Food for thought: book prize to UQ scientist

The next time you visit the supermarket, spare a thought for how food scientists are able to safely get omega-3 into milk, or probiotics into juice to bring health benefits to consumers.

“It’s a result of creative thinking in the emerging area of food materials science,” The University of Queensland’s Professor Bhesh Bhandari said.

Professor Bhandari, who has invented a range of novel food processing techniques, is the co-editor of Food Materials Science and Engineering, which shares the thinking and new directions of some of the world’s most distinguished food scientists with the next generation of researchers.

The Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) last night declared Professor Bhandari, of UQ’s School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, the winner of the Bruce Chandler award for the book, judged to make the greatest contribution to food science and technology in 2015.

Professor Yrjo Roos, from The University College Cork in Ireland, is the co-editor.

Professor Bhandari, UQ’s Professor of Food Processing Technology and Engineering, said he was “deeply honoured” to receive the award. 

His research is focussed on food materials science.

“The book covers a range of topics in food materials, offering a new approach to understanding food production and quality control,” he said.

“Food Materials Science and Engineering involves how novel food material can be formulated, processed and characterised to achieve a new functionality, improve the efficiency of the production processes and extend the shelf-life of food. 

“New, emerging areas of food materials science include development of nanotechnology and micro- and nano-encapsulation technology for food application.

“The book has articles on all these emerging areas authored by various highly reputed researchers across the world.

“UQ offers a Masters level course on this topic for our Food Science and Technology students so they are at the cutting edge of this emerging area of food science and have enhanced employability in the global food processing and production industry.”

Professor Bhandari said  the information provided in the book could make students and researchers think differently about food and food processing technologies.

“This can make future scientists more creative and foster a new generation of thinkers in the food technology field,” he said.

This week Professor Bhandari and his team of Dr Sangeeta Prakash and Dr Nidhi Bansal won an Australia-India Council Grant 2015 on buffalo milk nanotechnology research, in collaboration with researchers from India’s National Dairy Research Institute.

Media: Professor Bhesh Bhandari, b.bhandari@uq.edu.au,  +61 7 334 69192 or  +62 (0) 401 297 947.