind NGF and recently they described how these cells are also able to synthesise, store, and release this factor Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1994; 91: 3779-43 Together with a company, Research Life, she reported that a cannabinoid receptor (CB2) was expressed on mast cells. The sensitivity of CB2 to palmitoylethanolamide differs from that to anandamide, which antagonises the central CB1 receptor. These findings suggest that PEA might be able to antagonise local autacoid inflammation, thus offering a new approach to anti-inflammatory therapy that does not involve inhibition of prostaglandin synthetase and is free from the side-effects associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It is understood that the company is patenting several related compounds that they are going to call aliamides (alia=autocoid local inflammation antagonism).

The Lancet, London Vol. 345, Iss. 8963, (Jun 10, 1995): 1500.

Inflammopharmacology (2014) volume 22, pages79–94(2014)

Olive trees threat A disease afflicting olive trees that has devastated a key producing region in Southern Italy threatens to cause billions of euros in damage for growers across Europe, according to new research. Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterial disease spread by insects, has killed millions of olive trees since 2013, prompting many growers to abandon their farms. An outbreak last year in Puglia at the heel of Italy, an area that produces about half of the country’s olive oil, disrupted the market further, feeding volatility in prices. Over the past few years, Xylella has also been discovered in France, Portugal, and Spain (the world’s leading olive producer), with approximately 2.7m hectares of olive trees, or 55% of the country’s cultivated area. The European supply of olives could be significantly reduced.

Author’s note This newsletter has focused on health and nutrition mainly because that has been the focus of interest whilst we have been in isolation. We trust that the global business of food, especially oils and fats, will recommence in the not-too distant future although we should not hold our breath.

June/July 2020

35

Research

Chinese consumers’ preferences for fermented meat products Anne Marie Manzano1, Di Lu2, Joanne Hort3 and Li Day2 1 3

AgResearch Limited, Lincoln Research Centre, Lincoln, New Zealand 2AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, New Zealand Feast Lab and Riddet Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Introduction The demand in China for processed meat products shows steady growth. In 2002, only 7.2% of raw meat was further processed. This doubled by 2009 (Zhou et al., 2012) and by 2017 18% of fresh meat was being diverted to products (Liu et al., 2017). China’s development and aptitude for quality processed meat products is growing rapidly.

Innovating in extending shelf-life and convenience, whilst maintaining flavour which satisfies Chinese sensory and cuisine-culture preferences, is a strong opportunity for New Zealand’s red meat industry to compete in this category.

We are supporting this opportunity through a New Zealand government sponsored Endeavour Research Programme. The aim of “Accelerated evolution: A step-change in food fermentation” is to facilitate innovation in the development of premium fermented foods.

Our industry partners are interested in how microbial cultures might be stimulated to generate differentiated flavour and texture profiles to appeal to Asian export markets such as China. This is the second article reporting on the results from the programme’s online surveys conducted in China, following the first article on “Chinese consumers’ preference for fermented dairy foods” featured in the April/May issue of Food NZ.

Methods An online survey was designed to evaluate Chinese consumer preference and familiarity with fermented and cured meat products, particularly salamis and hams. The format of the survey was as described previously (Manzano et al., 2020). In this case the questions were prepared in consultation with Alliance Group Ltd (a New Zealand meat company) and COFCO Nutrition Health and Research Institute (NHRI) in Beijing, China. Five hundred online participants (250 from the northern city Beijing and 250 from the south-east city Shanghai) were recruited by COFCO using their online platform and their panel database of consumers. Potential participants were asked to complete the survey if they met the following screening criteria: • Aged 18 – 60, • Consumed fermented meat products more often than monthly, and; • Knew something about New Zealand.

Briefly, respondents were asked to describe their average monthly purchasing and consumption habits using a combination of multiplechoice questions, verbal frequency scale matrix questions and written 36

Food New Zealand

responses. Respondents were also asked to rate the importance of different product attributes when shopping. A forced ranking scale question was also posed, to understand Chinese consumers’ concerns.

Survey data were analysed using frequency tables, in order to see the distribution of results clearly.

Research

Results and discussion Demographic profile Demographic data were collected for all respondents. Over half (59%) had a family gross annual income near or above China’s national average of CNY154,000 (around NZ$34,0001) (Sohu, 2017), the same number were university educated.

