FSANZ Student Research Projects
FSANZ Student research projects
Food Microbiology
Consumer food safety practices
Dr Jamie Conlan:
As a member of the Food Safety Information Council (FSIC), FSANZ is continually on the lookout for data on consumer practices to support communicating information relating to food safety. A potential project may involve generating and collecting data from on-line questionnaires or observational studies, or analysing data from the published literature relating to consumer practices. Examples of possible topics include the handling foods such as raw chicken meat, eggs or fresh produce; hand washing; consumer knowledge of specific food safety issues; use of thermometers when cooking; temperatures of domestic refrigerators. FSANZ welcomes any other ideas in order to gain a better understanding of particular consumer food safety practices.
Alternatively a project could be undertaken to investigate and compile current sources of data in relation to food safety knowledge in the scientific literature or collected by the various polling agencies, on social media platforms and in the traditional media. This data could then be critiqued in relation to robustness and recent trends. The project could also investigate novel approaches to food safety knowledge, surveillance and communicating food safety information and advice.
Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli – current state of play for testing its presence in food
Dr Jamie Conlan:
Although most E. coli are considered harmless, certain strains can cause severe illness in humans, particularly Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Infection with STEC is the main cause of haemolytic uraemic syndrome, a condition which can be fatal in humans.
While testing for generic E. coli as an indicator organism is simple and relatively inexpensive, routine testing for STEC is more challenging. In addition to serotyping, a number of virulence factors are indicative of pathogenicity, such as Shiga toxin (stx1 and stx2), and E. coli attaching and effacing (eae) genes. Isolation of STEC from food traditionally involves culture-based methods (enrichment, selective plating) followed by molecular techniques to determine the presence of relevant virulence genes.
The aim of this project would be to investigate the current state of play for isolating STEC from food and the uptake of next generation molecular diagnostic techniques, with particular emphasis on the applicability of these methods for regulatory testing in Australia.
Will it or won’t it? Validation of predictive models to determine growth of Listeria monocytogenes in a selection of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods
Ben Daughtry:
The ability of a food to support the growth of L. monocytogenes increases the risk of causing listeriosis in vulnerable populations. Many factors need to be considered in determining whether growth is supported to any significant degree before the food is consumed. A consideration of these factors, including the physical and chemical characteristics of the product, shelf life and processing treatments allows RTE foods to be assessed on the basis of whether growth of L. monocytogenes can occur in the food or not.
Predictive microbiology can play an important role, along with other supporting information, in determining if a given product formulation or process will reduce the likelihood of Listeria presence or growth. A project to validate available predictive models for a selection of RTE foods would be useful for demonstrating the utility of this approach in the practice. It could include undertaking lab-based challenge studies or utilisation of relevant published data.
Food Technology
Nanotechnologies for food functionality
Ben Sutherland:
A number of technologies have been proposed using enhanced processing of existing ingredients and additives to achieve foods with different properties to those using conventional processes. The properties may be of the food matrix (eg clear instead of cloudy emulsion, no need for added emulsifiers, enhanced edible films) or of the food when it is eaten (eg increased or decreased absorption in the stomach). These technologies include nano-emulsification and encapsulation at the nano scale.
A possible project would be:
- to identify and describe near-to-market technologies
- to outline the expected technological and product outcomes in foods
- to identify if the use of these technologies could result in reduced public health and safety or in consumers being misled.
Given the complexities of this project, and for the project to proceed, students and supervisor(s) with demonstrated expertise in food technology would be required.
The use of 3D-printing technologies and food
Ben Sutherland:
The creative use of 3D printing for cooking and the production of intricately shaped food is an emerging issue that may present some regulatory and food safety challenges. The current technology will allow the printing of a number of food types, including confectionary, pasta, sugar lollies and cereal chips. As the cost of such 3D food printing reduces, its long-term application more broadly could be substantial.
