food australia, Vol.73 (2) April - June 2021

ISSN 1032 5298 • PRINT POST APPROVED PP241613/00096 VOL 73 ISSUE 2

APRIL – JUNE 2021

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF AIFST

Nutrition and mental health

Sustainable food systems – SEE the future

ROHA

FORAYS

Into Dehydrated Foods

Cereal-related health disorders – a review

Regulars By the Numbers People Food Files Fast Five

THE RECIPE FOR A SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING SECTOR Key points • The sector could be 2-3 times its current value of $61.3bn, reaching over $200bn by 2030, • This value is made up of 19 Growth Opportunities, • Approximately 300,000 additional jobs could be created by 2030, • The skill base will need to evolve to support this growth, • Realising this potential will require an enhanced way of operating to tap our collective expertise along the value chain. This will ensure raw products, processing, markets and consumers are considered at each stage to enhance value, build scale, bolster competition, and promote robust and resilient supply chains.

The food and agribusiness sector’s 180,000 businesses are adept at navigating challenges, whether that is changing consumer expectations, a global pandemic, or rapidly evolving trade tensions. This agility prepared the sector for the momentous disruptions to markets and supply chains in 2020.

As the year rolled on, the sector’s position as a critical and essential component of our national fabric became increasingly evident to every Australian.

It is thanks to our sector that Australia is one of the most food secure nations in the world. The sector employs over 538,000 Australians, and this is forecast to grow by an additional 300,000 jobs by 2030.

Testament to this sovereign capability and competitive advantage was the Prime Minister’s recognition of food and beverage manufacturing as one of the six priority areas to drive Australia’s post-recession economic recovery.

Since 2013, the Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre, trading as FIAL, has worked with the sector to drive growth through productivity and competitiveness.

Building on the National Farmers’ Federation’s 2030 target of $100bn

in pre-farm gate value, FIAL commissioned research in 2020, culminating in the Capturing the Prize report.

Our comprehensive analysis revealed 10 Future Trends shaping the operating, commercial and regulatory environments. We identified the 19 Growth Opportunities, ranging from manufacturing nutritious, functional foods to feed the growing and ageing population, through to developing sustainable packaging. If pursued, these growth opportunities will create more value for the sector.

The key finding of this work showed that pursuing the 19 Growth Opportunities will see the potential value of the sector surpass $200bn, creating over 300,000 new jobs in the process. By comparison, the sector is currently contributing $61bn on a valueadd basis.

Since the launch of Capturing the Prize, we have made significant progress in making the pursuit of the 19 Growth Opportunities practical.

We have piloted a new way for the entire food and agribusiness sector to work together, convening over 100 business leaders and technical experts across the entire value chain to help us in the process, including members from AIFST. This group collaborated to develop the practical roadmaps for each of the 19 Growth Opportunities to unlock the $200bn potential by 2030.

In doing so we attempted to answer some fundamental questions to identify how the sector could operate more effectively, efficiently and competitively to extract more value.

And this is just the first step.

These Roadmaps are being used at a macro level informing government policy and investment but importantly can - and are – being picked up at a business level to guide future growth.

FIAL is eager to work with all parts of the food and agribusiness value chain, to identify alignment and coordinate actions to catalyse the potential of the

sector.

Find out more about the growth opportunities and what you can do to realise the $200bn potential.

References 1. Value-add basis (versus economic opportunity) is the difference between the final sale price of a product, and the cost of production. Value-add will therefore be lower than economic opportunity estimates but allow for attribution to GDP. 2. https://www.fial.com.au/sharing-knowledge/ capturing-the-prize

Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL) is the Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre. Industry-led and funded by the Australian Government, FIAL catalyses growth for businesses operating across the agri-food value chain. For more information, https:// www.fial.com.au

APRIL – JUNE 2021

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IN THIS ISSUE

REGULARS

10 Some of the ways nutrition can help our mental health and brain Healthy dietary patterns are a potent nutritional strategy

05 06 08 16 47

14 The growth potential of Australia’s food manufacturing sector A new narrative for our agricultural and food production system 18 COVID-19 transmission and food: a brief overview of the evidence What does the evidence say about COVID-19 as a food-borne illness?

By the Numbers People AIFST News Sensory Fast Five

20 The increasing prevalence of dietary sensitivity to wheat The science behind the growth in cereal-related health disorders 24 Is there a more effective way to prevent diabetes?

The PREVIEW Study on the prevention of type 2 diabetes 26 Reusable and refillable programs A positive step to minimise environmental footprint for brands 28 A return to local – responding to the provenance opportunity Promoting provenance helps open up new market opportunities 30 Sustainable food systems: SEE sustainability into the future Designing waste out of the food systems value chain 32 Protein ingredients for plant-based egg formulations How do proteins from soybean, chickpea, mung bean and algae, compare with whole egg?

34 Food preservation: innovation meets validation Novel food preservation methods need to consider food safety risks

COVER ROHA Newfoods Exemplifying the future of dehydrated foods.

37 The Allergen Collaboration: looking to the future, 10 years in 10-year anniversary of the establishment of the Allergen Collaboration 38 AIFST Convention: Food Science – delivering in a changing world What’s in store for you at AIFST21. Join us to grow, learn and connect 40 Food processing skills to match the tastes of today’s consumers Ensuring future learners are equipped with the skills and qualifications 43 New allergen labelling rules now in effect Important changes have been made to the Food Standards Code 44 Food recall – are you prepared?

Insight into trends and changes in food recall preparedness 46 Samoan cacao - food sovereignty the island way Supply chain equity at the heart of Melbourne company’s operations

food australia 3

Published by The Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology Limited.

Food for Thought

Editorial Coordination Melinda Stewart | aifst@aifst.com.au

Contributors Dr Frank Bekes, Dr Polly Burey, Dr Jennie Brand-Miller, Andrew Costanzo, Julie Cox, Nathan M. D’Cunha, Dr Lyn Davies, Fiona Fleming, Andreas Helwig, Dr Russell Keast, Nerida Kelton, Dr Tom Lewis, Dr Gie Liem, Deon Mahoney, Peter McGee, Dr Barry McGookin, Dr Nenad Naumovski, Dr Martin Palmer, Dr Sunil Panchal, Jason Romagnesi, Dr Tom Ross, Dr Georgie Russell, Mary Sharma, Skills Impact, Dr Dai Suter.

Advertising Manager Clive Russell | aifst@aifst.com.au

Subscriptions AIFST | aifst@aifst.com.au

Production Bite Communications

Subscription Rates 2021 Subscription Rates for 4 editions Australia $116; Overseas (airmail) $184; single copies $29.00; Overseas $46.00 food australia is the official journal of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology Limited (AIFST). Statements and opinions presented in the publication do not necessarily reflect the policies of AIFST nor does AIFST accept responsibility for the accuracy of such statement and opinion.

Editorial Contributions Guidelines are available here.

Original material published in food australia is the property of the publisher who holds the copyright and may only be published provided consent is obtained from the AIFST. Copyright © 2018 ISSN 1032-5298

AIFST Board Chair: Mr Duncan McDonald.

Non-executive directors: Ms Suz Allen, Mr John Kavanagh, Mr Deon Mahoney, Ms Sandra Loader and Dr Chris Downs.

AIFST National Office PO Box 780 Cherrybrook NSW 2126 Tel: +61 447 066 324 Email: aifst@aifst.com.au Web: www.aifst.asn.au

Welcome to the Autumn edition of food australia. This time last year we were navigating the landscape of social distancing and working from home, separated from colleagues and teams - the continuing challenges of the COVID-19 world have required us to adapt and innovate. The theme of AIFST21 – our annual convention picks up on this - Food Science – delivering in a changing world. This speaks to the exciting opportunities ahead for the food industry and the important role of food science and technology. The convention will be held as a face-to-face event, collocated with foodpro on July 26 & 27 in Sydney – registrations are now open - please join us in July.

This edition of food australia features articles on nutrition and mental health, cereal-related health disorders, programs to minimise environmental footprints for packaging, sustainable food systems, food preservation and updates on food processing skills.

Important reforms to food allergen labelling regulations came into effect in February 2021 – we cover this in a short overview article. There is information about the changes due to the Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL) reforms available on the FSANZ website. The AIFST has worked with FSANZ and the Allergen Bureau to deliver two webinars on the changes – the first of these webinars was held in March with the second scheduled for late April – please visit the AIFST website for further details.

We are pleased to share with you the report on Exploring the growth potential of Australia’s food manufacturing sector – this paper offers a new narrative for Australia’s agricultural and food production system. Perhaps the most important message arising from this review was the need to reimagine the way we understand and manage food production in Australia. AIFST will be working with key industry stakeholders to progress the recommendations from this report. If you are interested in joining the conversation, please get in touch with AIFST. As always, I invite and encourage you to take an active role engaging with the Institute – it is only through continued engagement that we can fulfill our purpose of uniting food industry professionals in the science of feeding our future.

Fiona Fleming B.App Sc (Food Tech); MNutr Mgt; FAIFST; MAICD Chief Executive Officer & Company Secretary fiona.fleming@aifst.com.au

BY THE NUMBERS

Megatrends shaping the Australian agrifood sector A recent ABARES report has found that Australia’s food and fibre industries will be shaped by multiple interacting changes over the coming decades.

These changes will occur at global, national, and local scales and will create opportunities and challenges for all food and fibre industries and farm businesses. The report identified five global megatrends and explored their implications for Australian food and fibre industries to 2040 and beyond.

Megatrend 1 - Growth juggernaut: 3 billion empowered consumers The rapid growth in emerging economies, particularly in Asia, will be a key driver that will lift incomes, expectations, and economic capacity.

An expanded and empowered middle class will demand higher volumes and quality of food and fibre, more diverse diets and more protein – with rising expectations for health, provenance, sustainability, and ethics.

Rising incomes in emerging Asian economies, including China, Indonesia, and India, are the primary drivers of this long-term global growth.

Megatrend 2 - Fractal politics: beware the dance of giants Geopolitics over the coming decades will increasingly reflect the ‘dance of giants’, with seven nations or regions together accounting for between half and two-thirds of global population, economic activity, energy, food production, and resource extractions. Each of these nations or regions is a great power in its own right, and each will tend to look first to their own internal imperatives

and narrative which may impact international trade.

Megatrend 3 - More from less: the permanent race for advantage Innovation has driven improved productivity, and more efficient use of materials, energy, water, land and labour. Maintaining profitable and competitive food and fibre enterprises will require ongoing innovation and change. Much of this productivity growth has been driven by increases in farm scale, improved genetics and varieties, and continuous innovation in management practices.

Megatrend 4 - Cascading planetary risks: coming, ready or not Accelerating changes in earth systems at all scales – from global to microbial – are creating multiple risks and challenges, and some opportunities. Agriculture is already impacted, and adapting. Climate and commodity prices will become more volatile, while emerging markets for carbon and ecosystem services could transform landscapes and business models.

Megatrend 5 - Disruptive technologies: Opportunities for the brave Exponential advances in digital technology, automation, genetics, and synthetics will disrupt and change how food and fibre products are made, marketed, and delivered.

Production systems, supply chains, and customer engagement will become more agile and interconnected, requiring new skills and partnerships, and creating risks and opportunities for agricultural producers and regional communities.

Source: Hatfield-Dodds, S, Hajkowicz, S, and Eady S .(2021). Stocktake of megatrends shaping Australian agriculture: 2021 update, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resources Economics and Sciences, Canberra. CC BY 4.0. https://doi.org/10.25814/w3be-an37

3 billion empowered Three billion empowered consumers. consumers. Emerging Asia Emerging Asia will will drive a three-fold increase drive a three-fold increase in people in high income nations by 2050

7 giants Three billion empowered already account consumers. Emerging Asia for half to two will drive a three-fold thirds of globalincrease activity

3 decades Over the last 3 Three billion empowered decades, the gross value Emerging of agricultural consumers.

Asia production in Australia has risen 26%, and valueadded by 74%

since 2000 Hotter and drier Three billion empowered conditions have reduced the consumers.

Emerging Asia profitability of broadacre farming by 22% and cropping farms by 35%

$13.6 billion thebillion estimated potential Three empowered increase in the gross consumers. Emerging Asia value of agricultural will drive a three-fold increase production by industry assuming high uptake of digital technologies

food australia 5

PEOPLE

Suz Allen appointed Senior Sensory Scientist at Vow Food

Suz Allen has joined Vow Food’s multi-disciplinary team of research scientists, technologists, chefs and design engineers.

Suz is considered a leader in the field of sensory research and has contributed to the development of this area through her research publications and extensive industry work. A former CSIRO scientist and Sensory Research Director, Suz brings

to Vow deep insights into the sensory and consumer innovation space.

Prior to the appointment at Vow, Suz held the role of Director, Sensory & Consumer Science Asia Pacific & International at Campbell Arnott’s, where she led the sensory team across the region and played an instrumental role in designing and bringing new products to market.

Suz spent six years on the Board of the Australian Market & Social Research Society, three as Vice President, and was awarded Fellowship of the Research Society in 2019 for her contributions in FMCG research and to the wider research industry.

Suz is a long-time professional member of the Australian Institute of Food Science & Technology having joined in 1992, and currently holds the position as a non-executive Director on the AIFST Board.

AIFST CEO appointed Chair of Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical Industry Reference Committee Fiona Fleming was appointed to the role of Committee Chair in December 2020 when Dr Anne Astin stepped down after 3 years in the role.

Operating with the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system, the Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical Industry Reference Committee (FBP IRC) advises the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) in the development of national training packages and the qualifications, skill sets and units of competency within them. Made up of people with experience, skills and knowledge in their particular industry, sector or occupation, or representing a key industry organisation, the members of this committee advise the AISC about the current and future skills needs of their industry. They gather information from their industry sectors - including challenges, opportunities, trends and industry requirements for training.

AIFST has been involved in this committee since its inception in 2017,

6 food australia

providing industry expertise, sharing information about developments in the vocational education and training of the food and beverage manufacturing workforce and inviting members to engage in updating and redesigning qualifications that meet the needs of the food and beverage industries.

The FBP IRC, supported by the Skills Service Organisation, Skills Impact, is currently drafting the annual Skills Forecast and is undertaking a major overhaul of the food processing qualifications.

Uni of Melbourne’s Dr Kate Howell promoted to Associate Professor

Dr Kate Howell has been promoted to Associate Professor in the School of Agriculture and Food at the University of Melbourne. Kate’s training in microbiology at the University of NSW as an undergraduate in bacterial genetics led to a PhD at the same institution. Her PhD studies were situated at the Australian Wine Research Institute in Adelaide and investigated how yeast ecology alters wine composition and makes a significant contribution to wine aroma.

She followed this work with a postdoctoral position in yeast biochemistry at the University of Geneva, before being appointed at the University of Melbourne. Kate’s work focuses on understanding how microbial ecology and diversity affects the composition of foods and beverages. She has applied this knowledge to improving wine, beer, bread, coffee and chocolate flavour and is expanding this work into improving health outcomes for plantbased foods. Kate is looking forward to continuing her work in academia, with close links to industry partners and expanding her role in PhD student training and food and nutrition training at the university.

More info: https://findanexpert. unimelb.edu.au/profile/192335-katehowell https://fvas.unimelb.edu.au/ research/groups/food-chemistry-andmicrobiology

PEOPLE

Jane Siebum appointed as Freshcare CEO The Board of Freshcare announced the appointment of experienced executive Jane Siebum to the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in January 2021.

Freshcare Chairperson Allan Dall said: “As the custodian of Australia’s most widely used standards across the horticulture and viticulture sectors, we have an obligation to position Freshcare for a sustainable future. This means ensuring as an organisation that we have the right corporate structure and the financial capacity to continue to deliver in the long term.

“We are very confident that Jane, with her authentic leadership, outof-the-box thinking and broad skills, is absolutely the right person to lead the organisation and deliver for our participating businesses, members and the industry,” said Mr Dall.

Ms Siebum joins Freshcare following three years at Scouts NSW, including two as CEO, and with extensive experience in business transformation

across various industries. She has extensive knowledge in the technology sector and is known for delivering business solutions that drive efficiencies and productivity.

Ms Siebum also brings a wealth of not-for-profit expertise having previously been President of Bowen Pastoral Agricultural Association, Non-Executive Director of Women in Prisons Advocacy Network and a host of other volunteer roles.

Commenting on her appointment Ms Siebum said she was proud to join Freshcare with its established reputation in the industry and at such an exciting time for members following the organisation’s Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) accreditation last year.

“Freshcare provides such an important enabling role for the industry and I am looking forward to strengthening our position and providing a strong voice for our members and participating businesses,” said Ms Siebum.