Purchasing habits Over half of respondents (salami 59%, ham 56%) reported purchasing fermented meat products 1-2 times a month and indicated an average monthly spend of CNY20 to CNY100 (NZ$5 – NZ$20). Respondents typically purchased fermented meat at supermarkets (e.g. Wal-Mart and Carrefour) and premium food stores (e.g. Ole’2 and Sam’s Club 3).

Purchases typically included 2-3 packs, around 250 g in size.

Most respondents (68%) reported that they usually purchased traditional Chinese products. These are largely pork based, as either dry-cured hams or semi-dry sausages that would be considered salami in Western cuisine (Chen et al., 2014). The most famous is Jinhua ham.

Considered among the best cured meats in the world, it maintains a notable presence throughout China, with over three million hams sold annually (McOrist & Boddington, 2011). More expensive than other hams, and mainly served in large hotels and restaurants, Jinhua hams cater to niche markets willing to pay for higher quality (Wang & Toulouse, n.d.). Other reputable Chinese hams include Xuanwei (Yunan), Anfu, and Rugao (Chen et al., 2014; Liu, 2017).

Traditional Chinese fermented sausages, lap cheong (lup cheong), are sweet semi-dry presentations of ground pork and pork fat, with added white wine and sugar, as well as salt and sodium nitrite (Chen et al., 2014). However, they used to be made from goat and lamb meat mixed with onions, salt, and pepper (Özvural & Vural, 2014). Other Chinese sausages produced similarly to lap cheong include duck liver sausage (aap gon cheong), which can be made with chicken and/or pig liver, and “gold silver” sausage (gam ngan cheong) (Toldrá & Hui, 2014).

Although Western-style meats are not as widely available in supermarkets as their Chinese counterparts, many respondents reported that they usually purchased non-traditional products, particularly salami. Almost two-thirds of respondents (salami 64%, ham 61%) selected Western-style products that had been manufactured in China, while around half selected imported products (salami 55%, ham 49%). This likely reflects increasing familiarity amongst the growing middle-class with Western imports, perceived to be of higher quality and value. For example, Spain’s prestigious Iberico ham recorded sales of NZ$3 million in China in 2016, Italy’s Parma ham sold NZ$2.3 million and China recently approved imports of Danish processed meat, including salami (Liu, 2017).

In summary, there is growing interest in the small selection of WesternFootnotes: 1 CNY1 = NZ$0.22 2 a high-end supermarket which offers small-sized and fresh imported products 3 a chain of high-end membership-only clubs under Walmart Inc, offering premium quality fresh produce and membership products

style products available and it appears that clear consumer habits and preferences have yet to be established. Therefore, there are strong prospects for introducing a competitive imported product in this category.

Consumption habits Around half of the respondents reported that they consumed fermented meat products weekly (salami 50%, ham 44%). Table 1 shows the ranking of dinning occasions when fermented meat are consumed in China. Respondents said they usually ate fermented meat as part of a meal, particularly dinner (salami 24%, ham 29%) and more often while dining at home (salami, 23%, ham 28%).

Table 1: "What occasions throughout the day do you eat fermented meat products?" (n=500) Occasions

% of total sample, (always or often) Salami

Ham

Dinner

24

29

Dining at home

23

28

Lunch

20

25

Breakfast

19

25

Snack

15

18

Dining out

14

18

Table 2 ranks how respondents typically prepared fermented meat products. Around half of the respondents (salami 48%, ham 56%), reported regularly preparing fermented meat as part of a cooked meal.

Table 2: "In what ways do you eat fermented meat products?" (n=500) Preparation method

% of total sample (always or often) Salami

Ham

Cooked, cooked dish

48

56

Just as it is, uncooked

19

25

Uncooked, cold dish

18

22

Uncooked, mixed salad

13

15

This reflects a general preference amongst Chinese consumers for cooked meat or hot meals over cold meals or snacks. Traditionally, meat is not the main feature of a Chinese dish, rather small chunks of meat are cooked with vegetables to add a meaty (umami) flavour to the dish, while the fat also adds texture (Peverelli, 2019). For example, Chinese hams are often added to soups, stews and braised dishes in order to give them richer flavours, and Chinese sausages are cut and cooked before consuming, usually with steamed rice.

