Industry backs training for healthier food

An industry-backed centre dedicated to creating healthier food choices for Australian and Asian consumers opened at UQ this week.

Funded by the Australian Research Council, the ‘Industrial Transformation Training Centre’ has been tasked with preparing an initial cohort of 13 young scientists for expertise in areas such as health and nutrition, consumer and sensory science, commercialisation and business leadership.

The opening was attended by UQ Provost and Senior Vice-President Professor Max Lu and ARC Chief Executive Officer Professor Aidan Byrne.

The training centre has been awarded $2.7 million over three years from the Australian Research Council.

The centre’s broad aim is to ensure Australia is well positioned to create and market healthier foods and to respond to a surging demand from Asia’s expanding markets – both within a resource-constrained world.

Led by The University of Queensland, the centre will combine the expertise of principal partner the Australian Food and Grocery Council, as well as collaborating partners the International Rice Research Institute, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Wuhan University and Huazhong University of Science.

Centre Director, Professor Melissa Fitzgerald is an expert in rice quality and breeding  and has extensive connections with rice improvement programs in Asia.

Photo: UQ PhD student Ms Titlayo Falade

Discover more here.

The Industrial Transformation Training Centre includes:

Professor Melissa Fitzgerald
UQ School of Agriculture and Food Sciences

A/Prof. Jason Stokes
UQ School of Chemical Engineering

Professor Mike Gidley
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation

Professor Bob Gilbert
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation

Dr Heather Smyth
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation

Dr Mark Turner
UQ School of Agriculture and Food Sciences