“My approach is very much about listening and getting out to hear feedback from our industry stakeholders before using these insights to form a view, and work with the team and Board on the opportunities and what the next stage of evolution might look like for Freshcare. This will include consideration of what emerging technologies we may be able to offer our members to support improvements in productivity, efficiencies, and sustainability. It’s a great time to be involved.”

CONTACT US TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION 03 8378 2550 I WWW.BVAQ.COM food australia 7

AIFST NEWS

AIFST Strategic Plan The AIFST released our Strategic Plan for 2021 – 2023 in February. The plan has been developed around the four key strategic drivers of grow, learn, connect, and champion.

AIFST has a role to play in developing, inspiring and championing food scientists to meet Australia’s future food needs and the strategic plan sets out a roadmap for this.

The Strategic plan sets out how we will deliver on our purpose and mission.

2021 is the first year of the plan – a year to refresh after the challenges of 2020, looking to the trends and opportunities coming out of COVID-19.

Grow - growing the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and branches will provide opportunities for member engagement, especially the face-toface events that we missed in 2020.

Learn – developing career education programs which support continuing professional development (CPD) for members is important and will continue to be a key focus.

Connect - in the 2020 Member Survey, networking topped the list of AIFST Membership benefits, and we are focused on looking for ways for members to reconnect with each

Purpose: uniting food industry professionals in the science of feeding our future.

Mission: to advance and inspire all food sector professionals through education, collaboration and recognition to champion a robust, innovative science based Australian food industry to meet future needs. other and the broader industry to take advantage of the opportunities to collaborate.

Champion - one key piece of feedback from the 2020 Member Survey was strong support for the AIFST to be more active in advocating for the importance of food science and technology to support the food industry and food industry professionals. Advocacy in the food industry was seen as a way of helping

Industry to value AIFST membership and achieve food industry capability and growth. We will be focusing on how we can develop and promote our food science credentials and raising the profile of AIFST in the broader food system community.

The AIFST 2021 – 2023 Strategic Plan is available on the AIFST website.

Please join us as we grow, learn, connect, and champion the Australian food industry.

AIFST 2021 Summer School The 2021 AIFST Summer School was held on February 2 & 3. This year was a first in the history of Summer School as we moved to a virtual event. This year we welcomed 80 participants from all over Australia and overseas.

The aim of Summer School is to provide students and graduates with the opportunity to gain exposure to food industry opportunities through industry guest speakers who can provide insights and advice on prospective careers paths.

The theme of the 2021 event was “Finding your fit in the Food Science World”. The program took participants on a product development journey over the two days - looking at all of the skills and knowledge required to

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bring a product to life. Topics covered included: • Discovery – setting the scene for the product development journey – looking at the importance of different types of research – consumer, nutrition, and food safety.

This topic also covered off trends.

• Concept development and feasibility – ingredients, flavours, plantbased alternatives, and a retailer perspective.

• How do we make it – looked at procurement, supply chain and manufacturing challenges in bringing new products to life.

• Sustainability and packaging rounded out the two days.

Along the way students learned

what a great career food science and technology is and the many and varied pathways it can take.

Thank you to all of our speakers who provided great insights into the various steps of the product development journey.

Summer School will be back again in 2022 and we look forward to the opportunity to grow, learn and connect with the food scientists of the future.

Roha Newfoods

Exemplifying the Future of Dehydrated Foods With evolving lifestyles, palates and appetites, dehydrated foods have gone from being a niche food category to a mainstream ingredient. At the heart of this shift is the global focus on eating healthy, whole and natural. Considering dehydrated foods retain many of the traits of fresh foods, namely color, flavor and the nutrition, no wonder this category is seeing so much innovation and excitement. It is safe to believe that the launch of ROHA Newfoods — a comprehensive and excellent range of dehydrated foods — in Australia is set to become an important milestone for the future of the industry.

Manufacturers around the world are keen to bring natural elements into their recipes while retaining the convenience factor. ROHA Newfoods has a proven track record of meeting high expectations in Italy and beyond. Take for example the newly introduced "From Our Garden" range. It boasts a phenomenally high level of quality control. Raw materials are sourced from Italy and all over the Mediterranean basin, and are field traceable to the point when they are brought into ROHA Newfoods Italy - Verona, where they are gently dried to perfection.

In line with the high standards one expects of a global food manufacturer, the process parameters for steam drying are custom designed for each ingredient. The pressure is consistent and the temperatures maintained over 100 degree C. But the piece de resistance is the employment of an MVD — a state-of-the-art machine that preserves nutrition, prevents oxidation and dries the food at low temperatures. Thanks to the minimal processing, the clients get an authentic range that enhances the flavor, texture, color, and nutritional value of their preparations.

The ROHA Newfoods range features products like protein enhancer, black olive rings,

spinach powders, artichokes, garden fresh aromatic herbs, mushrooms, umami powder, capers, oregano, rosemary, basil, carrots, parsley, zucchini etc.

For more information on ROHA Newfoods, visit our website or contact +61-3-9729 0302 | E: roha.australia@rohagroup.com

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HEALTH & NUTRITION

What are some of the ways nutrition can help our mental health and brain?

Words by Dr Nenad Naumovski and Nathan M. D’Cunha

Green tea is well renowned as a rich source of antioxidants and L-theanine.

F

ood is more than just a source of energy and nutrients; it plays a major role in our health, wellbeing, and mental health. Nutritional psychiatry is an emerging area of food and nutrition research that focuses on the use of dietary patterns and targeted nutrient intake as an alternative or adjunct treatment for various mental health conditions.

We have long known that a lack of essential nutrients can contribute to the onset, symptoms, and severity of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Our brains also require a nourishing nutrient-dense diet to help prevent dementia. The standard western diet is energy-dense and often nutrientpoor, and observational studies have demonstrated it is associated with increased risk of certain mental health conditions and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Further, dietary advice or interventions can promote the enjoyment of food with other people, which can improve mood and well-being.

10 food australia

Dietary patterns and ageing Earlier studies on regional dietary patterns have indicated crosscultural variation and similarities in the prevalence of age-related chronic diseases. Research on ‘original’ Eskimo and Japanese dietary patterns (characterised by high intake of fish and seafood) has been used to explain their low coronary heart disease rates. The seminal ‘Seven Countries Study’ cross-cultural study, which started in the early 1950s, was the first study to suggest that fish and seafood intake may not be the only dietary groups associated with healthy ageing, but rather, it was lower intakes of saturated fats and processed foods. Today, the Mediterranean diet, characterised by high intake of vegetables, whole grains, fruit, fish and olive oil, receives much of the attention from dietitians and nutritionists for many reasons, including its association with reduced cardiovascular disease risk, maintenance of mental health, and successful ageing.1

Mediterranean diet and its variations The Mediterranean diet, proclaimed to be the healthiest dietary pattern for several years, originates from the food consumption of the population living in the Mediterranean region. This includes several geographically and culturally diverse regions. There is a high consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in the northern region and the use of dried and locally processed foods in the southern parts. Overall, this region is characterised by high consumption of plant-based foods and seafood, olive oil as the primary source of fats (unsaturated) and moderate intake of fish, wine and poultry.

Interestingly, wine intake is mainly during meals to complement the meal itself. This dietary pattern also relates to the socio-cultural aspects of eating, such as communal mealtime, resting after eating (siestas) and regular physical activities (incidental and intentional).1 Several beneficial health effects have been reported in individuals adhering to this type of dietary pattern, such as

reduction in the progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), reduction in systemic inflammation, and improvements in mood and reduced anxiety. Similarly to the Mediterranean diet, the Dietary Approach to Systolic Hypertension (DASH) diet emphasises increasing consumption of lean meats, fish, whole grains, fresh locally acquired products such as olive oil, and low sodium intake. The main difference is that DASH advises against consumption of sugary fruits, dairy or potatoes, for example, but encourages increased consumption of berries (e.g. blueberries) and green leafy vegetables. The aim of the DASH diet is also to eliminate red meats, margarine and ultra-processed foods (fried and fast-food) and to reduce consumption of desserts (unless fruit-based without additional sugars). A comprehensive review of the Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, and hybrid of the two known as the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet, found higher adherence to each of the diets was associated with lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and less cognitive decline.2 However, we need more intervention studies to confirm these findings in general and diverse populations.

A study conducted in Australia

by Parletta et al.3 investigated the effects of the Mediterranean diet supplemented with fish oil on mental health among people with selfreported depressive symptoms. The findings indicated that participants in the intervention group had a greater reduction in depressive symptoms and improved mental health quality of life at 3 and 6 months time intervals.

Furthermore, a reduction in depressive symptoms has been demonstrated to be inversely associated with adherence to a Mediterranean diet. A study by Jacka et al.4 looked at the efficiency of a 12-week dietary program based on the Mediterranean diet in comparison to social support in individuals with Major Depressive Disorder. Significant improvements in depressive symptoms were observed in the Mediterranean diet group and improvements in

Local food market in the city of Split (Croatia) where food from the surrounding region is sold. remissions rates. Therefore, the findings of these two studies indicate potential benefits of adhering to the Mediterranean diet in individuals with depressive symptomatology.

Anti-inflammatory diets, anxiety and depression Chronic inflammation is featured in almost all neurodegenerative disorders including anxiety and depression.

Individuals that live with these conditions can exhibit higher levels of circulatory inflammatory markers such as CRP, IL6 and TNF-α. Although the mechanisms of inflammation induced anxiety and depression are still unclear, it is currently believed there is a bidirectional relationship between inflammation and depression.5 Plant-based dietary patterns are also widely regarded as health-promoting as they can be high in fibre from nutrient-rich colourful plant foods.

This is evident in research suggesting it reduces systemic inflammation, can help people to lose weight, and is rich in antioxidants and plant bioactives.

However, not all plant-based diets are nutrient-dense and some people may consume more industrially processed, nutrient-poor foods than their omnivore counterparts.

Overall evidence from randomised controlled trials and observational studies investigating plant-based

dietary patterns for their mental health effects is conflicting. Perhaps a better approach to consuming a dietary pattern to help our mental health and mood is to focus on consuming anti-inflammatory foods. It is relatively common for people with mental health conditions, including depression and mood disorders, to have higher levels of inflammation. Nevertheless, there is a potential for the classification of anti-inflammatory foods that might contribute to overall health benefits.

A focus on consuming foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables (excluding purified juices), fatty fish (salmon, sardines), herbs and spices (basil, turmeric), healthy fats (extra virgin olive oil), nuts and seeds (almonds and walnuts), legumes and beans (black beans), and antioxidant containing beverages (coffee, green tea), can help to increase the anti-inflammatory effect of the diet. Not surprisingly, these and similar anti-inflammatory foods are often found in Mediterranean style diets.6

Green tea and its components The regular consumption of green tea over a prolonged period of time has been ascribed with several beneficial health outcomes mainly due to polyphenolic compounds (catechins), caffeine and non-proteinous amino acid L-theanine (L-The). The L-The is

food australia 11

HEALTH & NUTRITION

Seafood is a common ingredient and source of protein in the Mediterranean region. It is quite often accompanied with a variety of locally grown and in season vegetables. responsible for the provision of the unique ‘umami’ taste and can cross the blood-brain-barrier providing neuroprotective effects. Additionally, consumption of L-The is associated with improvements in emotional status, quality of sleep, suppression of hypertension and improvements in mood and cognition. Given the growing interest and the prevalence of green tea consumption globally, and our increasingly busy lifestyles, it is no surprise that human trials mainly investigate its ability to reduce stress and increase relaxation, but in an alert state. This is further providing the basis for L-The to be one of the lead nutraceuticals with stress- and anxietyreducing properties.7

Plant polyphenols as a potential link between food and brain health It is well established that foods are components of dietary patterns and that there is no single food item that, when consumed in isolation, can enhance health benefits.

Nevertheless, some compounds such as plant polyphenols are of particular interest for their healthpromoting effects. Polyphenols

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are ubiquitous plant secondary metabolite compounds that vary in their structures and present in high concentrations in several fruits and vegetables (eg. blueberries).

Anthocyanins are a sub-class of polyphenols responsible for the purple and blue colours of several different fruits and vegetables and their consumption is proposed to mediate cognitive performance and neurodegeneration. Several clinical trials have been conducted using different fruit and juice sources of anthocyanins such as blueberries and blueberry products and their effects on cognition. A relatively recent systematic literature review identified that blueberries and blueberry products may improve some measures of cognitive performance when consumed for up to six months. The findings also proposed that anthocyanins might be the lead compounds for these potential benefits. However, the dosages of anthocyanins, frequency of consumption and other potential health effects are still not thoroughly investigated.8 The consumption of foods containing polyphenol-rich turmeric

(Curcuma longa), a key spice in many different curries, has also been associated with reduced prevalence of cognitive decline.

The main active ingredient in these foods is curcumin, a polyphenolic compound, that is proposed to have pleotropic effects that may exert beneficial health outcomes related to cognition and mental health.

However, one of the main problems with curcumin consumption and supplementation is its relatively low bioavailability, hence requiring mega-doses for physiologically relevant benefits. Although there are multiple clinical trials that are investigating bio-enhanced versions of curcumin to address cognitive decline, the findings of these trials have demonstrated promising, but inconclusive results. Nevertheless, the combination of curcumin with some other nutraceuticals such as omega-3 fish oils may possess synergistic effects and also improve gut health.

In addition, the relatively recent availability of more bioavailable and tolerable curcumin formulations may provide a platform for the establishment of the therapeutic potential of curcumin in the

prevention, treatment and delay of cognitive decline.9

In summary Food is more than just an essential source of nutrients.

Presently, one of the relatively neglected concepts of nourishment is the process of food preparation and cooking, mainly due to our busy lifestyles. According to the ‘cooking hypothesis’, learning how to cook has primarily evolved as a survival mechanism mainly through the reduction of harmful bacteria, and an increase in digestibility of food and provision of the population nutrition fitness.10 Over time, taking care of food preparation as a main component of family traditions has become a pivotal point in many healthy dietary patterns around the globe.

The consumption of whole foods and the adherence to healthy dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet may very well be the most potent nutritional strategy to maintain a healthy brain and reduce risk of anxiety and depression. The consumption of nutraceuticals such as anthocyanins, curcumin and L-theanine may provide complementary additions to the maintenance of brain and mental health.

References 1. Foscolou A, Critselis E, Tyrovolas S, Chrysohoou C, Naumovski N, Sidossis LS, et al. The association of animal and plant protein with successful ageing: a combined analysis of MEDIS and ATTICA epidemiological studies. Public Health Nutr. 2020:1-10.

2. van den Brink AC, Brouwer-Brolsma EM, Berendsen AAM, van de Rest O. The Mediterranean, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) Diets Are Associated with Less Cognitive Decline and a Lower Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease-A Review. Adv Nutr. 2019;10(6):1040-65.

3. Parletta N, Zarnowiecki D, Cho J, Wilson A, Bogomolova S, Villani A, et al. A Mediterranean-style dietary intervention supplemented with fish oil improves diet quality and mental health in people with depression: A randomised controlled trial (HELFIMED). Nutr Neurosci. 2019;22(7):474-87.

4. Jacka FN, O’Neil A, Opie R, Itsiopoulos C, Cotton S, Mohebbi M, et al. A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression (the ‘SMILES’ trial). BMC Med. 2017;15(1):23.

5. Uzun N, Akinci MA. Hemogram parameters in childhood anxiety disorders: Could anxiety disorders be related with inflammation? Med Hypotheses.

2021;146:110440.

6. Serafini M, Peluso I. Functional Foods for Health: The Interrelated Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Role of Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, Spices and Cocoa in Humans. Curr Pharm Des. 2016;22(44):6701-15.

7. Williams JL, Everett JM, D’Cunha NM, Sergi D, Georgousopoulou EN, Keegan RJ, et al. The Effects of Green Tea Amino Acid L-Theanine Consumption on the Ability to Manage Stress and Anxiety Levels: a Systematic Review. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2020;75(1):12-23.

8. Travica N, D’Cunha NM, Naumovski N, Kent K, Mellor DD, Firth J, et al. The effect of blueberry interventions on cognitive performance and mood: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Brain Behav Immun.

2020;85:96-105.

9. D’Cunha NM, Seddon N, Mellor DD, Georgousopoulou EN, McKune AJ, Panagiotakos DB, et al. Curcumin for Cognition: Is It Just Hype, Based on Current Data? Adv Nutr. 2019;10(1):179-81.

10. Farmer N, Touchton-Leonard K, Ross A. Psychosocial Benefits of Cooking Interventions: A Systematic Review. Health Educ Behav. 2018;45(2):167-80.