June/July 2020

37

Research

However, meat snacks are growing in popularity. According to market research by Mintel (2017), a quarter of snack products launched in China between 2014 and 2016 were meat or seafood-based, and the response from Chinese consumers was positive, with almost half (48%) of consumers thinking meat/seafood-based snacks taste good and are filling (46%). Sometimes meat snacks are also used as convenient cooking ingredients, because they pass their flavouring ingredients on to the entire dish, without the need to prepare additional seasoning and spices (Peverelli, 2019). Therefore, there is a demand for meat to be processed into flavoursome and convenient prepared forms that can also be used for cooking.

The importance of food safety and quality Chinese consumers are alert to themes of food safety and quality.

Of our respondents, more than two thirds paid attention to the manufacturing date and expiry date, and also considered the quality certificate to be very important and desirable when shopping for salami and ham. About half of respondents (salami 43%, ham 44%), ranked microbiological safety as one of their top three concerns preventing them from purchasing more salami and ham, followed by the use of artificial preservatives/additives.

These opinions can be linked to respondents’ reasons for purchasing imported products. 55% of respondents said they purchased imported products because they perceive them to be safer to consume, and 44% of respondents believe imported products have better quality and taste.

Table 3 lists respondents’ ratings of the importance of various attributes in an ideal fermented meat product. The attributes rated very important by most respondents, reflected their foremost concerns about food safety, spoilage and additives. Over half of respondents selected that it was very important that their ideal product did not contain artificial ingredients such as hormones (67%), antibiotics (66%), preservatives (65%), additives (61%) and artificial colours (59%).

These preferences can be consolidated into three strong drivers of desire:

Desirable characteristic

% of total sample

No added hormones

67

No added antibiotics

66

Preservative free

65

No additives

61

No artificial colours

59

GE free

58

Overall savoury taste plus a clear sweetness

48

Made with organic meat

48

Lower fat content

43

Made with beef / sheep meat

41

High meat content

41

Lower sugar content

37

Not overly salty taste

36

Without large chunks of meat and fat

33

Fermented, aged, ripened taste

31

Texture

30

Chewy texture

30

Ready-to-eat

26

Preparation required, part of a meal

26

Stores in refrigerator for a long time

26

Sliced very thinly

25

Made with pork meat

23

• processed “naturally”

Some tartness to taste

18

• composition is healthy, e.g. has lower fat content (48%), and lower sugar content (37%);

Sliced thickly

15

• produced with premium ingredients, e.g. organic (48%), beef/sheep content (41%), and high meat content (41%).

Conclusion Purchasing patterns amongst Chinese consumers have changed.

More meat, especially red and processed meat, is being consumed per capita. Those who are already familiar with the flavour and 38

Table 3: "What are the very important characteristics of your ideal fermented meat products?" (n=500)

Food New Zealand

texture-enhancing properties of traditional fermented meat products, are attracted to new fermented meat products, as a convenient and nutritious way to explore new cuisines and create exotic dishes. With the strong reputation, but limited selection of imported fermented meat products currently available, overseas brands have the opportunity to introduce innovated products, focused on naturalness, unique flavours and convenient formats.

Research

Acknowledgements We thank our industry partner Alliance Group Ltd (NZ), particularly Product Innovation Technologist Rebecca Main, and the staff of COFCO, China for their input into the design and implementation of this survey, particularly Dr Cairui Qu and Dr Fei Guo. References Chen, M., Tu, R., & Wang, S. (2014). Asian Products. In F. Toldrá, Y. H. Hui, I. Astiasarán, J. G. Sebranek, & R. Talon (Eds.), Handbook of Fermented Meat and Poultry (pp. 321-327). doi:10.1002/9781118522653. ch37 Liu, H. (2017, July 15). Hamstrung. The World of Chinese. Retrieved from https://www.pressreader.com/china/the-world-of-chine se/20170715/281547995957888 Liu, R., Xing, L., Zhou, G., & Zhang, W. (2017, October ). What is meat in China? Animal Frontiers, 7(4), pp. 53-56. Retrieved from https://doi. org/10.2527/af.2017.0445 Manzano, A. M, Lu, D., Hort, J. & Day, L. (2020) Chinese consumers’ preferences for fermented dairy foods. Food New Zealand, 20 (2), 29-32.

Hamburg Süd.

Oceans ahead.

