Project Title |
Project Summary |
Project Date |
Lead Partner |
Optimisation of DAF to Companion Petfood |
Looking at utilisation of protein powder created from the top phase of a dairy-dissolved air floatation unit as an ingredient in pet food. The third in a series of projects developing this concept. |
August 2024 |
AgResearch | Massey University |
Scoping study of geoduck lipids |
Exploratory analysis of the biochemical compounds in geoducks. |
August 2024 |
Callaghan Innovation |
Local manufacturing of bioproducts from forestry by-products |
The project is a follow-on to an initial project and aims to validate and refine the practical and economic feasibility of converting forestry by-products into value-added products focusing on wood pellets and carbonised products. |
August 2024 |
Scion |
Upcycling bovine co-products for sustainable protein |
Finding alternative uses for bovine co-products that will recover value, minimise costs and reduce environmental impact. Builds upon a current project which is developing a protein ingredient from bovine co-products. |
August 2024 |
Callaghan Innovation |
Novel hop products from underutilised bioresources |
Aims to identify high value uses for hop processing streams and develop prototypes of extracted oils that have valuable novel flavour/aroma profiles. Builds upon an earlier BPA project that characterised the by-products from the hop picking process. |
August 2024 |
Plant and Food Research |
Develop further products from kabocha kernel protein powder |
Convert the kabocha seed (by-product of kabocha milk production) into high-protein powder and edible oil. This will build on earlier BPA-funded projects that looked at squash seed oil products, and other projects that have developed a range of prototype food products from kabocha milk by-products. |
August 2024 |
Callaghan Innovation | Plant and Food Research |
Conversion of berry juice pomace to high value extracts |
To perform a techno-economic analysis of processing of raw blueberry juice pomace into a phenolic/anthocyanin powder concentrate. |
August 2024 |
Callaghan Innovation |
Value-add from whole reject potatoes (summer student internship) |
Conversion of reject potatoes into higher-value food or beverage products. |
August 2024 |
Massey University |
Feather and hair derived biomaterials (summer student internship) |
Extending previous work on keratin from waste sources to determine if material suitable for injection moulding can be developed. |
August 2024 |
AgResearch |
Kānuka biochar to activated carbon |
Technoeconomic analysis to determine the feasibility of creating a high-value activated carbon from the by-product of a novel process converting kānuka to food flavouring. |
June 2024 |
University of Auckland |
Sustainable harakeke packaging |
Technoeconomic analysis to determine the feasibility of creating sustainable food packaging from harakeke fibre. |
June 2024 |
Scion |
Valorisation of remaining fish material |
Convert by-products from fish processing into fish protein concentrate or isolate, and fish oil for use in pet or human nutrition. Additionally, to remove organic material from wastewater. |
June 2024 |
Callaghan Innovation |
Finger lime processing |
Develop an automated method for processing second-grade finger limes into pearls and peels, and to develop methods for preserving the pearls and convert them into potentially shelf stable ingredients or products. |
June 2024 |
Callaghan Innovation |
Advanced waste to renewables |
Further development of technology for hydrothermal oxidation of biomass for energy production. |
June 2024 |
Scion |
Added value leafy greens |
Repurpose surplus perishable green leafy produce by exploring options to create added-value products. |
June 2024 |
Plant and Food Research |
Methanogen inhibition ingredients from grape marc |
Small scale drying trials and technoeconomic analysis to determine the feasibility of including grape marc in ruminant feed to aid in methane reduction. |
June 2024 |
Plant and Food Research |
Technoeconomic analysis for mobile pelletising plant |
Assess the feasibility and viability of designing a mobile wood pelletising system that would utilise forestry harvesting residues, mainly focusing on cut-over areas in forests. |
June 2024 |
Scion |
Mushrooms from wood by-products |
To transform oversized logs, which would otherwise be burnt, into valuable mushroom products for the nutraceutical and culinary markets. |
March 2024 |
Plant and Food Research | Scion |
Mycelial submerged fermentation with liquid whey |
To identify valuable nutritive and bioactive compounds generated whey is used as a culture media for mycelial submerged fermentation. |
March 2024 |
AgResearch | Massey University |
Production of kumara vine powder |
To produce value-added products from Kumara vine, which can be added to food supplements such as protein powders. |
March 2024 |
Callaghan Innovation |
Essential oil extraction by-product utilisation |
To identify value-added uses for hydrosol and wood residue, generated during the extraction of essential oil. |
March 2024 |
Scion | Callaghan Innovation |
DAF to companion animal food |
Development of a protein rich companion pet food product from dairy DAF waste stream (follow up to previous project DAF to companion petfood). |
March 2024 |
Callaghan Innovation | AgResearch |
Waste lactose to edible oils |
A fermentation process is to be developed to produce potential food grade microbial lipids using lactose rich dairy permeate waste. |
March 2024 |
Callaghan Innovation |
Longline Bait (Master’s) |
To valorise the significant waste stream of dead whole crayfish by developing a bait that specifically appeals to rig, and thereby reduces unwanted by-catch. |