Dr Nenad Naumovski works as an Associate Professor in Food Science and Human Nutrition in the Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Canberra, ACT, Australia. Mr Nathan D’Cunha is an Associate Lecturer in Human Nutrition in the Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Canberra, ACT, Australia. f

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food australia 13

AUSTRALIA’S AGRIFOOD SYSTEM

Exploring the growth potential of Australia’s food manufacturing sector Words by Fiona Fleming and Dr Tom Lewis

I

n October 2020, the AIFST was commissioned by the Page Research Centre to deliver a paper discussing the potential for growth within Australia’s food manufacturing sector and proposing focus areas to support this growth.

The report, Exploring the growth potential of Australia’s food manufacturing sector: a new narrative for Australia’s agrifood system, was released in January this year.

AIFST worked with RDS Partners to deliver this report, which was developed through a review of current key reports related to the future of Australia’s agricultural and food production system and a series of conversations with 26 industry leaders, scientists, and stakeholders deeply embedded in the sector.

It is clear that Australia’s food manufacturing sector has enormous growth opportunities. Recently, Food Innovation Australia Ltd, amongst others, provided strong evidence for a potential increase of AUD$200 billion by 2030 … “which would almost triple the current size of Australia’s food and agribusiness sector”.

But how do we work to realise this potential?

There has been, in recent years, a plethora of reports and papers and opinion regarding the opportunities and threats facing Australian food producers – typically focussing on one side or the other of an arbitrary divide between what have become known as “pre-“ and “post-“ farm gate domains.

These reports all provide their own value, and – reassuringly – their narratives all seem to be pointing us in the same direction. But there is something missing – there does not appear to have been any great call to action.

14 food australia

The AIFST-RDS Partners paper, therefore, provides a synthesis of these reports (and we commend them all to you, as they contain much useful data, information, and analysis outside the scope of our paper) leavened and enriched by contemporary opinion provided during one-on-one interviews with 26 industry leaders.

Perhaps the most important message arising from this review was the need to reimagine the way we understand and manage food production in Australia – to think about an Australian food system, not just the current ‘agriculture’, ‘production’ and ‘manufacturing’ silos.

To that end, this report presents a series of recommendations arising from our review and interviews.

While priorities will change as the operating environment also inevitably changes, these recommendations point to some key activities that will help governments develop a clearer picture about what their food policy is and what they need to do to promote it.

The main recommendation is: That the Australian Government works with food system stakeholders to establish an industry-led, food system strategic advisory body, chaired at the Ministerial level, to develop a National Food Plan (and yes, we realise variations of this recommendation have been made before, and for good reason).

If the Australian food system is to be positioned to take advantage of the huge opportunities foreseen by our experts, and to mitigate the threats, a serious, nationally

coordinated approach to food must be prioritised so that it is led by industry with true commitment, collaboration, and support from the highest levels of government.

This paper offers a new narrative for Australia’s agricultural and food production system. And rather than prescribe a set of hurried solutions, it is intended to catalyse further engaged conversation that will guide policy development and inform targeted and effective action.

Our interviewees were tired of the growing pile of reports. We have the information. We have the expertise.

We now just need to get on with it.

If you are interested in joining the conversation to help formulate an action plan to move the recommendations of the report forward, please get in touch with Fiona Fleming at the AIFST. Dr Tom Lewis is a Director at RDS Partners. Fiona Fleming is Chief Executive Officer, AIFST. f

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SENSORY & CONSUMER SCIENCE FEATURE

FOOD FILES Drs Russell Keast, Gie Liem, Georgie Russell and Andrew Costanzo

How visual cues can influence taste Visual cues embedded in products can trigger past experiences you had with similar foods. These reactivated past experiences serve as a backdrop and filter for the way you perceive food.

This is one of the reasons why visual cues can influence your perception of food and the associated flavour. With this in mind, we showed 151 consumers rice samples, with and without a visual cue. These cues visually mimicked the presence of added herbs. In ‘normal life’ added herbs are associated with an increase in flavour. In our experiment however, the added visual ‘herb’ had no flavour, as verified with blind taste testing. Participants rated the flavour intensity of the rice samples with two separate sensory methodologies (i.e. gLMS, ranking).

In addition, they tasted rice with various concentrations of monosodium glutamate to test if the magnitude of effect of flavour enhancing visual cues was similar to the effect of MSG on flavour enhancement. The results show that visual cues can indeed increase perceived flavour intensity of rice. The magnitude of the effect was similar to that of a low concentration of MSG (i.e.

16 food australia

0.05M). This is the first study which shows that the perceived flavour intensity of a rather bland staple food, such as rice, can be increased by changing the look of a product without adding any flavour enhancers such as salt or MSG. And any strategy that may potentially decrease the level of sodium in a food has benefits for the health of the population. The next phase of research should look at if the increase in perceived intensity also increases the liking of the rice. Next time you eat rice…take it with a pinch of visual cue.

Hartley L, Russell CG, Liem DG. (2021). “Addition of a visual cue to rice increases perceived flavour intensity but not liking.” Food Research International 139, 109922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. foodres.2020.109922

How does food product reformulation affect consumers?

Many food businesses have targets and commitments around reformulating their products to improve their nutrition composition.

The introduction of the Health Star Rating System to Australia in 2014 also prompted further reformulation efforts, while consumer demand for access to a wider range of healthier

products is also driving change.

Common targets for reformulation are reducing energy, sodium and sugar.

Reformulation of existing products can be risky if the sensory attributes of the product are affected and consumers no longer purchase the reformulated product. Reformulation will also provide limited benefit to health if consumers compensate for consuming the reformulated products by consuming greater amounts of the reformulated product, or by adding alternative unhealthy products to their diets. Understanding the impact of reformulation on consumer behaviours is therefore imperative for understanding the success of reformulation to achieve diet and health targets and to provide confidence for food manufacturers embarking upon reformulation that it is a worthy exercise. A recent metaanalysis by Gressier et al, showed that reformulated products were, on the whole, accepted by consumers and reformulation did not negatively impact purchasing behaviours. This meant that the nutrient profile of a consumer’s diet generally improved when the reformulated products were included. The analysis also showed

that products with reduced sodium were more readily accepted than those with reduced sugar and that silent reformulation was more successful than a rapid change. It should also be noted that, in general, the proportion of sugar or sodium that was reduced in the included studies was low, but this was also dependent upon the food category. Although there is still much to be done to understand the most effective approaches for food product reformulation, this latest research suggests that it is an important and effective measure for improving the health of the population.

Gressier M, Swinburn B, Frost G, Segal AB, Sassi F. (2020). “What is the impact of food reformulation on individuals’ behaviour, nutrient intakes and health status? A systematic review of empirical evidence.”

Obesity Reviews https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13139

Food labels may influence health more than once realised Food labels are an important part of food products. They provide the essential information for a consumer to understand the ‘healthiness’ of a product. Health and content claims are often cited on food labels to highlight the particular healthy aspects of a food (i.e. low in sugar, sugar free) which can help provide consumers with an overall perception of healthiness. Interestingly, the perception of healthiness may be just as important as the actual nutrient content of a food product. A recent study from Harvard University has investigated how food labels can influence the health outcomes of the consumer, in this case how the amount of sugar on a label affects blood glucose levels. Large raises in blood glucose are a marker of poor nutrient metabolism and are associated with negative health outcomes.

The study tasked 30 participants with type 2 diabetes to consume two beverages on separate occasions: one labelled as having 0g of sugar (0 calories) and the other labelled as having 30g of sugar (124 calories). In reality, both beverages were identical with 15g of sugar (62 calories). Despite being identical, the physiological response to these beverages differed.

Blood glucose levels were higher

after consuming the ‘high sugar’ beverage compared to the ‘sugar-free’ beverage for at least 1-hour postconsumption. This may be because the perception of sugar content changes the way the body prepares itself for nutrient metabolism and is a clear demonstration of the gut-brain axis in action.

So, what does this mean for food labelling? Obviously, modifying food labels to appear ‘healthier’ so consumers have a better metabolic response isn’t a viable option. But this does highlight the importance of food labels. There is merit to the concept of wellness, where if a consumer perceives they are living a healthier lifestyle and eating healthier foods, then their body systems will react in kind. Nutrition claims on a food label may be a boon to manufacturers as consumers become more aware

of wellness. Of course, the cynical argument would be that some discretionary foods could be labelled to mislead consumers about their actual nutritive and health effects. All in all, nutrition claims are an important part of food labels, and emphasising these claims (i.e. low in sugar) may have more benefit to health than initially realised.

Park C, Pagnini F. & Langer E. (2020). “Glucose metabolism responds to perceived sugar intake more than actual sugar intake.” Sci Rep 10: 15633. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-72501-w

Dr Russell Keast is Professor, Dr Gie Liem is Associate Professor, Dr Georgie Russell is Senior Lecturer and Dr Andrew Costanzo is Lecturer. They are all members of the CASS Food Research Centre at Deakin University.

f

food australia 17

FOOD SAFETY FEATURE

COVID-19 transmission and food: a brief overview of the evidence Words by Dr Tom Ross

T

hat the initial investigations into the source of the COVID-19 pandemic (caused by SARSCoV-2 virus) were linked to ‘wet markets’ in China, and a number of outbreaks in food processing plants seems to have led to an association between food and COVID-19, and concerns about food as a source of SARS-CoV-2. That the Chinese government continues to focus on screening imported foods for evidence of SARS-CoV-2 does not help to dispel this confusion nor does social media and some print media.

But it is a myth that food can cause COVID-19. Numerous food safety authorities have evaluated the data, science and epidemiology for evidence of food-borne transmission.

There is none. The organisations include the World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF), and many national governments. In particular, the New Zealand Food Safety and Science Research Centre (NZFSSRC) has developed an extensive, referenced, contemporary review of the relevant data and found no evidence for foodborne transmission.

ICMSF observed: “Despite the many billions of meals consumed and food packages handled since beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic, to date there has not been any evidence that food, food packaging or food handling is a source or important transmission route for SARS-CoV-2 resulting in COVID-19”.

18 food australia

It makes little sense that COVID-19 would be a food-borne illness. It is a respiratory illness that is acquired by inhalation of SARS-CoV-2 contaminated droplets exhaled by someone with COVID-19. However, there is a small possibility that a very recently contaminated food package, or other contact surfaces, might transfer to a consumer’s hands and that, if they then touched their nose or eyes, the virus might be able to infect them. Despite that this route of transmission is thought to be highly unlikely, consumers have been advised to wash their hands often after handling packaged foods, particular in areas where there are active infections.

The probability of infection with SARS-CoV-2 will depend on the number of viral particles inhaled, or rubbed on to the eyes or nose. The ID50 for SARS-CoV-2 is unknown, but may be as low as a few hundred particles. Nonetheless, the chance of acquiring enough virus from a contaminated package to lead to COVID-19, seems extremely low.

Furthermore, from the available studies of the presence SARSCoV-2 on foods and food packaging, contamination appears relatively rare and, even when detected, it is unclear whether the evidence of SARS-CoV-2 relates to viable viral particles or remnant RNA. However, there is a connection between food animals and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. The first appearance of SARS-CoV-2 was

linked to a wet market in the city of Wuhan, China. But, probably the wet market was not the site of infection acquired from food. Based on the recent WHO investigatory team’s finding, it is more likely that someone with an active infection attended the wet market and infected many others because the market is crowded.

SARS-CoV-2 is considered more likely to be resident in an animal population, possibly bats (which are highly resistant to Coronavirus infection), and then spread to another animal host which did become infected, from which it was passed on to humans. SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus, i.e., it would not be expected that a dead animal could infect a person. But, there is another kind of food market in China, called a ‘wildlife’ market, where live wild animals are sold for consumption as food. There are various candidate animals, including pangolins, ferret badgers, and civets. To date, the epidemiological evidence does not identify a specific animal, nor have bats carrying SARS-CoV-2 been found. Nonetheless, China has now banned ‘wildlife’ markets.

Thus, while there is still no clear understanding of the origins of SARSCoV-2, it is very clear that it is almost certainly not a food-borne infection.

References 1. Dwyer, D (2021). I was the Australian doctor on the WHO’s COVID-19 mission to China.

Here’s what we found about the origins of the coronavirus https://theconversation.com/i-wasthe-australian-doctor-on-the-whos-covid-19mission-to-china-heres-what-we-found-aboutthe-origins-of-the-coronavirus-155554 2. ICMSF (2020). ICMSF opinion on SARS-Cov-2 and its relationship to food safety https:// www.icmsf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/ ICMSF2020-Letterhead-COVID-19-opinion-final03-Sept-2020.BF_.pdf 3. NZFSSRC (2020). Potential for foodborne transmission of COVID-19: literature review update https://mia.co.nz/assets/Covid19/2021-01-14-NZFSSRC-COVID-19-foodbornetransmission-final-Kingsbury.pdf 4. WHO (2021). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Food safety and nutrition https://www.who.int/ emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/ question-and-answers-hub/q-a-detail/ coronavirus-disease-covid-19-food-safety-andnutrition

Dr Tom Ross is a Professor in food microbiology and was Director of the former ARC Training Centre for Innovative Horticultural Products at the University of Tasmania. f

CONDUCTING BETTER PRODUCT RECALLS Brown continues, “Many food safety professionals find it hard to transition from a food hazard prevention mindset to being prepared to deal with the fallout of an unforeseen situation.

They are simply and understandably, focussed on delivering the best product they can. At GS1 Australia we help to raise awareness of the impact a recall can have through regular training sessions, recall bootcamps and collaborating with industry experts.

The bootcamps have been extremely popular with participants from across

Removing products from shelves is often not the first thing a company thinks of. However, product recalls are a reality and unfortunately all too often a lack of planning leaves businesses open to financial ruin and reputational brand damage.

When a recall is on the cards, procedures to deal with the highly stressful situation are usually not deeply ingrained within a company and its people. “Knowledge about what to do, and when, is limited at best among many suppliers and smaller retailers,” says Mark Blitenthall, Manager - Service Engagement at global standards and solutions organisation, GS1 Australia; adding that procedure manuals are often either out of date or non-existent.

Hefty costs can be incurred should an organisation fail to effectively comply with recall regulations. The ACCC can issue fines of up to $500,000 for individuals. For a body corporate, companies can cop $10,000,000, three times the value of the benefit received, or 10% of annual turnover in the preceding 12 months, if a court cannot determine the benefit obtained from the offence.

GS1 Australia helps companies small and large to be better prepared for recalls and withdrawals with the easy-to-use electronic platform, GS1 Recall. The online tool is endorsed by major Australian retailers, regulators,

industry bodies and suppliers including AFGC, Fonterra, George Weston Foods, Metcash, Unilever, Coles and Woolworths. The platform significantly streamlines and improves the recall process and communications for faster and more effective removal of products across the supply chain.

Andrea Currie, Head of Quality and Technical Standards at Coles Supermarkets says, “The GS1 Recall platform has been designed to capture all the information relating to a product recall to ensure that it is effectively communicated to all the recipients who need to process the recall.”

“At GS1 we constantly work with organisations to improve their product and consumer safety by helping them to be better prepared to execute product recalls. We have our easy-touse Recall platform and we collaborate with industry leaders to provide advice, insights and management tools,” commented Andrew Brown, Business Development Manager for Service Engagement at GS1 Australia.

Supported by bodies such as AIFST, PMA and HACCP, GS1 Australia’s Recall platform enables manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and importers to efficiently share notifications regarding a recall with FSANZ, state-based food safety regulators and trading partners, in accordance with FSANZ Food Industry Recall Protocol.

many varying sectors including infant products, seafood, dairy, meat and agriculture.”

In addition to regularly evaluating their preparedness for managing recalls, suppliers should also consider the impact of changed supply chains to their brand reputation. In light of recent supply chain interruptions attributed to the COVID-19 lockdowns, a recent article in Food Safety Tech1 highlighted increased opportunities for food fraud and the impact of unfamiliar supply arrangements on the authenticity of supply. In addition, a recent GS1 Recall Bootcamp highlighted this very issue in the examination of an actual incident and the resulting recall actions that followed.

For more information visit https:// www.gs1au.org/recall

References 1. Food Authenticity: 2020 in Review https://foodsafetytech.com/column/foodauthenticity-2020-in-review/

food australia 19

HEALTH & NUTRITION

What is to blame for the increasing prevalence of dietary sensitivity to wheat?

Words by Drs Dai Suter and Frank Bekes

Cereal-related health disorders The different gluten-related disorders share a trigger (gluten) and treatment (the gluten-free diet).