McOrist, S., & Boddington, M. (2011, July 20). Demand Drives Chinese Hog Expansion. National Hog Farmer. Retrieved from www. nationalhogfarmer.com/facilities-equipment/swine-housing/demanddrives-chinese-hog-expansion

For food shippers, Hamburg Süd is the

Mintel. (2017, April 4). Healthy snacking on the rise in China. Retrieved from Mintel: https://www.mintel.com/press-centre/food-and-drink/ urban-chinese-consumers-report-eating-more-nuts

high-tech cold care and atmosphere control

Özvural, E. B., & Vural, H. (2014). Fermented Sausages from Other Meats. In F. Toldrá, Y. Hui, I. Astiasarán, J. G. Sebranek, & R. Talon (Eds.), Handbook of Fermented Meat and Poultry (pp. 339-343). doi:10.1002/9781118522653.ch39 Peverelli, P. (2019, July 3). Muscling in on China's market for meat snacks. Retrieved from Just-Food: https://www.just-food.com/analysis/ muscling-in-on-chinas-market-for-meat-snacks_id141763.aspx Sohu. (2017, December 27). 2017 China's average annual income of working families announced, see if your family has achieved the standard?

Retrieved from Sohu: https://www.sohu.com/a/213066782_222858 Toldrá, F., & Hui, Y. (2014). Dry-Fermented Sausages and Ripened Meats: An Overview. In F. Toldrá, Y. Hui, I. Astiasarán, J. G. Sebranek, & R. Talon (Eds.), Handbook of Fermented Meat and Poultry (pp. 1-6). doi:10.1002/9781118522653.ch1

carrier of choice. With our global services, capabilities, the whole world is within reach.

Our services are fast, frequent, and reliable and our logistics skills are world class.

Hamburg Süd… welcome abroad!

For hands-on help from our local experts: Outbound: 0508 222 444 Inbound: 0508 333 666

United Nations. (2017). UN comtrade database. Retrieved from http:// comtrade.un.org/ Wang, G., & Toulouse, I. (n.d.). Jinhua ham, China. Retrieved from FAO: http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/i1592e/i1592e02.pdf Zhou, G., Zhang, W., & Xu, X. (2012, November). China's meat industry revolution: Challenges and opportunities for the future. Meat Science, 92(3), 188-196. doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2012.04.016

No matter what. www.hamburgsud-line.com June/July 2020

39

NZIFST

News from NZIFST Call for nominations for NZIFST Awards 2020 Although NZIFST will not be running a Conference in 2020 the NZIFST Awards are going ahead, as is our AGM for 2020.

Diary 18th August for our AGM and Awards winners announcement.

We urge you to nominate your deserving peers NOW! Nominations for 2020 close 5pm Monday 22nd June Full information about the awards: criteria, information required, how to nominate, are all on the NZIFST website at https://www.nzifst.org.nz/news/8758114 The Awards are: • JC Andrews Award • Distinguished Service Award • Leadership Award • Young Technologist Award • Ron Hooker Award • Fellowship Award • Best Practice Food Allergen Management Award in conjunction with Allergen Bureau • MPI Award for Significant Contribution to Food Safety If you need more information please contact Rosemary Hancock at NZIFST, rosemary@nzifst. org.nz.

NZIFST Directory executive manager

president

Rosemary Hancock P O Box 5574, Terrace End, Palmerston North, 4441 Ph (06) 356 1686 Mob 021 217 8298 rosemary@nzifst.org.nz Richard Archer r.h.archer@massey.ac.nz

vice president Phil Bremer phil.bremer@otago.ac.nz TREASURER

Grant Boston grant@boston.net.nz

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! https://nzifst.org.nz/join-us

40

Food New Zealand

NZIFST

New Members NZIFST welcomes the following new members and welcomes and congratulates those who have joined or been upgraded to Professional Membership. Welcome also to new student and Graduate members.