This project would investigate the currently available 3D technology with respect to food, its current application and future trends. The food safety challenges would be identified, including any potential unmanaged risks from chemical and microbiological hazards. Other regulatory (eg novel foods) and nutritional issues could also be considered.
Background references:
Synthetic biology
Dr Lisa Kelly:
Synthetic biology is an emerging interdisciplinary field that includes the relatively new ability to synthesize long pieces of DNA, as well as improved methods for genetic manipulation to essentially re-design living organisms that can carry out specific functions, such as the synthesis of new compounds. One recent example of synthetic biology being used for a food application is the development of genetically modified yeast expressing a novel metabolic pathway for the biosynthesis of the flavouring substance vanillin.
Flavouring substances generally do not require pre-market assessment and approval in Australia and New Zealand. This is because they are permitted by reference to various lists maintained under EU or US regulations or by the Flavour and Extract Manufacturers Association of the US and the Council of Europe. Only the flavourings included in these lists are permitted to be added to food in Australia and New Zealand. But how they are produced is not differentiated, i.e. whether they are extracts from natural materials or chemically synthesised, or produced using synthetic biology. The types of flavouring substances on the market that would qualify as a product of synthetic biology are therefore currently unknown.
The aim of the project would be to research the extent of use of synthetic biology for food applications, particularly the production of flavouring substances, including products currently under development or in the pipeline for the food industry.
Product Safety
Recycled food packaging materials and chemical migration
Dr Barbara Butow:
The benefits of food packaging are broad-ranging, from enabling food transport, preventing microbial contamination to increasing shelf life and convenience for consumers. In addition to providing a suitable surface for labelling and identification of products, food packaging needs to be constructed such that it prevents the migration of extractable substances from the packaging material to the food and does not chemically interact with the food.
Environmental and sustainability social imperatives have meant that there is a sizeable increase in the production and use of recycled materials for food packaging. However, there is limited knowledge about chemical migration from recycled packaging and from potentially unknown complex matrices.
The aim of the project would be to identify types of recycled packaging and the potential for chemical migration under different ambient conditions. The project would facilitate insight into the potential public health risk from recycled food packaging.
Emerging technologies and food packaging materials – exciting and innovative or another potential food safety issue?
Dr Barbara Butow:
Packaging technology continues to develop rapidly and there are a range of exciting innovations in this field. Active and intelligent packaging materials as well as modified atmosphere packaging are already in use and nanomaterials now also have applications in food packaging. However, little is known about potential adverse effects on public health from the migration of chemicals from these packaging types.
The aim of the project would be to investigate the use of emerging technologies in food packaging and the potential for chemical migration and any subsequent public health risks.
Safety of plant bushfoods
Dr Utz Mueller:
Native plants are increasingly being marketed as foods. While many of these foods may be safe for human consumption, there is potential for harm in some cases if the food is not prepared correctly or if an analysis has not been carried out to identify toxins or anti-nutritional factors. This project could examine one or more bush foods currently on the market and analyse the composition of the food to determine if there are substances present which may potentially cause harm. Alternatively the project could examine a range of currently available plant bushfoods and the data to support their safety.
Insects as a food
Jonathon Kite:
Leigh Henderson:
Insects are increasingly viewed as an alternative food source that is relatively easy and inexpensive to produce, particularly compared to more traditional and large scale livestock breeding and processing. Insects have a tradition of consumption in some regions of the world. The use of insects as a food in Western cultures is a relatively recent development. As the use of insects as a food becomes more widespread, there is also an increasing need to determine whether there are any safety concerns that need to be addressed to ensure that insects supplied for sale as foods are safe for consumption.
This project could investigate the types of insects that are of interest for human consumption and examine one or more of these insect varieties to determine what factors are important in ensuring they are safe for human consumption. The project could include investigation of the inherent properties of insects that are beneficial (nutritional profile) or present potential hazards (toxins, physical swallowing hazards). The project could also investigate insect production and processing environments and identify the types of hazards that may need to be controlled to ensure the safe supply of insects for human consumption.
Background reference:
March 2016