March 2024 |
Massey University |
Fruit Pomace Evaluation |
Detailed compositional breakdown of various types of fruit pomace (blackcurrant, boysenberry and blueberry), including analysis of nutrients and bioactives. |
December 2023 |
Plant and Food Research |
Mīti – Sustainable beef, nutrition, and processing |
Further development of Alps2Ocean Food’s Mīti bar through understanding of the nutritional functional health benefits of the product and lifecycle analysis of the ingredients. |
December 2023 |
AgResearch |
Elevating zero-alcohol beer flavour with spent grain derived kokumi |
Determine the feasibility of extracting (novel) kokumi compounds from spent grain and hops, which can then be used to enhance the flavour profile of zero-alcohol beer in a circular system. |
December 2023 |
AgResearch |
Fermented Papaya Product |
Produce value-added products through the fermentation of papaya, as well as assessment of the fermented products to establish and quantify the levels of key compounds of interest. |
December 2023 |
Plant and Food Research |
ReFib -Conversion of waste fibre into construction materials (summer intern) |
Explore opportunities for creating construction materials from high-fibre by-products such as corn husk, hemp hurd and wood waste. |
December 2023 |
Massey University |
Reject Kiwifruit (summer intern) |
Work on the development of juice products to utilise reject gold kiwifruit. |
December 2023 |
Massey University |
R&D of cauliflower-based ice cream products (summer intern) |
Work on flavour development, quality and shelf-life for cauliflower-based ice cream products. |
December 2023 |
Massey University |
Biochar from grape marc (Master’s) |
Explore the hypothesis that applying grape marc biochar to vineyard soils will:
a) improve the fertility of the soils though improved nutrient exchange
b) increase drought tolerance of grapevines through enhanced water infiltration and holding capacity
c) achieve a net reduction of carbon emissions in grape production |
December 2023 |
Lincoln University |
Valorise cheese whey (summer intern) |
Quantify current cheese whey losses from small cheese producers throughout New Zealand and identify candidate products that can enable manufacturers to valorise the whey. |
December 2023 |
AgResearch |
Adding Value to Marlborough Waste Streams |
Investigate the feasibility of developing aquafeed diets by assessing various waste streams from the Marlborough region as potential feedstocks for mealworm. |
August 2023 |
Plant and Food Research |
Biobased MDF board (summer intern) |
Aim to develop and optimise a process of preparing a MDF style board from waste plant straw (such as hempseed and linseed, products that are of low value and feathers. |
August 2023 |
AgResearch |
Production of low molecular weight fucoidan from seaweed Undaria (PhD) |
Develop and evaluate a novel method to co-extract fucoidan, alginate, and proteins from Undaria for use in high-value food and health products. |
August 2023 |
University of Auckland |
Omega Plus Pet Food Digestibility Trial |
Test the digestibility of petfood products using by products from fish production. |
August 2023 |
Massey University |
Dielectric Spectroscopy of Biobased Functional Carbon Nanomaterials (summer intern) |
Establish dielectric spectroscopy as a tool to study the electronic properties, for example conductive inks, which are key elements for printed electronics. |
August 2023 |
Scion |
Kabocha (squash) Project for Asia |
Upcycle Kabocha squash seed, kernels and peels to produce innovative food products. |
June 2023 |
Callaghan Innovation |
Preparation of Natural Mushroom Stalk Kokumi Rich Flavour Extract and Investigation of its Sensory Attributes |
Create a natural plant-based flavour enhancer from parts of the mushroom plant not currently used in primary production. |
June 2023 |
AgResearch |
Protein and High Value Ingredients from Low Value Beef Co-products |
Assess the feasibility of producing beef protein concentrates or powders for use as ingredients in food and beverage products. |
June 2023 |
Callaghan Innovation |
Discovery of Innovative Health-based Consumer Value Propositions in Cherries |
Utilise a digital screening tool to identify novel health-related properties of second-grade cherries. |
June 2023 |
Plant and Food Research |
Polymers from Bread Waste |
Investigate the possibility of utilising non-edible bread waste for production of polymers suitable for manufacturing bread packaging. |
June 2023 |
Plant and Food Research |
PhD: Using cold plasma for offal disinfection |
Investigate the use of cold plasma technology to reduce the microbial load on offal processed by micro-abattoirs, enabling its use as a high-value food ingredient. |
March 2023 |
AgResearch |
DAF to Companion Petfood |
Utilise the protein recovered from dairy plants’ DAF (dissolved air floatation) systems to create protein ingredients for petfood. |
March 2023 |
Callaghan Innovation |
Waste Stream Valorisation of Underused NZ Seaweed Bioresources |
Seek to extract value from the side streams from the process of making nanocellulose from seaweed, which is created from the by-product of seaweed fermentation. |
March 2023 |
Scion |
Masters: Apple Fibre Production – Science Underpinning Process Optimisation |
Exploration of the potential to manipulate the glass transition temperature of apple pomace with an initial hydrothermal treatment, which could improve the economics of drying the pomace. |
March 2023 |
Massey University |
Vegetable Sheet Development |
Produce a product similar to nori in appearance and functionality using vegetable pulp. |
March 2023 |
Massey University |