New Professional Members Jane Coad

Massey University

Professor

Palmerston North

Sumon Saha

Ziwi Limited

R & D Technologist

Mt Maunganui

Angela Yang

Ministry for Primary Industries

Systems Auditor

Wellington

Former Professional Member rejoining Vivek Gargi

Fonterra Australia Pty Ltd

Development Technologist

Essendon, Australia

Peter Silan

Retired

Retired

Auckland

Member upgrading to Professional Imogen Dear

Ministry for Primary Industries

Senior Advisor, Food Science, Regulation and Assurance

Waikane

Ee Laine Yeoh

Tip Top Ice Cream Company Ltd

R&D Technologist

Auckland

Chathurika Samarakoon

Waikato Institute of Technology

Senior Academic Staff Member

Hamilton

New Members Laura Jones

ADM Nutrition

Sales & Marketing

Auckland

Darshika Narayan

ADM Nutrition

Applications Technologist

Auckland

Alison Dixon

Barkers Fruit Processors

Food Technologist

Geraldine

Ursula Hosking

Frucor Suntory

Senior Scientist

Auckland

Hannah Blackwell

Frucor Suntory

Graduate Food Technologist

Auckland

Carla Perna

G S Hall

Quality Assurance Technologist

Auckland

Matt Andrews

Hibiscus Solutions

Account & Applications Manager

Auckland

Elisa Weiss

Nutritionist

Create Nutrition Ltd

Auckland

Keira Nesdale

Pacific Process

Project Engineer

Auckland

Corinna Breig

Synlait Milk Ltd

Technologist

Christchurch

Anna Williams

Synlait Milk Ltd

Senior Research Technologist

Palmerston North

Liz White

Synlait Milk Ltd

Technologist

Christchurch

Gurpreet Bagga

Yashilli NZ Dairy Company

Senior Technologist

Hamilton

New Graduate Members Elizabeth Geddes

Colmar Brunton

Sensory Client Executive

Auckland

Stephen Giteru

University of Otago

Teaching & Research Fellow

Otago

Charlotte Hitchings

Goodman Fielder - Longburn

Technical Assistant

Palmerston North

Danielle Merton

The Pure Food Company

NPD Technologist

Auckland

Arjun Puthussery Vasudev

Christchurch

Student Members Vishnu Gunasekaran Siqi Li Ha-Young Kim Maru Gawat Zicheng Huang Ripudaman Kaur Dhaval Patel Kizzy Rennie Thomas Sun Sumesh Thenkaramaharaj Vanessa Ung Anna Gower-James Sanika Pathak Lucy Todd Hwui Eun Jung

Auckland University of Technology Massey University Massey University - Albany Massey University - Turitea Massey University - Turitea Massey University - Turitea Massey University - Turitea Massey University - Turitea Massey University - Turitea Massey University - Wellington University of Auckland University of Otago University of Otago University of Otago Waikato Institute of Technology

June/July 2020

41

NZIFST

Branch news While lockdown has caused the cancellation of previously planned Branch events, hibernation was not the order of the day, as the following brief notes show. Auckland Branch has also reported on meetings before the big L.

Canterbury The branch had a virtual AGM on 18th May. As well as enjoying the presentation from Callaghan Innovation, the election for committee was carried out with the incumbent Chair retaining his position (Bob Olayo, that is). We will have a full report in the next issue, with photographs.

Central Inspired by the new reality of virtual reality meetings, the Branch organised an on-line Zoom branch meeting for May 21. At this Amos Palfreyman (FoodHQ) spoke to members about his experiences during his secondment to Wageningen Food Valley at the end of last year. We will report Amos’ experiences in full next issue. The meeting was an unmitigated success with above average attendance from a broader geographic coverage than normally achieved, so we are sure this will not be the last time we meet in the ether.

Peter Cullinane

Waikato

the YouTube tutorial, there was the plan to make butter in a humble shed - which ended up downsized as a refrigerated container.

The Branch chair hoped to get to the stage to have a face-to-face Committee meeting but is now planning to Zoom with the committee and plan meetings. Watch this space.

Auckland Food Leader: Peter Cullinane, Lewis Road Creamery February saw the launch of the Food Leaders Series, kicking off with Peter Cullinane, Founder of Lewis Road Creamery speaking about the road Lewis Road has navigated to where it is today. It was an insightful yet concise presentation and one with many gems peppered throughout. For those who missed the event, we have captured some of the sound bites from the event as something may resonate with you reading this - or you could pass it on to a friend. This is the journey of Lewis Road, and obviously differs greatly to the way most people start a company.

Believe it or not, Peter’s go-to snack is white bread with butter: buying a delicious butter is of utmost priority. Yet according to Peter, the seed that sparked it all came about when he realised that he was purchasing Lurpak Danish butter yet living in New Zealand. It seemed crazy that he was buying an imported dairy product, when he was living in a country which is known as a dairy hub. So, Lewis Road was born of an idea that New Zealand could be better and do better. But of course, everyone can have an idea, and this one wasn’t set in concrete until he announced off the cuff at a dinner party that he that he was starting a butter company - much to everyone’s surprise!

