Food Technology, not cooking but chemical engineering
I am a research scientist working in the Food Technology group where we develop processes for innovative companies. My specialism is in high value processes such as Supercritical CO2 extraction.
Before joining Callaghan Innovation my doctorate was in the freezing process for ovine milk. I used this to develop a novel freezing process. I have also worked on drying methods for high-value products, non-thermal pasteurisation methods, and processes for converting by-products into high value foods.
Few people realise that food technology is not cooking, it’s rather closer to chemical engineering.
My work typically involves developing new processes for clients or scaling processes from lab-scale to pilot scale. Working with a customer to make high-value nutritional products from primary industry by-products we started at benchtop scale and worked the project through to full commercial prototype production. I am also working on developing processes to transform the marine product industry as part of the Cyber-Marine project.