However, these disorders show specific physiological mechanisms and clinical aspects. For a long time, awareness of these disorders has been limited and, therefore, the epidemiology of glutenrelated disorders is still a “work in progress”. Current research strives to clarify the boundaries between these entities, their disease mechanisms, and how a proper diagnosis can be implemented.1 One of the most remarkable changes in our knowledge in this area is the realisation that in several types of disorders related to the consumption of “gluten-containing” cereals, the trigger compounds may not be solely components of the gluten but also involve amylase trypsin inhibitors and especially fructans. While we understand the mechanism that gluten plays in coeliac disease we do not yet understand the exact role that gluten plays in non-coeliac wheat sensitivity.

Scientific literature published in the last five years differentiates noncoeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and coeliac wheat sensitivity (NCWS).

To satisfy the health-related

20 food australia

demands of specific consumer groups, the challenge is for cereal breeding and the food industry to develop new, ‘healthier’ germplasm, and/or to produce food products suitable for those with cereal sensitivities.

The general public in most Western countries is now aware of the potential adverse effects of cereals containing gluten with reports appearing in the lay press promoting gluten-free diets. In many western countries about 10% of the population is electively following a gluten-free (GF) diet despite in many cases having no evidence of relevant disease. As a result, the gluten-free market is expanding as GF foods are perceived as therapeutic as well as a valid lifestyle choice. The global market for gluten-free products was projected to reach US$7.59 billion by 2020. Up to 20% of Australian consumers are reported to be avoiding gluten and purchasing gluten-free products, with serious implications for commercial cereal breeding and the grain industry.

Many of the popular reports about the noxiousness of cereal-based food products fail to draw attention to the importance of appropriate diagnosis to define the nature of the presumed gluten ‘intolerance’ that an individual may experience. This

lack of appropriate advice poses a significant threat and challenge to the grain industry. Without any scientific or even practical evidence, the public have been persuaded that the increasing prevalence of cerealrelated health disorders are due to modern plant breeding, claiming that ancient relatives of wheat, such as spelt and heritage wheat cultivars, are harmless compared to modern wheats.

This report aims to give an overview of some aspects of recent developments in this booming area, providing information about the trigger compounds and prevalence of different cereal-related health disorders and of the status of coeliacsafe cereal development. Based on the published scientific literature and some directly targeted aspects of our own research, we discuss the answer to the obvious question: What is behind the significantly larger number of cases of cereal-related health disorders in recent years and, is it true that our breads and foods today are different from those that our grandparents consumed?

Prevalence The incidence of coeliac disease in Australia is reported to be 1.4% with 80% undiagnosed. The incidence of wheat allergy in Australia from

our own work based on a large set of blood samples from randomly selected individuals is 2.5%.3 These results agree closely with those reported in European countries at 2.9%.

The effect of breeding on the amount of harmful components in wheats

0.2-2.9%

ATI, Fructans gliadins,glutenins

Table 1. Wheat-related sensitivities, prevalence, and wheat components responsible for these disease pathologies, based on Kucek et al.

A

1.0

0.5

25

0.0

0

Eikorn Emmer Durum Spelt

Heritage Modern wheat wheat

C

40

20

0

Eikorn

Durum

Heritage wheat

Modern wheat

3.0

Fructan content [%]

60

B

50

Breeding for ‘healthy’ wheats Each of the primitive wheat relatives and each historic or modern bread or durum wheat variety contain more or less amounts of gluten toxic/ allergenic epitopes. Values reported in the literature within and among wheat types for coeliac reactivity, human α-amylase inhibitor (ATI) activity, allergenicity, and fructan content are shown in Figure 1.

While in the last 120 years, in prebreeding and breeding, selection has focused on yield and functional quality which has inadvertently resulted in a reduction of the amounts of harmful compounds in new varieties. This is because of the

75

Human ATI activity

Celiac reactivity

1.5

IgE binding

A large variation can be observed comparing the amounts of harmful compounds found in different cereal species and cultivars. Variations in gliadin expression could contribute to the degree of CD antigenicity.

Similarly, cereals containing diverse amounts of fructans (FODMAPs) contribute differently to the development for IBS. If the cause of wheat-related health disorders is the result of spontaneous and later conscious selection activity in wheat breeding, there should be no harmful components (toxic/ allergen epitopes) in the ‘old’ wheat cultivars, landraces, or even those primitive wheat relatives from which evolution has built up the current hexaploid bread-wheats. In the last 20 years, this was the basis for initiating intensive research activity (recently reviewed in depth by Suter and Bekes4) to analyse the genetics/protein composition and health-related quality attributes of various primitive wheat species and also to re-investigate historic wheat cultivars, comparing them to modern varieties.

Eikorn

Emmer

Durum

Modern wheat

D

2.0

1.0

0.0

Eikorn

Durum

Spelt

Heritage wheat

Modern wheat

Figure 1. Values reported in the literature within and among wheat types for (A) coeliac reactivity, (B) human α-amylase inhibitor (ATI) activity, (C) allergenicity, and (D) fructan content. Horizontal lines indicate the median value for each of the value ranges. Modern wheat includes varieties of common wheat that were developed after 1950, while heritage wheat includes varieties and landraces that were developed before 1950. decreasing trend in protein content as well as the alteration of glutenin to gliadin content which improves dough strength. In the case of Australian cultivars, several published data demonstrate older varieties are higher in gliadin content and have higher CD antigenicity, while there

is no alteration in the amounts of fructan.5 Detailed scientific investigations do not support the controversial idea that modern wheat breeding may have contributed to the increase in coeliac disease or NCWS prevalence during the latter half of the 20th

food australia 21

HEALTH & NUTRITION

century. The opposite is the case due to declining levels of grain protein and altered gluten composition.

If primitive wheats, as well as all historic and modern bread wheat cultivars, contain similar levels of harmful amounts of toxic epitopes, why do we have increased numbers of reported cases of wheat sensitivity nowadays? Our grandparents produced bread from the same kind of ‘harmful’ wheat as we have today. Is the bread we consume today also the same as that of our grandparents?

To answer this question, we need today’s processes of making bread to be investigated and compared with those in our grandparents’ era.

This investigation must be extended beyond the baking industry to monitor the changes in processing and formulation across the entire food industry.

Industrial products supplied to the food industry Since 1938 when Regan and Winch of Fielders Mills developed the first commercial method for drying unfermented gluten in Tamworth (NSW, Australia), the by-product of wheat starch isolation, ‘vital wheat gluten’ has been utilised throughout the food industry. By the 1970s and 1980s, dried gluten, as a cheap source of protein, was readily included in many foodstuffs.

Kasarda6 was the first to point out that, while the overall gluten content of modern wheats has declined, dietary exposure to gluten has indeed increased in the last 50 years caused by the increased application of vital gluten in many processed

22 food australia

foods. He noted a corresponding increase in incidence of CD. Other potentially harmful, oftenused food ingredients are highfructose corn syrup and inulin, both implicated in fructose malabsorption, IBS, and NCWS.

Effects of processing on wheat sensitivity Yeast-mediated dough fermentation is a critical phase in the breadmaking process, determining the rheology of the dough and, for the final bread product, its texture, volume, and taste. Traditionally most bread involving yeast leavening was previously made with long dough fermentation times of up to 6 hours before baking.

Sour-dough is a mixture of flour and water that is fermented with lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Sourdough fermentation for bread making plays a crucial role in the development of sensory properties such as taste, aroma, texture, and the overall quality of baked goods.

Importantly, several publications (reviewed by Suter and Bekes4) underline the significance of the fermentation time used, either in cases of yeasted or sourdough fermentation. Significant proteolysis can be observed only after a minimum 4 hours of fermentation, reducing the amount of gliadin proteins and ATIs in the end products.

Similar trends can be found monitoring the reduction of fructan content during fermentation. Longer proofing times of 2.5 or 4.5 hours also significantly reduces FODMAP levels.7 Similar results were obtained

in Australia when commercial bread samples, made from wheat and spelt flour using different baking technologies, were analysed.8

Comparing different mixing and fermentation procedures Up until the early 1980s, most bread was made using yeast with a long dough fermentation of up to 6 hours before the breads were baked. In 1961 in the UK, the British Bakers Industry Research Association (BBIRA) developed a new method of making bread called the Chorleywood Bread Process.9 This process significantly reduced dough fermentation time to only one hour.10 This method of making bread, known as the “no-time dough” (NTD) process, was very fast and significantly cheaper than previous methods and was rapidly taken up in many countries.

The consequent alterations in gliadin and fructan levels in bread wheat and spelt flour, in doughs during fermentation and in the final products have been monitored, comparing the effects of the NTD process to long fermentation yeasted and sourdough doughs.4,8 When compared to the flour ingredient, only minor changes were observed for the NTD process while long fermentation, in both yeasted and sourdoughs, dramatically changed the composition and structure of the gliadin proteins (Figure 2A) and significantly reduced the fructan content of the baked bread (Figure 2B) compared to those in the corresponding flours. These fructan content data are in a good agreement with those from a survey of commercial NTD bread samples

Figure 2. The alterations in gliadin (A) and fructan contents (B) during different bread making processes (NTDno-time dough, LFYD-long fermentation yeasted and LFSD – long fermentation sourdough), using wheat (W) and spelt (S) flour.

carried out by Suter et al.8 The obvious conclusion from these data is that fermentation time is a major factor in reducing gliadin and fructan levels both in wheat and spelt breads, caused either by yeast or sourdough activities. The sourdough process seems to be more effective in reducing harmful components but it does not produce gliadin-free bread suitable for coeliacs.

Producing ‘healthy’ bread Many consumers have reported a series of health difficulties after consuming wheat bread, whereas they claimed tolerance for spelt products. There has been anecdotal, clinical and experimental evidence that a large proportion of noncoeliac patients, suffering wheatrelated health disorders, can tolerate products made from certain spelt varieties.11,12 Most spelt products in the market are made using long fermentation13 resulting in reduced FODMAP and gliadin composition which may explain the acceptability for wheat sensitive consumers rather than the grain species alone.

Detailed analysis on the individual peaks in the RP-HPLC analysis of gliadins extracted from long fermentation yeasted and sourdough breads (Figure 2A) showed that the proteases of the two types of microorganism have different preference among gliadin polypeptides, so the composition of the remaining gliadins in the

breads are different. It suggests there is an opportunity to optimise the fermentation process with the combination of different yeast and lactobacillus strains or using different proteases of lactobacillus origin during yeasted fermentation which may produce products with significantly less harm for sensitive consumers.

Natural primitive wheat relatives, or wheat cultivars with low gliadin and/or fructan content, have a great potential in traditional breeding in combination with modern genemodifying technologies to develop healthier wheat cultivars. The utilisation of these grains, using appropriate processing technologies where the harmful components of wheat are partially and hopefully fully eliminated by enzymatic hydrolysis during fermentation, could produce harmless products for sensitive individuals. These breads could be even ‘healthier’ than those that our grandparents consumed.

References 1. Catassi C, Fasano A (2018) From ptolemaus to copernicus: the evolving system of glutenrelated disorder. Preface. Nutrients special issues (ISSN 2072-6643) vii 2. Kucek LK, Veenstra LD, Amnuaycheewa P, Sorrells ME (2015) A grounded guide to gluten: how modern genotypes and processing impact wheat sensitivity. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 14:285–302 3. Vu NT, Chin J, Pasco JA, Kovács A, Wing LW, Békés F, Suter DAI (2014) The prevalence of wheat and spelt sensitivity in a randomly selected Australian population. Cereal Res Commun 43:97–107 4. Suter DAI· Békés F (2021) Who is to blame for the increasing prevalence of dietary sensitivity to wheat? Cereal Research Communication

49:1-19 5. Riaz Q, Farahnaky A, Majzoobi M, Pleming D, Eastwood R, Békés F, Blanchard CL (2019) Investigating the changes in quality of historical and modern Australian wheat varieties. In: Cereals and grains conf of AACCI, London, 21–23 Oct 6. Kasarda DD (2013) Can an increase in coeliac disease be attributed to an increase in the gluten content of wheat as a consequence of wheat breeding? J Agric Food Chem 61:1155–1159 7. Ziegler JU, Steiner D, Longin CFH, Würschum T, Schweiggert RM, Carle R (2016) Wheat and the irritable bowel syndrome—FODMAP levels of modern and ancient species and their retention during bread making. J Funct Food 25:257–266.

8. Suter DAI, Brown G, Békés F (2018) Development of spelt wheat products with low FODMAP content and low allergenicity. In: 1st internat. conf. “Wheat Landraces for healthy food systems”, Bologna, 13–15 June 2018 9. Chamberlain N, Collins TH, Elton GAH (1961) The Chorleywood bread process. BIRS Report 59. 1-30. Chorleywood, Herts, UK 10. Cauvain SP, Young LS (2006) A brief history of the Chorleywood bread process. In: Chapter 2. the chorleywood bread process, p 6–16.

CRC Press, Washington, DC, USA, Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge, England 11. Armentia A, Martín S, Diaz-Perales A, Palacín A, Tordesillas L, Herrero M, Martín-Armentia M (2012) A possible hypoallergenic cereal in wheat food allergy and Baker’s asthma. Am J Plant Sci 3:1779–1781 12. Muir JG, Mills J, Suter D, Békés F, Liels K, Yao LK, Gibson PR (2014) FODMAP in gluten-free grains may explain improved gastrointestinal symptoms in IBS on a gluten-free diet. J Nutr Intermed Metab 1:14–15 13. Ross AS (2018) Flour quality and artisan bread.

Cereal Foods World 63:57–62

Dr Dai Suter, PhD, MAIFST is an independent consultant of over 40 years experience in the cereals and bakery industry with a special interest in cereal intolerances. Dr Frank Békés, PhD, DSc, is a member of the Hungarian Academy of Science, Director of FBFD PTY LTD, and retired CSIRO research fellow, with 47 years of experience in cereal science. f

food australia 23

HEALTH & NUTRITION

Is there a more effective way to prevent diabetes?

The PREVIEW Study sheds light

Words by Professor Jennie Brand-Miller

T

he PREVIEW study is a landmark type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevention study whose main findings were published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism in late 2020.1 PREVIEW was unique in many ways – it was the first randomised controlled trial to be carried out in multiple centres around the world, and the first to use total meal replacement ‘shakes’ for the weight loss phase. It was the first to compare two diets of different protein content and glycaemic index (GI) in the 3-year weight-loss maintenance phase, and the first to compare two forms of exercise (moderate vs high intensity). The project co-ordinator was Professor Anne Raben at the University of Copenhagen (preview.ning.com) PREVIEW was designed to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in adults who were already at high risk, ie. who had high fasting blood glucose levels and/or impaired glucose tolerance after consuming a 75g glucose challenge. We hypothesised that a higher protein-lower GI diet would be superior to the

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conventional healthy diet, and that high-intensity physical activity would be more effective than moderate intensity for diabetes prevention.

The four interventions (2 x 2 factorial design) were delivered by trained nutrition and exercise counsellors in a group setting, with the intention of each being a cost-effective, public health intervention.

In total, we recruited over 2,300 adults between the ages of 25 and 70 years with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and pre-diabetes at 8 centres around the world - Nottingham, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Maastricht, Pamplona, Sofia, Sydney and Auckland. Participants were randomised to one of two diets: 1. a conventional healthy diet with 15% of energy from protein, 55% from carbohydrates with a moderate GI, and 30% from fat or, 2. a combination of higher protein (25% of energy) and lower carbohydrate intake (45% of energy) from low GI food sources, with the same fat content as the alternate diet.

Group visits were held fortnightly and then monthly during the first year and then less frequently for the

duration of 3 years.

Main findings The average age of participants at baseline was 52 years with a mean BMI of 35. Of these, 8 in 10 reduced body weight by ≥8% in the 8-week weight loss phase (indeed the average weight loss was 11% - higher than expected). At the 12-month time point, 1381 participants remained in the study, and 962 at 3 years. Among the completers, the incidence of diabetes was much lower than anticipated - only 3 in 100 participants developed diabetes whereas >13 in 100 were expected.

However, contrary to our hypotheses, there were no significant differences between the two diets, exercise groups, or any of the 4 combinations.

Interestingly, T2D incidence was similar across intervention centres, irrespective of attrition - the incidence was the same in centres where the dropout rate was relatively low (<20% eg. Sydney) versus those with high rates (>30% Auckland).

Maintaining the target intakes of protein and GI over 3 years proved fairly difficult – indeed all 4 groups tended to consume higher protein

Funding The EU framework programme 7 (FP7/2007-2013) grant agreement # 312057. National Health and Medical Research Council - EU Collaborative Grant, AUS 8, ID 1067711). The Glycemic Index Foundation Australia through royalties to the University of Sydney. The NZ Health Research Council (14/191) and University of Auckland Faculty Research Development Fund. *The Cambridge Weight Plan© donated all products for the 8-weeks LED period. The Danish Agriculture & Food Council. The Danish Meat and Research Institute. National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR BRC) (UK).