Luckily, after speaking with Jason at New World Victoria Park - Peter was told “If you make it, we’ll sell it”, so off he set, to start making butter. YouTube was the chief consultant in the initial butter making process. His approach was to make it in the kitchen first and then move quickly after that. Certainly DIY was time and labour intensive. Yet, after 42

Food New Zealand

From day one, New Zealand has always focused on supplying the home market – England. As a nation we have always worked toward supplying commodities, with the lowest pricing, while high quality, niche products command premium prices.

Lewis Road was never going to take the commodity route. Doing their own manufacturing at a small scale became an impractical idea for the pursuit of delivering a quality product to market, especially when there were other operations around with which they could form a complementary relationship – companies such as Canary Foods who manufacture Lewis Road’s products.

Fast forward to the chocolate milk saga. No market research was conducted for the chocolate milk; but the FOMO ensured that the product came into its own, and in many ways has defined the way in which Lewis Road has progressed. And, with that we learned of the new offerings and what Peter would love to do with the brand. Rose milk had just been launched for the Chinese market, protein smoothies were in the process of development and finally, exporting to China and the US. His plan is shelf space in 1000 stores in 1000 days. They are well on their way to achieving this.

Finally Peter touched on the Breakfast drink, the drink that almost sunk the business just because there was not the technical understanding – they did not know what they did not know. Again, Peter reiterated that this was not because they were too relaxed, they just were not equipped technically.

Peter is acutely aware that if he had worked through a business plan at the beginning, he would not have pursued the company. As such, he reiterated that the story of Lewis Road is a story of people helping people, and continues to live out this mantra.

Finally. His parting words (lessons) were simple: Just start. Hold it in your hands. Just get it done. Where you start is not where you will finish. Back yourself. and the biggest impediment to success is the fear of looking foolish.

NZIFST

Margaret McCracken, Maggie Jacques, Marianna McEwan and Bei Campbell at the Creating Value through Innovation workshop

Angus Brown

Food Leader: Angus Brown, ĀREPA

By now, you should have at least tried Ārepa; a nootropic beverage co-developed by Angus Brown, who was the second speaker for the Auckland Branch Leaders Series and a member of NZIFST. Angus spoke about the development of the world’s smartest drink: an interesting talk that delved into the numbers behind the success of Ārepa.

For a small company, they are aiming exceptionally high, and show absolutely no sign of slowing - with the goal of becoming a billion dollar company. Certainly no small feat, but a testament to the product concept and functionality. The product is now available online and the uptake is very encouraging.

Naturally the target market encompasses a range of consumers: from the sports and performance category to students, professionals and, of course, baby boomers. These three target markets are perfect as Ārepa has been developed and tested to support concentration, mood, as well as reduce brain fog, tension and fatigue. Besides, we are all looking for ways that we can improve our mental performance, so, a constant supply of a smart drink is a no brainer. (yes, pun intended!) Ārepa was developed in conjunction with Andrew Scoley, a Neuroscientist working in Human Psychopharmacology at Swinburne University. Angus noted that there are competitors – but that has only resulted in being driven further to ensure that Ārepa is accessible to wider markets.

Brainstorming in groups about business innovation in challenging scenarios at the Workshop

Workshop: Creating Value through Innovation

Most people couldn’t wait to open their bottle of Ārepa that Angus kindly brought along, with most being finished before dinner was over - or squirrelled away to save for the morning in lieu of the regular coffee.

On Thursday 30th January, we were excited to have Callaghan Innovation host for us a stimulating interactive workshop titled, "Creating Value through Innovation." The workshop used the '10 types of innovation' model proposed by Larry Keeley and challenged the eight teams to explore potential business opportunities for two hypothetical scenarios. The workshop produced some elegant solutions and helped put some structure to the concept of innovation.

Thank you Angus - we look forward to seeing Arepa thrive in the coming years!

Special thanks to workshop facilitator Ross Pearce, Braden Loveridge and Paul Hamilton who helped provide an enthralling experience.

June/July 2020

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he t n o s ew n t s e t a ook or l l f d m n o a c l .

20 Zea 0 2 w t e s N o f . n e u i i l . s b i r w s e w s s i o hw sp gan c a r t o a n e o w h o e s T as nt. , e Pleas s v s e e r s i g on f th C o e s h u t t a g st nin n u r o t d forwar

COME TO NEW ZEALAND IN AUGUST 2020 AND DISCOVER WORLD-LEADING FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

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