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)

(UK). Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (UK). Nutritics (Dublin) donated all dietary analyses software used by UNOTT. Juho Vainio Foundation (FIN), Academy of Finland (grant numbers: 272376, 314383, 266286, 314135), Finnish Medical Foundation, Gyllenberg Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Finnish Diabetes Research Foundation, University of Helsinki, Government Research Funds for Helsinki University Hospital (FIN), Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation (FIN), Emil Aaltonen Foundation (FIN).

The funders of the study had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the report.

conceivable that a higher protein diet may increase beta-cell dysfunction in vulnerable individuals.2

Conclusions The PREVIEW study indicates that a combination of rapid weight loss, healthy eating, and physical activity is highly effective for reducing the risk of T2D. Diets with a low GI and moderately higher protein content may be helpful for weight control in people with pre-diabetes. There is still a large percentage of people with obesity and pre-diabetes for whom substantial weight loss and exercise will be difficult over the long term and who will benefit from surgery or medication in addition to lifestyle change.

References diets compared to baseline.

To date few studies have investigated long term weightloss maintenance. At the 3-year timepoint in PREVIEW, almost 1 in 2 participants maintained a clinically significant weight loss of 5% or more.

Remarkably, 1 in 4 maintained 10% weight loss and sadly, over 1 in 5 gained weight compared to baseline.

Interestingly a secondary, pooled analysis of all four groups revealed that participants in the lowest tertile of GI and dietary glycemic load, gained less weight and had lower glycated hemoglobin levels (a long term measure of glucose levels) at the end of the study than those in the

highest tertile. The differences were significant when adjusted for multiple confounders including energy intake, macronutrients and fibre. Currently, Australian consumers are among the few that can take advantage of GI information at the point of sale (www.gisymbol.com).

One rather surprising finding should be noted. Significantly fewer participants in the high protein groups achieved normal glucose levels at the end of the study (P < 0.0001). Normoglycaemia was present in only 12% of those in the high protein-high intensity group vs >20% in the other three groups. This may be a chance finding but it is also

1. Raben A, Vestentoft PS, Brand-Miller J, Jalo E, Drummen M, Simpson L, Martinez JA, Handjieva-Darlenska T, Stratton G, HuttunenLenz M, et al. The PREVIEW intervention study: Results from a 3-year randomized 2 x 2 factorial multinational trial investigating the role of protein, glycaemic index and physical activity for prevention of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism 2021;23(2):324-37. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/ dom.14219.

2. Sluik D, Brouwer-Brolsma EM, Berendsen AAM, Mikkilä V, Poppitt SD, Silvestre MP, Tremblay A, Pérusse L, Bouchard C, Raben A, et al. Protein intake and the incidence of pre-diabetes and diabetes in 4 population-based studies: the PREVIEW project. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2019;109(5):1310-8. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy388.

Dr Jennie Brand-Miller is Professor in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Charles Perkins Centre, at the University of Sydney. f

food australia 25

Reusable & refillable programs: a positive step to minimise environmental footprint for brands Words by Nerida Kelton

W

ith consumers demanding retailers and brands reduce their use of unnecessary packaging on products a shift has occurred with more and more reusable and refillable programs being trialled across the world. Many retailers and brands are trialling the reuse model to determine whether consumers truly are prepared to change their buying behaviour to become more sustainable.

Whilst reusable and refillable programs are receiving positive feedback in other categories such as domestic, household and cosmetics, the food models may present more barriers, particularly around perceptions of health, safety and hygiene. How retailers and the partner brands communicate the messaging is paramount to the success of the reuse model for food categories.

Loop: a new waste-free and reusable way to shop One of the most innovative global programs for reusable and refillable packaging is Loop; a first-of-itskind service from global recycling organisation TerraCycle. The model is designed to create a zero-waste

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environment whereby retailers, packaging suppliers, brands and consumers work together to effectively minimise unnecessary single use packaging.

The Loop program enables products to be delivered to a consumer’s home in zero-waste packaging that has been designed in partnership with the brands. Some of the food brands that are partnering with the program include Nestle, Burlap & Barrel, Danone, Nature’s Path Organic, Häagen-Dazs, International Harvest and Reinberger Nut Butter and Puretto.

How does Loop work in a retail environment?

The customer purchases the product and initially pays a 100% refundable deposit to ‘borrow the returnable packaging’. Once consumed, Loop collects the empty packaging from the household and ensures that the packaging undergoes a rigorous hygienic cleaning process specially designed for its category and product type. Loop returns the cleaned packaging to the manufacturer who refills the product ready for repurchasing and continuing the

‘loop’. The deposit is refunded when the customer no longer requires the product.

The Loop packaging is designed to be durable, reusable, and refillable and as an alternative to single-use packaging. The packaging design has taken into consideration design functionality, end-of-life, use of recycled content, reusable materials, and a recycling methodology for all solutions. To achieve the environmental benefits the Loop program packaging also needs to achieve the required number of return trips/usage. This is a critical design aspect to balance the additional environmental factors (CO2/energy/ water) that will be incurred with the extra packaging weight, transport, and cleaning involved. A Life Cycle Assessment will be important in determining the best packaging formats to ensure that the packaging can be recycled at its end of life.

The Loop program is now available in France (Carrefour), the United States (Kroger and Walgreens) and the United Kingdom (Tesco) and Canada (Loblaws). Programs are coming soon across Japan (AEON), Australia (Woolworths) and Germany.

Häagen-Dazs reusable double-walled steel canister.

PACKAGING FEATURE

Refillable Häagen-Dazs right to your door Nestlé, in partnership with Loop, have developed a reuse model that enables consumers to enjoy HäagenDazs in reusable packaging. Deliveries are made to the consumer’s front doorstep in customised, durable packaging that is then collected, cleaned, refilled and re-used. HäagenDazs has designed a reusable doublewalled steel canister that keeps the ice cream at optimal condition during transport and consumption. The canister design ensures that when opened, the ice cream melts more quickly at the top than at the bottom of the container. The canister is then sent back to a facility for cleaning and reuse.

In-store refill stations and sustainable stores In recent times there has been an encouraging shift in the retail environment where a broad range of brands are trialling in-store refill stations. In-store refill stations are convenient for the customer and are another means of minimising unnecessary packaging in the retail aisles.

Asda trials new sustainability store In late 2020 Asda, in the United Kingdom, opened a trial sustainability store in Middleton, Leeds. During the trial, customers were able to choose from more than 30 packaging-free product lines from refill stations. They include Kellogg’s cereals, PG Tips tea bags, Quaker Oats porridge and Vimto cordial. Asda also made some of its own-brand pasta and rice lines available in a packaging-free format.

Nestlé refill stations to help customers reduce their use of single use packaging In May 2020 Nestle announced a pilot program in three stores in Switzerland for in-store refill stations for soluble coffee. Customers can bring in their own reusable Nestle jars and conveniently refill their coffee.

The user-friendly system created in

In 2019 Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative introduced its research on Reuse Models. The research highlights six ways that reuse can bring significant benefits to both users and businesses: 1.

Cut costs 2. Adapt to individual needs 3. Optimise operations 4.

Build brand loyalty 5. Improve user experience 6. Gather intelligence.

The Ellen Macarthur Foundation has developed Four Reuse Models that can help deliver a superior user experience.

Refill at Home This model is when users refill their reusable container at home (e.g., with refills delivered through a subscription service. This model works particularly well for e-commerce as the online interface enables communication of an integrated solution and at the same time there is no competition for shelf space from products sold in standard packaging.

Refill on the Go This model is when users refill their reusable container away from home (e.g., at an in-store partnership with MIWA, also enables customers to have digital access to product information such as shelf life and ingredients.

Another form of reusable packaging is to provide an attractive and durable pack to replace single-use packaging.

This packaging design concept will be particularly important where current packaging formats are not recyclable. A prime example of this is trigger spray packs, where the current multi-components trigger sprays make them difficult to recycle. The ‘refill option’ for the reusable pack is achieved by providing a lightweight recyclable refill pack.

Murray River Organics launched in 2020 a Muesli range in the Reusable PET canister. MRO is examining opportunities to develop recyclable refill packaging to ensure their

dispensing system). This model requires a physical store or dispensing point, which makes it better suited to traditional retail outlets and urban environments. In low-income markets, the model can accommodate customers’ needs for small quantities at affordable prices without relying on single-use sachet.

Return from Home This model is when packaging is picked up from home by a pickup service (e.g., by a logistics company). This model is suitable for e-commerce as the pickup of empty packaging can be combined with the delivery of new products.

It is particularly well suited for urban areas with reduced travel distances between deliveries.

Return on the Go This model is when users return the packaging at a store or dropoff point (e.g., in a deposit return machine). This model is widely applicable as it can substitute most single-use packaging without changing the fundamental purchase situation.

‘reusable’ canister can also be a ‘refillable’ canister. A refill pouch can be one way that food products can counter negative perceptions of health, safety and hygiene issues.

It is encouraging to see so many retailers and brands trialling the Reuse Model and working with their customers to find out how the world can collectively eliminate unnecessary single use packaging pollution.

I look forward to seeing consumers embrace these programs so that we can head towards a zero-waste world.

Nerida Kelton MAIP is Executive Director – Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) and Vice President – Sustainability & Save Food – World Packaging Organisation (WPO). f

food australia 27

TRENDS FEATURE

A return to local – responding to the provenance opportunity Words by Dr Barry McGookin

F

ood provenance – the origin of food, how it is produced and delivered to us – has been a key industry trend for a number of years and is only growing in prominence.

In 2016, the Australian Government introduced new food labelling requirements to make it easier for consumers to discern where products are produced, grown, made or packed. However, savvy food and agribusinesses are going beyond what is legally required, using provenance as a marketing tool to gain a competitive advantage in domestic and export markets.

Why businesses should pay attention to provenance In 2020, a research report published by the Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre found that over the coming decade, this rise in the interest of food provenance will accelerate.1 It will be one of 10 future trends shaping the operating, commercial and regulatory

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environment for Australia’s 180,000 food and agribusinesses. This trend has been fast-tracked by one of the ‘side-effects’ of this pandemic being consumers’ growing interest in where their food is coming from.

The Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre’s research revealed that if Australia’s food and agribusinesses pursue the opportunities associated with trends such as provenance, the value of the sector could grow from $61bn to $200bn by the year 2030.

Capturing this potential requires a focus on value-addition. Such a strategy requires increased collaboration across the whole value chain where pre- and post-farm gate are working together and looking to integrate growth opportunities into business models.

Provenance is a distinct opportunity for research and development organisations, manufacturers and businesses of all sizes across the value chain to collaborate. This will ensure they are

producing and marketing ingredients and value-added products that meet the growing consumer interest in provenance.

A spotlight on ingredients The rising number of healthconscious consumers wanting sustainably produced food and beverages represents a $45bn opportunity by the year 2030.

Provenance is a key tool in capturing this value as educating consumers on the benefits of specific ingredients translates into the ability to command a premium price.

Formed by the Noongar people of Western Australia, the Noongar Land Enterprise Group (NLE) is an Aboriginal grower group. By creating and successfully managing Noongar land-based business enterprises, the NLE is developing a model that benefits Aboriginal people, as well as the wider community. Given the provenance opportunity and the Noongar landholders’ focus on

protecting remnant vegetation and rehabilitating areas of native flora suitable for honey-bee populations, honey is an opportune product for the NLE to commercialise. The timing is perfect to capitalise on this growing demand for high-quality, sustainably produced food products.

Furthermore, Western Australian and Indigenous-produced honey is highly sought after in export markets in Asia.

A key component of provenance is making authentic claims. In 2020, FIAL connected the NLE with researchers from the CRC for HoneyBee Products and the University of Western Australia. Research is underway on the qualities of the specific honeys produced from the native flora and fauna of the Noongar region. Reminiscent of Manuka honey, honey sourced from Western Australian Jarrah, among other plant species, has been shown to have antimicrobial and health-promoting properties. This research has the potential to see the NLE command a premium price for its Ngooka.

From native honey harvested

by Noongar first nation people to MainStream Barramundi that can be proven to be Australian, camel milk farmed sustainably by QCamel, or Australian ethicallyharvested seaweed by Alg Seaweed, provenance is making its mark as valuable to consumers. The story and values of the products result in opportunities to set a price premium for products and ingredients with a great provenance background.

Consumers are also willing to change purchase habits to support products that are produced in a way that matches their values.

Regional clusters Provenance is used as a means of value-addition because of the reputation that certain Australian regions have earned, locally and globally, as a source of premium food and beverage products.

Many of the businesses operating in these regions are SMEs so collaboration is critical to ensure they

can capitalise on the provenance opportunity. This is why the Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre has been a key driver for ‘cluster’ development in the sector.

Clusters are groups of interconnected businesses located within close proximity, creating a local ecosystem of resources, knowledge and relationships to facilitate the growth of businesses in the region. Clustering accelerates innovation and growth, strengthens value chains, and provides a platform for economies of scale for groups of firms, particularly SMEs, to collaboratively address challenges and opportunities they otherwise could not do alone.

The Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre has supported the development of four clusters - East Gippsland Food Cluster, Fermentation Tasmania (FermenTasmania), Food and Agribusiness Network (FAN), and Central Coast Industry Connect. With the pandemic restricting international travel, clusters provide businesses located in regions the economies of scale to supply consumers directly through e-commerce and agri-tourism channels for example.

By 2030, the direct-to-consumer opportunity will be worth $21bn and having coordinated agri-tourism strategies and e-commerce solutions will support business growth both domestically and overseas. One cluster that is helping to raise the profile of their businesses is the Food and Agribusiness Network on the Sunshine Coast. Their ‘Meet the Makers’ events profile the great diversity and unique capabilities of their industry and region to retailers and food service professionals, including tourism operators and providers. Hundreds of connections are made at such events that result in business for our regions.

products are being given preferential treatment on the shop shelf.

Promoting provenance can help businesses and regions alike in opening up new market opportunities and adding value. In the health and wellness category alone, it is a $45bn opportunity by the year 2030.

Exciting opportunities exist for collaboration between research and development organisations, manufacturers and businesses across the value chain. Together, they can commercialise value-added products that appeal to this growing consumer desire for a sense of connection with the food and beverages they are consuming.

References 1. Capturing the Prize: the A$200 billion opportunity in 2030 for the Australian food and agribusiness sector https://www.fial.com. au/sharing-knowledge/capturing-the-prize

Dr Barry McGookin is General Manager of Innovation at the Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre, trading as FIAL.

About FIAL Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL) is the Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre, established by the Australian Government. The Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre has been tasked with collaborating with industry to grow the share of Australian food in the global marketplace. The Growth Centre catalyses sector growth by transforming information into valuable insights, developing the capabilities of businesses to grow, and introducing productive contacts and networks to support business success. For more information, https://www.fial.com.au.

The next step Consumers are hungry to learn about the story behind how their food arrived in their hands. Brands that are leaning into the provenance of their

Find out more about the growth opportunities and what you can do to realise the $200bn potential. f

food australia 29

SUSTAINABILITY FEATURE

Sustainable food systems: how to SEE sustainability into the future Dr Polly Burey, Dr Sunil Panchal and Andreas Helwig

F

rom a practical point of view how can we effectively SEE (social, economic and environmental) sustainability of food systems into the future? To achieve this, supply chains must be modified through the development of new management strategies, and more efficient, flexible processing technologies. These types of modifications can potentially optimise food, energy and water resource usage to minimise food waste and also optimise population health.

Ideally this occurs while maintaining economic health of the food systems and their surrounding environment.

There are several features of a possible sustainable food system, which include: implementing circular economy principles; sustainable agricultural practices; localised and seasonal distribution to reduce ‘food miles’; production of healthy and sustainable foods; development of innovative increased shelf-life products to prevent food waste; and pathways for food excess and by-products (FE&Bs) to support a ‘zero-waste’ approach.

To approach a circular economy in food systems the goal is to design waste out of the value chain and move towards ‘zero waste’.

Sustainable agriculture practices which optimise resource usage of water, energy and crop nutrients and minimises greenhouse gas emissions,

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adverse biodiversity changes and eutrophication are advantageous. This could be managed by a combination of water-energy-food nexus analysis supported by digital agriculture strategies. In addition, localised food systems can not only reduce transport costs, but also emissions associated with longer logistical paths.

The prevention of waste can go a long way towards preventing not only food waste but also the waste of the resources used to produce that food.

Strategies to combat this issue could include determining new supply chain pathways for any food excess and by-products which may be achieved through development of innovative increased shelf-life products. In the modern world, we already use food preservation technologies to extend shelf-life so foods can cover vast distances within global food supply chains. However, in a sustainable agri-food system the purpose of such technologies should also encompass preventing food loss and waste.

Our team’s research proposes that the use of an integrated approach to valorise and use food components that might otherwise be disposed of can encompass some key approaches as outlined in Figure 1. Key to the success of such a strategy is identifying the pathways that have social, economic and environmental sustainability. This can be addressed through combined

technoeconomic and life cycle analysis models.

Foundation components of an integrated food valorisation system could include capture and preservation of food excess and by-products, which then allows more time to extract and refine components from these materials. Other pathways could include the use of algae as a sink for some FE&Bs, while remaining biomass could be used to nourish animals and soil.

Capture and Preservation (CaP) One of the core issues of food loss and waste generation is that there may be no processing or preservation infrastructure close to where it is generated (e.g. on-farm). To overcome this issue, a good approach is to localise capture and preservation of this food excess at the site of production to extend shelf life and prevent spoilage. This could be achieved using lower energy drying approaches, cold or frozen storage or the use of preservatives derived from the food excess and by-products themselves.

Extraction and Refining (EaR) Once food has been captured and preserved, it is possible to build a stockpile of food material with an extended shelf life, and process it in

Organisation

Initiative

Sundrop Farms

Sundrop Farms produces tomatoes in a desert environment. This is achieved through a combination of hydroponic systems, desalinated seawater and a solar tower to produce evaporative cooling and steam to control the greenhouse climate. https://www.sundropfarms.com/ https://evokeag.com/evokeag/how-we-can-farm-australias-deserts/

Venus Shell Systems

Venus Shell Systems is an example of Integrated valorisation pathways as we depict in Figure 1. Wheat processing residue is used in tandem with kelp production with the kelp production component utilising this residue, CO2 and seawater. https://www.venusshellsystems.com.au/ https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/scienceshow/new-seaweed-processingplant-opens-in-southern-nsw/12512334

De Bortoli Wines

De Bortoli Wines has launched new wines in 2020 as part of its 17 Trees range which is underpinned by a range of sustainability initiatives throughout the supply chain including processing aid, water and energy recovery, composting and sustainable packaging and labelling. https://www.debortoli.com.au/17trees https://www.foodprocessing.com.au/content/ sustainability/news/17-sustainability-intiative-stories-with-new-wine-range-749815082/

Knott Tara Farm, Barmedman, NSW

Growers of Opuntia Ficus – Indica (Sweet prickly pear). It is a very high yielding crop with every part of the plant providing a marketable product similarly to the approach outlined in Figure 1. Cactus products include food, fruit, juice, faux leather, pharmaceutical products and fodder for livestock.

Source: Personal communication with Benjamin Egge

Table 1: Examples of Australian food and beverage initiatives that incorporate integrated food systems and sustainable processing. a steadier fashion, as opposed to a period of high intensity processing matching the season of the food. For this to be sustainable, the value of any extracted or refined items must be greater than the economic activity that went into its production.

Symbiotic Algal/Fermentation for Energy and Residues (SAFER) Algae is a sustainable ‘crop’ and a key reason why is that it is a photosynthetic organism, that is also highly productive in producing useful biomass. Algae may require less production resources than agricultural crops and can also be ‘nourished’ using food waste such as cheese whey wastewater, fermentation by-products including CO2 or spent coffee grounds amongst others. Algae also has the potential to clean wastewater, making it an ideal material to produce in symbiosis with processing of food excess and by-products.

Clean and Feed (CaFe) While the CaP, EaR and SAFER approaches deal with many food excess and by-products, there may still be remaining biomass that has

Figure 1: Example of an integrated food system where food excess and byproducts are diverted and valorised. further use. These materials could easily be used as standard compost, aid in bioremediation, or may be used as nutrient-rich biofertilisers. They can also be used to clean up land and water, and feed animals, soil, insects and plants. Potential applications to feed insects can be used for insect

Dr Polly Burey is Senior Lecturer in Food Science at the University of Southern Queensland. Dr Sunil Panchal is Lecturer in Nutrition Food Science at Western Sydney University.

Andreas Helwig is Senior Lecturer (Electro-Mechanical Engineering) in the School of Mechanical and Electrical

protein production.

In this way an integrated valorisation circular economy could be established for food and some current Australian examples are outlined in Table 1.

Engineering at University of Southern Queensland. f

food australia 31

FEATURE CONTRIBUTION STUDENT

Protein ingredients for plant-based egg formulations Words by Jason M. Romagnesi and Mary Sharma

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he global plant-based food industry has experienced a major expansion in market size over the last decade, led predominantly by the plant-based meat industry, which is expected to grow by 15% to US$28 billion by 2025.1 Although not as prominent, the global plant-based egg industry, currently valued at US$1.45 billion, is also expanding, with a projected growth by 5.8% to US$1.53 billion in 2026.2 Ingredient selection for plantbased egg alternatives brings with it the challenge of balancing functionality with both profitability and sustainability in the long term.

Food allergy and intolerance risks are also an important consideration in the development of new protein ingredients, as an estimated 0.5 – 2.5% of children are affected by egg allergies.2 This article will review some recent developments in this emerging research field, focussing particularly on the functionality of proteins derived from soybean, chickpea, mung bean and algae, compared with whole egg.

Egg functionality Eggs possess a variety of functional properties, such as emulsification and gelation2, resulting in wide applicability as a food ingredient, particularly in cooking, baking and sauce applications. In industrial applications, they are typically used as separated egg yolk or egg white ingredients. These fractions have distinct functionalities, largely associated with differences in protein content.

32 food australia

The surface-active proteins found in egg whites contribute to exceptional foaming and emulsifying capacity.3 They also contain proteins that help in the stabilisation of both oil-inwater, and water-in-oil emulsions.4 Ovalbumin is the predominant protein in egg whites, and is responsible for functional properties such as foaming volume, water binding and gelation.5 Foaming volume in egg whites has also been correlated with globulin concentration. Foaming stability has been attributed to ovomucin6, through its elastic-qualities and ability to support air bubbles during heating. Ovalbumin also enhances the emulsifying function of egg white.7 Egg yolk is more commonly utilised as an emulsifier in food products such as mayonnaise and contains several proteins that contribute to its emulsifying properties.

These include both low- and highdensity lipoprotein8, as well as lecithoproteins.9

Soybean protein As well as being an allergen, soybean contains a variety of anti-nutritional factors, such as the trypsin inhibitors, goitrin and lectin, that also affect the digestibility and nutritional value of soybean ingredients.10,11 Parts of the soybean industry have been criticised on environmental and sustainability grounds. Despite these concerns, the use of soy protein and related ingredients in foods, such as soy milk, plant-based meats and dairy alternatives, is now widely accepted due to their excellent functional properties, nutritional value, low cost, and wide availability.12,13,14

Soy proteins have exceptional emulsification, foaming and gelation properties that mimic that of egg15, as well as binding properties and the ability to provide texture to foods.12 The nutritional quality of soy protein is also very close to that of whole egg.16 Lecithinated soy products are used in the baking of sponge and pound cakes because of their strong emulsification properties.12 In plantbased egg blends, products like Power Scramble17 utilise a mixture of soy protein isolate and algal protein to recreate the properties of real scrambled eggs. Other products like VeganEgg18 use soy protein and a variety of other ingredients to recreate both the baking functionality and meal functionality of eggs.

Chickpea Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is a grain legume known for its highquality seed protein. In developing countries, chickpeas are a source of cheap protein for those who cannot afford animal protein in their diets.19 Also, unlike soybeans, chickpea allergenicity is not a significant problem.20 Chickpeas, specifically their protein isolates, have been studied for potential use as processed food ingredients as early as 1999.21 but their use in plant-based egg products is relatively unexplored.

Chickpea protein has been shown to exhibit good functionality, with emulsifying and foaming properties that were comparable to soybean.22 There are also anti-nutritional factors in chickpeas, which can reduce both protein digestibility and nutritional value by complexing with dietary

Egg

Soybean

Chickpea

Mung bean

Chlorella

Emulsification

Excellent

Very Good

Good

Good

Very Good

Foaming

Excellent

Poor

Good

Very Good

Very Good

Gelation

Very Good

Very Good

Poor

Very Good

Good

Protein Quality

Excellent

Very Good

Poor

Good

Very Good

Allergen

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

Table 1 Comparative functional properties of egg, soybean, chickpea, mung bean and Chlorella protein ingredients proteins and enzymes.23 However, as with soybean, the digestibility and nutritional value of chickpea can be drastically improved through processes such as thermal treatment and enzyme hydrolysis.22 Chickpea protein powder is used as a minor ingredient in The Zero Egg BAKE Basics and EGG Basics,24 which fulfil the baking and mealreplicative functionalities of whole egg respectively, utilising a mixture of soy protein isolate and pea flour as their key ingredients. Vegan Easy EggTM from Orgran25 is another meal replacement product for whole egg, using a mixture of chickpea flour and maize flour.

as a dark colour, which may limit its appeal to consumers as a protein source in egg blends.26 However, these issues can be overcome in product formulation by the addition of pigments such as beta carotene and turmeric, and flavourings which impart egg-like sulphur flavour, such as Himalayan black salt.2 Although the potential is apparent, the commercialisation of mung bean protein isolate for this application is relatively unexplored. One apparently successful example is JUST Egg, which utilises mung bean protein isolate as the protein source in a liquid-egg substitute for meal-oriented applications.31

Mung bean

Algal proteins

Mung bean (Vigna radiata) is a wellestablished traditional pulse crop in Asia and has recently become more widely available.2 It has high protein content and is considered a complete protein source, containing sufficient levels of all amino acids.26 Mung bean protein isolate has gained traction in a variety of processed food applications, where it has been shown to exhibit both higher water and oil absorption, gelation and foaming capacity than soy; however, both emulsifying activity and stability were found to be lower in mung bean protein isolate than in soy protein isolate.26,27,28 Protein solubility for both mung and soy protein is similar, being high at both acidic and alkaline pH.28 High protein solubility can also be indicative of high functionality, particularly with regard to properties such as foaming, gelation and emulsification.29 However, anti-nutritional factors are also present in mung bean that limit its nutritional value and food applications.30 It also has a characteristic “beany” flavour, as well

Algal proteins have been used successfully in plant-based egg blends but in contrast to soy protein, relatively little research on their functionality has been published, despite being considered a promising new source of protein.32 Some species of algae are considered to be a viable source of protein, containing sufficient levels of essential amino acids, rivalling that of soybeans33 and egg.34 Certain algal proteins have been shown to exhibit superior emulsifying capacity than that of soybean protein.35 Algal protein can also create foams with greater stability than those created by egg white albumin protein.36 However, the minimum heat-induced gelling concentration for microalgae has been shown to be higher than that of soy and pea protein.37 Corbion has recently developed an algal protein product, AlgaVia,38 derived from the microalgae Chlorella, which claims to have egg replacing functionality for some baking applications. Another new product on the market, “The Egg”

by Eunite Foods39 utilises a mixture

of the algae Euglena gracilis and pea protein to replicate the functionality of a whole egg.

The performance of some of these pioneering ingredients is encouraging and in some production systems, algae can have a higher protein yield per area than soybeans and other pulse crops.40 However, there are still many technical challenges that limit the more widespread production and use of algal protein ingredients in the mainstream food industry.

These include economically unviable isolation processes,40 scale-up of extraction methods41 and issues regarding protein digestibility and protein content variability, requiring treatment and processing of algae.40,42 The recently announced partnership between Nestlé and Corbion, to develop microalgae-based ingredients for use in plant-based products, could prove promising in terms of the widespread use of microalgae in plant-based egg blends.

Table 1 summarises some of the key functional properties compared in this short review.

Compared to meat and dairy replacement, the current environment for plant-based egg substitutes is limited due to the challenges in reproducing all aspects of egg functionality.2 However, as more research is conducted, the possibility of a plant-based protein blend that replicates egg functionality in total may soon be realised.

References Available on request. Please contact aifst@aifst.com.au Jason Romagnesi is a Bachelor of Science & Arts undergraduate at Monash University, Melbourne and Mary Sharma is CEO at OzScientific Pty Ltd, Melbourne. f

food australia 33

FOOD SAFETY FEATURE

Food preservation: innovation meets validation

Words by Deon Mahoney

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hroughout history, humans have employed various practices aimed at storing and preserving their food, to cover gluts in supply and ensure a food supply through long winters. The primary focus of these practices was to prevent food deterioration, but there was often the accompanying benefit of upholding food safety.

Early man harnessed nature using the cool of far northern climes to freeze food, and the abundance of sunshine and solar energy to dry foods in tropical locations. By utilising natural energy and phenomena such as evaporation and fermentation, food preservation evolved. Importantly, many of these traditional preservation techniques are still utilised in developing economies.

34 food australia

Traditional methods of food preservation Many of the earliest methods for actively preserving foods relied upon techniques that reduced the water activity of a food. This included salting and sugaring of meat and produce, or the drying of foods using solar energy or fires. By reducing the water activity of the food, the growth of pathogens and spoilage organisms was inhibited.

The production of jam enabled the long-term preservation of fruit. This resulted in the early development of standards of identity which specified compositional requirements that reflect the preservative effect of sugar in jam. In the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code), a food that is sold as jam must contain no less than 650 gram/kilogram of

water-soluble solids, and no less than 400 gram/kilogram of those fruits shown on the label. The process of adding sugar to the fruit and concentration by boiling results in a food with a water activity in the range 0.81-0.83. Heat and osmotic pressure prevent the survival and growth of pathogens and spoilage bacteria, and only permits the growth of osmophilic yeasts and some moulds.

While often seen as a prescription that is no longer considered appropriate in times of outcomebased standards; these compositional requirements not only define these foods ensuring consumers are adequately informed of the identity of a food, but they also uphold food safety.

Fermentation is another traditional

process for extending the safe shelflife of foods. Fermentation of dairy products, selected meat and fish products, and vegetables results in a reduction in pH and provides a means for preserving these products. Once again standards require food that is sold as fermented milk or yoghurt must have a pH of no more than 4.5 and contain no less than 106 colony forming units/gram. Below pH 4.5 and in the presence of lactic acid, the main pathogen of concern, Listeria monocytogenes, is unable to grow.

Evolution of food preservation Over time a range of technologies were developed to preserve food and extend its safe shelf-life.

One of the very first technological solutions for food preservation was the advent of canning. In the late 18th century, the Napoleonic Government offered a reward for a system of food preservation that could feed their French troops in the field. The chef Nicolas Appert perfected a process of preserving food by heating it in boiling water in airtight glass jars. Although Appert did not fully appreciate the preservation principles, he was successful in preserving food and was awarded a 12,000 franc prize.

For the food scientist, the canning process embodies many of the principles and disciplines of food science. It involves heating food in a hermetically sealed container with the goal of retaining its properties in a condition similar to when it is freshly cooked. It requires: an understanding of modes of heating (convection versus conduction heating or a combination of both); careful attention to the construction and integrity of the food package seals; and the requirement to validate and verify that the process delivers sufficient thermal lethality against the pathogen of concern, Clostridium botulinum and the most heat resistant organisms responsible for spoilage in low acid foods. The pH of the canned food is the key determinant of food safety risk, and of the thermal process required.

In the 200 years since Appert, there have been significant advances in food preservation. In the 1860’s, Thomas Mort developed the first industrial freezing facility in New South Wales. In the 20th century there was widespread adoption of pasteurisation, the elaboration of food irradiation, the use of modified atmospheres to enhance the shelf-life of perishable foods, and exploration of the incorporation of bioactives in food packaging.

Innovation in food preservation Consumers continue to seek fresh, healthy, and nutritious foods that have been subjected to minimal processing.

This has motivated food businesses to examine alternative technologies that destroy undesirable microorganisms and create safe food products at reasonable cost, while retaining the sensory and nutritional properties of the fresh foodstuff. There is also a desire to use technology to create foods with enhanced nutritional and functional properties, addressing sustainability, lowering the carbon footprint, and reducing the use of finite resources.

Over the past two decades research and development programs have continued to explore innovation in food preservation. The new concepts

include both thermal and nonthermal technologies, such as high-pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric field (PEF) processing, microfiltration, cold plasma processing, UV light processing, and microwave processing. They have experienced varying degrees of commercial uptake, some of which is due to the challenges of cost-effectively creating products which are safe and suitable.

There has also been an increasing obligation to validate killing efficacy against pathogens and spoilage organisms, and to scientifically establish the shelf-life.

Approaches to validation Validation involves demonstrating that a specific control measure can achieve the intended level of hazard control on a consistent basis e.g. attain a specified log reduction.

When validating control measures, a food business must identify potential hazards, establish the food safety outcome, identify the measure to be validated, and then gather the appropriate data.

A good source of information is published studies where control measures have already been validated as effective, but for new innovations it is often necessary to undertake challenge testing which simulate the food processing system. The

food australia 35

FOOD SAFETY

collection of data during routine operating conditions is not adequate to validate a process, and for this reason challenge studies are preferred as a means of establishing the adequacy and/or the limitations of a new process or technology.

Great care must be taken with experimental design for challenge testing and in assessing the efficacy of lethality treatments to determine if pathogens can survive and/or grow to a level of concern in a food. Important considerations include the selection and maintenance of cultures, inoculum level, and sampling regimes. A great source of guidance on challenge testing of ready-to-eat food has been published by Health Canada.1

HPP of milk: a case study HPP is a non-thermal technique that has the capability of eliminating foodborne pathogens and enhancing the shelf-life of perishable foods.

Using HPP, a food is subjected to pressures between 200-900 Megapascals (MPa) which inactivate vegetative microorganisms. HPP has been successfully used for products such as guacamole and dips, juices, and seafood products creating foods that are potentially of high quality, greater safety, and increased shelf-life.

For these products, the obligation is for the food business to ensure that only safe and suitable food is sold.

HPP was first proposed in the late

36 food australia

19th century with experiments on the effects of pressure on microorganisms in milk, meat, and juices by B.H. Hite at West Virginia Agricultural Experimental Station.2 Further development was limited because of concerns about its effectiveness, and its commercial viability has only become a reality in recent years.

Recently there has been increased interest in the HPP of dairy products, especially milk. Under Standard 4.2.4 in the Code, there is a specific requirement that milk must be pasteurised or subject to any other process that provides an equivalent or greater lethal effect on any pathogenic microorganisms. This is a processing standard.

To demonstrate this lethal effect, it is necessary to undertake challenge studies using pathogens inoculated into milk and determine their survival under documented HPP conditions (time, pressure, and temperature).

The pathogens of concern in raw milk include Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes, Campylobacter spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus. Unlike pasteurisation where a defined process of heating to 72°C for 15 seconds (or equivalent) is recognised globally, there are three variables with HPP and there is no validated generic process.

The New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industry (MPI) has proposed

a pressure of >550MPa for at least five minutes, and an elevated pre-pressure product temperature of >50°C can achieve a 5 log10(CFU/g) reduction for most non-spore forming foodborne bacterial pathogens of concern.3 A 5-log reduction means a 99.999% decrease in bacterial numbers, and achieving such a reduction is widely used in the food industry as a benchmark for kill steps in food processing e.g. thermal processes such as pasteurisation or the efficacy of a disinfection step.

This MPI described process involves the combination of elevated temperature and pressure to kill pathogens in the milk. Where processors are seeking to use temperatures below 50°C, the capacity to achieve at least a 5-log reduction for relevant pathogens would need to be examined further.

Another issue is the expectation of a prolonged shelf-life for HPP milk. This raises concerns about strains of the spore former Bacillus cereus that may survive HPP, in fact the pressure may induce spore germination, and the opportunity to grow during prolonged storage under refrigeration.

Summary Innovation provides the opportunity to create new and exciting food products. In order to achieve regulatory and public acceptance of any new preservation technology it is essential to adequately assess and address any food safety risks through well planned validation studies.

References 1. Health Canada (2012). Listeria monocytogenes Challenge Testing of Refrigerated Ready-to-Eat Foods. https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ hc-sc/migration/hc-sc/fn-an/alt_formats/pdf/ legislation/pol/listeria_monocytogenes-testeng.pdf 2. Hite, B. H. (1899). The effect of pressure in the preservation of milk: a preliminary report. West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Bulletins. 58.

3. Ministry of Primary Industries (2019). Review of high pressure processes (HPP) applied as an alternative to thermal pasteurisation.

New Zealand Food Safety Discussion Paper No: 2019/05. https://www.mpi.govt.nz/ dmsdocument/34659/direct

Deon Mahoney is Head of Food Safety at Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Australia-New Zealand. f

FOOD SAFETY

The Allergen Collaboration: looking to the future, 10 years in Words by Fiona Fleming, Allergen Collaboration member

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he Allergen Collaboration is one of the few opportunities where industry, government, food service, consumer and public health groups can meet to discuss food allergen management issues and opportunities and collaborate on activities.

2021 marks the 10-year anniversary of the establishment of the Allergen Collaboration.

This milestone is an opportunity to: • Reflect on past achievements • Consider key and emerging issues relating to food allergens • Build on the relationships that have developed over time • Re-visit the Collaboration’s purpose, goals, and objectives, and • Re-position with a clear direction for future collaborative action.

Achievements A key success of the Allergen Collaboration has been the Food Allergen Portal. It has become a central place for government, industry, and consumers to find reliable and trusted information about food allergy management in Australia and New Zealand. The Portal has seen visitor numbers steadily increase since its launch in May 2013, and it now receives around 3,500 hits per year.

The development of a shared communication strategy enabled the collaboration members to portray the impact of their efforts to their respective audiences. The key messages developed in this strategy form the backbone of the Allergen Portal and promote consistent messaging on food allergen management within Australia and New Zealand.

The food service training video is an example of the strong partnership that exists among members.

Consumer groups worked with

industry and education providers to ensure the training tools were high quality and were available where they were most needed. This type of activity has now shifted to the National Allergy Strategy, which works with input from Allergen Collaboration members to develop its training programs.

Looking to the future – the road ahead In the next 10 years, emerging food trends, changes to the food industry and consumer purchasing and behaviour, new and ongoing public health concerns, and an evolving regulatory landscape, presents challenges and opportunities for the Allergen Collaboration, and for food allergen management more broadly.

As we look to the future, we know that the number of food allergic consumers continues to grow.

Information available to consumers is largely based on a manufactured/ retail food paradigm that is increasingly shifting toward food service. Online sales of both retail and foodservice will prompt increased demand for information at the point of purchase. FSANZ is currently exploring a ‘Branded Food Database’ as part of the Health Star Rating review outcomes. This work may present opportunities to consider if and how the database could be

utilised to provide further allergen information and alerts to consumers.

The food regulation system – including the FSANZ Act 1991 and the operations of FSANZ – are undergoing a once in a generation review. The modernisation of food regulation is intended to maintain strong, robust, and agile approaches to protecting public health while continuing to allow for a competitive food industry to operate.

Opportunity for celebration The Collaboration is vibrant, well attended and continues to deliver.

The collective networks run deep and amplify the value of the Collaboration.

It is inspiring that at the heart of what the Collaboration does as a group is the food-allergic consumer.

Helen Keller said of collaboration, “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”

The 10-year anniversary mark also presents the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the Allergen Collaboration. To this end, FSANZ is working with the AIFST on a celebration event to coincide with the AIFST convention which will be held in Sydney on July 26 & 27, 2021.

If you are interested in the work of the Collaboration, visit the Food Allergen Portal f

food australia 37

AIFST ANNUAL CONVENTION

2021 AIFST Convention: Food Science – delivering in a changing world Words by Dr Martin Palmer

Largely through the effects of the global pandemic, the last 12 months has seen tremendous changes in our way of life, way of working and way of thinking. This year’s Convention picks up on this theme, with a focus on some of the challenges and opportunities presented to food science and the food industry in a world where “change” can seem to be the only constant.

Over two days with plenary and four concurrent session streams, the convention will feature more than 60 scientific and food industry speakers from home and abroad. Food safety features strongly, including key areas of microbiological safety, allergens, and traceability systems. Advances in nutrition, sensory and consumer

science will be presented, including personalised nutrition and new opportunities at the interface of food science with each of these disciplines.

The sustainability and resilience of food systems will be examined through contrasting lenses that represent different points along the food supply chain. These include new and emerging food crops, cellular agriculture, fermentation systems, waste valorisation, packaging technologies and case studies in innovative processing.

We are looking forward to a return to a more traditional convention format, with the great networking opportunities offered by a faceto-face event. Our popular social events make a return – the Wine &

Cheese Tasting, Young Professionals Networking breakfast and AIFST Fellows breakfast will all be held at AIFST21.

As a final selling point, which is always popular with members, this year’s convention will run concurrently with foodpro Sydney (25-28 July, 2021). Both events will be held at Sydney Olympic Park and together will cater for a very wide range of interests.

The AIFST website has a dedicated convention page with up-to-date information on the program and speakers.

Please join us in July for this longanticipated event to grow, learn and connect.

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

STUDENT PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT COMPETITION

PARTNER

PARTNERS

PARTNER

MAJOR PARTNER

38 food australia

AIFST AWARDS

AIFST awards program open for 2021 AIFST offers a range of national awards that recognise the commitment and excellence of members, championing those who lead and exceed.

Applications are open for the 2021 AIFST Awards. Winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony at the AIFST Convention in Sydney on Monday July 26th.

AIFST President’s Award This award acknowledges an individual or an organisation that has made an outstanding contribution to the Institute and has demonstrated a clear commitment to advancing AIFST’s role in supporting Australia’s food industry professionals.

AIFST Keith Farrer Award of Merit This award is the Institute’s highest honour, acknowledging an individual whose work has resulted in significant positive change for the food industry, the food science and technology profession, food research and innovation, and/or food science education, and/or has promoted the health and enjoyment of the wider community regarding food. The recipients achievements must also include substantial contributions made to further the aims and objectives of the Institute. The Award is named after Dr Keith Farrer, an outstanding food scientist and author, who was involved in the formation of the AIFST in 1967.

AIFST Peter Seale Industry Innovation Award This award acknowledges a significant new development in a process, product, ingredient, equipment, or packaging that has had successful commercial application in any section of the Australian food industry. The award is given in honour of AIFST Past President, Peter Seale.

AIFST Anthony (Tony) Williams Sensory Award This award is for young members who demonstrate academic achievement, interest, enthusiasm, and integrity

in sensory research. The AIFST Sensory Award is sponsored annually

by Sensory Solutions in honour of Anthony (Tony) Williams.

AIFST Malcolm Bird Young Members Commemorative Award This award is for young AIFST members who demonstrate academic achievement, leadership, and integrity in their profession. The award is given in honour of AIFST Past President, Malcolm Bird.

AIFST John Christian Young Food Microbiologist Award This award was created as a means of encouraging and supporting the development of young food microbiologists. The award is given in honour of Dr John Christian AO. AIFST Jack Kefford Award This award recognises the contribution to food science and technology of Institute members who publish research and technical papers. The Award is named in honour of Jack Kefford.

AIFST Allergen Bureau Julie Newlands Award This award aims to promote and raise awareness of best-practice food allergen management in Australia.

The award seeks to encourage all Australian food industry sectors to adopt a consistent, sciencebased approach to food allergen risk assessment, management, and communication for the benefit of the allergen sensitive consumer. The award is given in honour of Julie Newlands who was an inaugural Director and the first Honorary Treasurer of the Allergen Bureau Ltd. AIFST Foodbank Hunger Hero Award The Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) Foodbank Hunger Hero Award recognises a person or team who have gone above and beyond to tackle food insecurity. Whether it’s championing a new initiative within their company or volunteering their time and expertise in the community, AIFST and Foodbank want to recognise an individual or team’s contribution and hold it up as an inspiration to others.

AIFST Bruce Chandler Award This award is for AIFST members who are authors of books or substantial reviews, considered to make the greatest contribution to the literature on food science and technology in particular years. The award is given in honour of AIFST Past President, Bruce Chandler.

AIFST Research Poster Competition This competition provides a space for food scientists to present a summary of their recent work in poster form. The challenge for entrants is to effectively condense their research without losing the quality of their work. The platform for the 2021 competition will be virtual providing an opportunity for scientists from all over Australia to share their research.

AIFST Student Product Development Competition – Rethinking Protein The SPDC was created to provide students with a chance to create a new product and demonstrate their skills, knowledge, and creativity. Each year teams of students are asked to create a product based on a brief and submit their work at various stages to the judges. The competition culminates at the annual convention, where teams must present their final product to the judges for tasting and overall assessment.

Information on how to enter for an award Visit the AIFST website for all guidelines and nomination forms. For further information please call the AIFST team on 0447 066 324 or email us: aifst@aifst.com.au

food australia 39

EDUCATION & TRAINING

Updated food processing skills to match the tastes of today’s consumers Words by Skills Impact ‘The customer is always right’ is a motto that Australia’s food and beverage sector has taken to heart.

Over the past decade, industry has been busy developing innovations in traceability, allergen control, and new products, in response to consumer interest in the origins, packaging, and contents of food.

As increased automation and updated processes are introduced, industry has been building on its arsenal of skills, meaning the kinds of expertise required to perform job roles have shifted.

Over the past year, industry representatives have contributed their time and expertise to three national projects to update vocational qualifications, skill sets and units of competency, so that future learners are equipped with the skills they need to produce high quality food and beverages.

Following the food journey Transparency was listed as an important food trend for 2021 in a report1 by food trend specialist Innova Market Insights, and is a key area addressed by the Food and Beverage Processing Skills Standards Project. As a result of industry feedback, six units of competency were developed to define skills in traceability and allergen management. This will promote development of skills to implement more transparent food and beverage processing practices. This includes providing information on allergens and ingredients, confirming the authenticity of artisan food products, and helping consumers make informed decisions on the environmental footprint of products.

Units were also developed to support other key skills needs.

One unit in food specific Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) will support training, enabling industry

40 food australia

James Camilleri, Matthew Ritchie, and Tom Pulleyn discussing the operating principles of high-speed wrapping equipment (image supplied by Nestle). to continue producing high quality products. Another unit targets skills in equipment maintenance, bringing skills standards into line with today’s highly automated workplace. Two units in fruit and vegetable juices, one in dairy processing, and four in edible oils were also developed to reflect current skills needs.

Along with the development of units in these key areas, existing units have been updated to better reflect current industry practices, terminology and standards.

Qualifications have also been redesigned so that they are flexible enough to be used across the industry for a range of purposes and incorporate updated and developed units.

Targeted training Donna Leslie, who works in Industry Training in Food and Rural Sciences for Federation TAFE says the updated qualifications will strengthen training options for the food and beverage processing workforce, as they now more accurately reflect activities performed regularly in the workplace.

She particularly supports the development of specialisations within the Certificate III in Food Processing and skill sets to target key skills areas (including allergens, traceability and introduction to the industry): “The introduction of skills sets allows us as trainers to meet the needs of our industry clients by providing training that is much more focused on their core business and their training needs.

The specialisations also enable us to acknowledge the business sector in the title of their certificate and this was most welcomed by the industry, eg, Certificate III in Food Processing – Brewing,” said Leslie.

Specialisations have been created to support the following industry sectors: • Brewing • Bottling and packaging • Confectionery • Dairy processing (cheese, powder and/or milk) • Distilling • Edible oils (refining or cold pressing edible oils) • Milling • Non-alcoholic beverages (fruit juice, cordial)

• Pet food (companion animals) • Quality (for operator roles) • Sales • Stock feed (cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, poultry, fish – animals that produce for human consumption).

“The needs of industry are always evolving,” says Duncan Rowland, Executive Officer of Stock and Feed Manufacturers’ Council of Australia.

“The review process has allowed us to highlight specialities such as stock feed and pet food manufacturing and develop skills standards that are fit for purpose.”

Access to these specialisations can have benefits in addition to training the workforce. Ryan Monaghan of Pet Food Industry Association of Australia notes how nationally endorsed skill standards will assist the pet food sector as it moves towards a regulated process.

Kerry Ronnfeldt and Atheer Elias overseeing Smartie production (image provided

by Nestle).

Going with the grain One of the specialisations within the redesigned Certificate III is actually the result of work on another project to review the Certificate IV in Flour Milling. The qualification had not been updated in some time and experts involved in the project indicated that there were industrysupported options available outside of the VET system that appropriately met upskilling requirements at the Certificate IV level. However, a skills gap did exist at the Certificate III level, for a mill operative or miller’s assistant role, which involves many of the same skills used across the food and beverage processing industry at that level. Therefore, a specialisation in the Certificate III in Food Processing was proposed, acknowledging the key foundational skills used across the industry and providing learners with more flexible training options.

Fiona Taylor, Executive Officer at Australian Technical Millers Association of Australia says, “The Certificate III modules being proposed will provide a basic foundation of practical skills and knowledge for new participants to the flour milling industry. The

As a result of recent projects industry will soon have updated qualifications and skills standards for a range of job roles, including in high volume production baking. program will complement the current advanced level technical milling training on offer via nabim and provide new industry participants the option to take a stepping stone approach to their education.”

Fully baked As reported by IBISWorld, the plant baking sector is undergoing a period of change and Australians are spending more money on highquality baked goods. Over the past five years, rising health consciousness has increased demand for wholemeal,

seeded, gluten-free and other breads perceived to be healthier than traditional white bread. The popularity of breads enriched with added nutrients has also contributed to growing demand for premium breads and bakery products.2 While retail baking meets some of the demand, the plant baking sector is uniquely poised to address this hunger for more baked goods, producing baked goods in large quantities. The High Volume Production Baking Project presented an opportunity to capture how

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EDUCATION & TRAINING

these shifts in consumer tastes have impacted industry practices and terminology, while further streamlining the skills standards available for working in large scale plant bakeries.

Industry feedback has shaped the updated Certificate III in High Volume Baking (previously Certificate III in Plant Baking), which incorporates skills related to food safety, good manufacturing practice, work health and safety, traceability, setting up processing lines for production or packaging, and using numerical applications. It also incorporates the unique skills required to work in the four industry subsectors of pastry, cakes, biscuits and bread.

Outcomes Thanks to the efforts of everyone involved in these projects, new and revised skills standards have been developed across the food

and beverage processing sector.

Up to date qualifications and skills standards are vital in supporting those wishing to pursue a career in the food and beverage processing sector, in turn supporting industry as a whole. “The Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical Training package is a key cornerstone to the provision of skills and underpinning knowledge of process technology and supporting processes within our industry,” says Carolyn Gray of Nestlé Confectionery & Snacks. “In our case, its role is reinforced within our Industrial Agreement instrument to provide employees with skills, recognised qualifications, career progression and learning paths, whilst providing our business with a workforce with necessary skills and knowledge.”

The updated qualifications, skill sets and units are in the final stages of review with the Australian Industry and Skills Committee and State and

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Territory Skills Ministers. They are expected to become available for use by registered training organisations by mid-2021 and will be accessible on training.gov.au

References 1. Innova Market Insights (2020). “Innova Identifies Top 10 Food and Beverage Trends to Accelerate Innovation in 2021.” https:// www.innovamarketinsights.com/innovaidentifies-top-10-food-and-beverage-trends-toaccelerate-innovation-in-2021/ 2. IbisWorld, (2020). “Bakery Product Manufacturing in Australia - Market Research Report.” https://www.ibisworld.com/au/ industry/bakery-product-manufacturing/4227/

Skills Impact is a not-for-profit, industry-owned organisation that works across Australia to benchmark learning and skills standards for industry. Through our work, learners and workplaces have access to nationally consistent skills standards and qualifications, supporting greater employment opportunities and industry competitiveness. f

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CONTACT US (03) 9574 3200 agrifood.au@sgs.com www.sgs.com.au SGS Agriculture & Food

REGULATORY

New allergen labelling rules now in effect Words by Julie Cox

I

mportant changes to the Australia & New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) have now come into effect to help make allergen labelling clearer and more consistent for Australian consumers. The reforms took effect on 25 February 2021.

Food manufacturers have 3 years to update their packaging, and a further 2 year stock in trade period. This means that food packed and labelled before the end of the 3 year transition can continue to be sold for up to 2 years.

How is the Code changing?

Currently, the Code requires mandatory declaration of the presence of certain foods or substances in food, but it does not mandate how allergen declarations should be made or the terminology to use when making allergen declarations. This has led to compliance uncertainty for the food industry, and difficulties for food allergic consumers in making safe food choices.

Under the new regulations, foods required to bear a label will need to declare allergens in accordance with strict requirements for format, location and terminology. In particular, allergens will need to be declared: • Using mandatory specified terms of the allergen source (the “required name”) • In both the statement of ingredients and a separate but co-located “summary statement” beginning with the word “contains” • Using bold font, and • In a size type no less than that used for other text in the statement of ingredients.

Under the changes, the “required names” are prescribed in Schedule 9-3 of the Code and synonyms are not permitted (except for soy where ‘soya’ or ‘soybean’ may be used in the statement of ingredients).

Importantly, the new laws require specific tree nuts to be declared separately in both the ingredients list and the summary statement using the required names “almond”, “Brazil nut”, “cashew”, “hazelnut”, “macadamia”, “pecan”, “pine nut”, “pistachio” and “walnut” – it will not be acceptable to simply declare “tree nuts”.

The new requirement for a separate but co-located summary statement has raised concerns with some food manufacturers because summary statements are prohibited in the European Union, meaning products imported from the EU will require additional packaging amendments.

Harmonisation with overseas regulations was considered by FSANZ but it was concluded that the new requirements should not have a material impact given there are already significant differences with how declarations are required to be made in overseas markets.

Foods not required to bear a label or a statement of ingredients Foods that are exempt from the requirement to bear a label or display a statement of ingredients (such as standardised alcoholic beverages or foods sold in small packages) are impacted by the changes to a lesser extent. In particular, they will need to use the required names when declaring allergens but will not need to comply with the format and location requirements for allergen declarations in the statement of ingredients and summary statement.

Special purpose foods Some allowances have been made for foods for special medical purposes (FSMP) and infant formula products for special dietary use (IFPSDU).

Those products will still be required to declare allergens, but they will not be subject to the rules for

required names, format and location requirements. All other special purpose foods regulated under Part 2.9 of the Code such as infant formula products (other than IFSDU) and formulated supplementary sports foods, must comply with the new rules.

Cost implications While the changes will come at a cost to the Australian food industry, it is expected that they will ultimately provide a net benefit to society when factoring in the significant cost that food allergens have on society – those costs are estimated by FSANZ to be between $6 billion and $8.1 billion per year.1

References 1. Food Standards Australia New Zealand, 15 Dec 2020, “Approval Report – Proposal P1044”.

P1044 Approval Report.pdf (foodstandards.gov. au). Accessed 17 February 2021.

Julie Cox is the founder and Director of Provenance, a specialist legal consultancy for the food and beverage industry. She advises a range of food businesses from multinationals to start ups on advertising, labelling, product safety, IP and commercial matters across the product lifecycle. f

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FOOD SAFETY FEATURE

Food recall – are you prepared?

A snapshot of the Australian food industry Words by Fiona Fleming and Peter McGee Product safety is the foundation of the food and beverage industry.

Australians enjoy one of the safest food supply chains in the world, but food and beverage companies recognise that steps must be taken to make it even safer. Ensuring the safety of products – and maintaining the confidence of consumers – is the single most important goal of our industry.

Food safety has always been important for Australia’s food producers, manufacturers, and marketers. Our consumers have a legitimate expectation that their food is safe, and our local and international reputations depend upon excellence in food safety outcomes. Australia has an enviable reputation and track record, features that we must protect, nurture, and enhance.

Food safety incidents quickly attract both local and international attention. Food safety, like workplace health and safety, is a business

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essential. The efficient response to a food safety incident is critical and companies need to be prepared with systems and processes in place.

No company can completely eradicate the possibility of a product safety issue and in the event that a food recall is required, a robust and practised recall and crisis management plan will limit the impact of a recall event.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) provide regular updates on reported food related recalls in Australia. Recent trends show an increase in the number of recalls, with 96 and 109 reported in 2019 and 2020, respectively (Figure 1). The 10-year average (2011-2020) increased from 71 to 76 recalls per year.1 According to FSANZ, most food recalls in the period between 2011 and 2020 were due to undeclared allergens (42%) and microbial contamination (26%).

In September 2020, the AIFST supported by Victual collaborated to complete an industry survey into the preparedness of the food and beverage industry for product recall.

This survey was conducted as a follow up to a 2016 survey to gain an insight into trends and changes in product recall preparedness over the four-year intervening period.

The recall survey consisted of 55 companies (compared to 46 companies in 2016) of various sizes in the food, beverages, and grocery industry. The types of businesses varied with over half (52.8%) being manufactures of retail ready finished products, compared with 49% in 2016.

The total number of sites represented by the 2020 survey was over 1,000.

Food recall preparedness Preparing for a food recall should entail more than simply populating a recall plan template downloaded from the internet and filing it for

future use. The recall plan is a critical tool that needs to be understood by those who will be called upon to use it, regularly reviewed to ensure it is relevant and tested to ensure it is effective.

FSANZ provides guidance via their Food Industry Recall Protocol and associated templates. These are useful tools to help prepare but should be supported by the necessary training and testing to make sure they will be effective when called upon.

Responses to the survey indicate that survey respondents understand the importance of preparing effectively for a recall with 96% advising they have a recall plan in place. This compares with 100% of respondents in the 2016 survey. It is not sufficient to have a plan in place – regular review is also important - 85% advised their recall plan had been reviewed within the past 12 months, compared with 89% in 2016.

Mock recalls are essential in testing the recall plan that the business has in place. Mock recalls can prepare the business for when an actual recall or withdrawal occurs. 90% of survey respondents advised they conduct mock recalls to test the food recall plan compared to 87% in 2016. 85% of the 2020 survey respondents conducted a mock recall at least annually, slightly less than in 2016.

Figure 1. Food Recalls – Australia [2008 – 2020]. Source: FSANZ.

Figure 2. Resources which would be helpful in the event of a food recall.

• 50% had trained their recall team in the past 12 months, and • 80% advised that the training was carried out in house by one of the team or an external consultant.

Food recall resources Resources within the business to handle a recall or withdrawal are crucial to a successful outcome. The establishment and support of a food recall team/committee is important to ensure the business is prepared to deal with a food recall. In relation to their food recall teams, survey respondents advised: • 90% have a food recall committee • 79% agreed or strongly agreed that their recall committee is ready for a recall • 80% agreed or strongly agreed that the food recall committee has access to resources to assist with planning and conducting a food recall

Food recall response There is significant guidance documentation available to food businesses on the FSANZ website.

The FSANZ Recall Plan template and Food Industry Recall Protocol were known to 91% and 86% of survey respondents.

However, the survey confirmed that respondents understand the need for specialist resources in recall scenarios. The types of services can vary, but the majority of respondents could see the need for specialist services such as: • Subject matter experts to assist with specific food safety related issues

• Crisis communication specialists • Social media specialists • Product retrieval logistics support • Legal advice, and • Call centre operations.

Figure 2 shows the resources which survey respondents considered would be helpful in the event of a food recall.

This is just a snapshot of the insights collected from the 2020 industry survey. The full report is available on the AIFST website.

References 1. https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/industry/ foodrecalls/recallstats/Pages/default.aspx

Fiona Fleming is the CEO of AIFST. Peter McGee is the Co-Founder of Victual (victual.com.au). f

food australia 45

SUSTAINABILITY FEATURE

owned farm Savai’i Koko. Together, their simple goal is to shift as many of Samoa’s finest cacao beans as possible through Australian supply chains, some of which now feed into other global markets. The more beans they sell, the more benefit goes back to the farmers and helps support Samoa’s wider community.

Harmony between people and land

Samoan cacao - food sovereignty the island way Words by Dr Lyn Davies From the richest cacao beans of the Samoan Islands, Melbourne-based company Living Koko creates small batch organic cacao products.

Born from a desire to work harmoniously with Samoan cacao producers to create an equitable supply chain, the company honours age-old traditions that reverse many trends of modern food systems.

Living Koko owners Fipe Preuss and Glen Reiss were newcomers to both the food industry and cacao importation when they started the business in 2016. But after doing their research, what they saw in other nations’ supply chains was not fair or just for those people who grew and processed the cacao. Nor did it appear sustainable for the environment or human health.

Fipe comes from a family of Samoan cacao growers and processors. She and Glen were inspired by working within a connected community where people with shared values contributed to the success of everyone in the food supply chain.

Sustainable supply chains The couple visit Samoa several times each year to progress business

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and community projects, while also spending precious time with family. However, it was only recently they realised their business model represents food sovereignty - putting those who produce, distribute, and consume the cacao at the heart of the production system.

Equitable supply chains allow growers to earn a living wage.

Flow-on effects on housing security, affordable healthcare and cultural rights can help lift whole nations out of poverty. Sovereignty over the food system also avoids privilege and power being held by those at the marketing and retailing end of the supply chain.

Being paid a fair price for the cultivation methods they use and the risks they carry means Samoa’s small hold growers can continue to approach agriculture with an indigenous, regenerative lens.

This keeps the soil free from toxic chemicals, keeps foods organic and regenerates the land. These factors in turn promote the health and wellbeing of the local community.

As Australia’s primary importer and distributor of Samoan cacao, Living Koko brings in raw beans that have been graded by the generationally

For both environmental and business sustainability, Living Koko aims to use as much as possible of each cacao bean they import, assessing every by-product for its potential. As a result, the Living Koko product line includes direct retail and white label chocolate, cacao nibs, cacao husk teas, fibre and skin care products that use both husk and reworked chocolate. All profits from their skin care range go back into communitydriven agricultural projects in the Pacific Islands.

On the land, growers are also using all components of the cacao tree.

Once the beans are removed, cacao pods are mulched with coconut husk and used in propagating new cacao trees, employing the natural herbicides found in the pods. Savai’i Koko and associations supply free seedlings to encourage more Samoans to plant their land in cacao.

The rough natural terrain and co-planting of cacao with other fruit trees prevents the use of agricultural machinery in harvesting the pods.

While labour intensive, these slow farming processes support the community-centred approach, and no one is agitating for this to change.

Passionate people like those involved at every point of the Samoan cacao supply chain understand that food sovereignty and the social determinants of health underwrite not only Samoa’s future, but everyone’s future.

Dr Lyn Davies is a freelance writer with a passion for food science and public health. f

5

FAST

What’s great about food science as a career?

Duncan McDonald President and Chair of the AIFST Board Food Science as a career…well actually it is an adventure. There is so much diversity on offer and growing as technology and globalisation challenges our traditional food science ways.

However here is the crunch...we all need to eat to survive; but what and why we eat what we do is becoming as much a challenge for the foodie as it is for the marketing guru who promotes it.

Food science covers so many fields and there are incredibly exciting things emerging as our ability to discover what we are made of, who we are, and how we respond to our environment is ever evolving.

Throughout my 40 year career, which spans many roles and responsibilities in the food and related industries, I still refer to my principle job as a ‘food scientist’ first and foremost. I love the ability to network with my foodie piers who have played a large part in my career successes and progression. Food science has given me a wonderful career….thank you.

Emma Rowe Operations and Product Manager at Mingle Seasoning Food is an integral part of our lives, not only for sustenance but to also facilitate social connection. Knowing that the products you create are making someone’s life easier, tastier and more enjoyable is pretty exciting.

As a generalist, I love that the technical role allows for the combination of many disciplines, and the opportunity to see a project evolve; from an idea through to being in the hands of customers. In my work, I get to research trends, play with flavours and functional

ingredients, ask people questions and gather feedback, determine the appropriate packaging for specific food types, as well as make sure the labels include all the right info.

Food scientists are key to maintaining a steady, safe, nutritious and exciting supply of food. There is constant problem solving, learning, and improvement of products; whether it be through formulation or ways of increasing shelf-life and reducing waste in production.

It’s the ultimate career when you love food, eating, practical handson science, and having a tangible impact; we’re feeding the world.

Louise Bennett Professor, School of Chemistry, Monash University Food science is a tremendously rewarding career simply because the focus of food science, ‘food’, matters. Food science satisfies the craving of a scientist for translating knowledge and technology into use within a a vibrant supply chain; spanning primary production all the way to consumers. A food scientist needs to be able to think across scales and systems from microsmall to ultra-big. Food science continuously evolves in response to need, eg, the life cycle of food and its packaging, beyond consumption, is now ‘food science’. The challenges are big and they are different everywhere. There has never been a greater need to share knowledge and apply the many disciplines of food science. Consumers, industry and regulators alike value the work of food scientists and need them to contribute to solving the food supply problems of the future. The work of a food scientist influences the immediate and future quality of life of humans, with downstream effects on environment and social cohesion.

Pilar Oyarzun Senior Food Technologist and Consultant Something wonderful about Food Science as a career is the compatibility with other subject disciplines.

Pursuing a career by prosecuting food fraud, creating advertising for a brand through marketing, or even overcoming food insecurity with The United Nations through their World Food Program, are some of the options. A great example is Edible Bug Shop created by Skye Blackburn, who combined her studies in Entomology and Food Science by creating a range of edible insect products, making her the first farmer of edible insects in Australia.

One more reason to love this career is that foods connect us with everything. Starting with the sun, which energizes the grapes, for example, passing through the microorganisms that ferment them producing best tasting wines, until those cabernet sauvignon glasses that I share with my dad while having meaningful conversations, forming lifetime recollections!

Stewart Eddie Director & Principal of ASKAFOODTECH PTY LTD We all need to eat; right? So why not join one of the most essential industries to help create the foods of the now and the future. Studying food science opens many pathways within an organisation from product development, to quality, operations, and business management. Like any job, it comes with challenges, but I have found a career in food science truly rewarding. Besides another reason to like a career in food science is you get a licence to play with your food all day and get paid for it!

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