Food Science
The Food Science and Nutrition Group conducts research to understand the fundamental characteristics of food including composition, structure, function, flavour and aroma of foods and beverages.
We collaborate closely with agriculture and food industries to develop innovative technologies and solutions to improve the quality, taste, nutritional value, and safety of food. We design and formulate functional food and add value to Australian ingredients and agrifood by-products. We investigate the nutritional quality of dietary components and study their effects on human health.
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Contact the team
Professor Ling Zhi Cheong
Professor (Food Science)
Group leaders
The Food Science research group at the University of Melbourne conducts research into the composition, structure, function and flavour and aroma of foods and beverages.
Aroma and flavour analysis of foods and beverages
Aromas, both positive and negative, are important for consumer acceptability, quality and distinctiveness of foods and beverages. Using headspace analysis, separation by chromatography and analysis by mass spectrometry we are able to identify and quantify a range of compounds in different food systems.
Contact: Associate Professor Kate Howell and Dr Pangzhen ZhangFood safety and shelf life determination
We are capable of determination of shelf life of food products, microbiological food safety and offer solutions to extend food shelf life in a safer manner. We can help with designing food safety and HACCP plans for industries as well.
Contact: Dr Senaka Ranadheera and Associate Professor Said AjlouniNew food processing and preservation technology
With more than 25 years experiences in food academic and industrial area, we provide consultancy to food industry for new product development including plant-based and animal-based foods. We also provide the most advanced technologies to preserve both fresh and processed foods to meet the industry and consumer demands.
Researcher: Associate Professor Zhongxiang FangMineral and elemental analysis
Through our linkage with the University of Melbourne TrACESS platform (Trace Analysis for Chemical, Earth and Environmental Sciences), we can provide mineral and elemental analysis and quantification in different foods and food products, using state-of-the-art inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and mass spectrometry (ICP-OES and ICP-MS).
Researchers: Dr Ken Ng, Associate Professor Said Ajlouni
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Screening and characterisation of bioactive compounds and their analysis
Through our linkage with the University of Melbourne Analytical Platforms, we can provide screening, characterisation and analysis of various bioactive compounds including polyphenols, phenolic metabolites, carotenoids, saponins, alkaloids, vitamins and targeted bioactive peptides in different foods, food products and food waste streams.
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Phytochemical biological activity evaluation and targeted delivery
We have the expertise and well established biochemical procedures in evaluating the biological activities of phytochemicals from foods, plant products and medicinal herbs such as the flavonoids.
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Smoke taint analysis
The Wine Research Team at the University of Melbourne offer free and bound volatile phenols analysis for grape, juice/musk and wine samples for smoke taint assessment using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Members of the Food Science research group.
Academic staff
Prof Ling Zhi Cheong
Her research interest includes enzyme technology, bioprocess technology, lipid chemistry and physics, biodetection and biosensing. She collaborates actively with academics and industries (enzyme, food and oleochemical industries) to develop green and sustainable bioprocesses for production of functional and healthful lipids; and investigate the digestibility and metabolic fate of these healthful lipids. Ling Zhi is also interested in developing various methods for sensing of contaminants and oxidative products in food lipids.
lingzhi.cheong@unimelb.edu.au +61383445864A/Prof Kate Howell
Kate Howell is a microbiologist and biochemist. Her key interest is how microbial interactions and ecology in agricultural and food systems can impact the flavour, aroma, function and health properties of food.
khowell@unimelb.edu.au +61393053119A/Prof Said Ajlouni
Said Ajlouni’s principal research interests are in food safety and functionality, with special emphases on the effect of various processing and preservation techniques on safety, microbial, quality and physio-chemical properties of foods. Research topics cover the mode of action of probiotics, prebiotics and functional food ingredients, including natural antioxidants and fibres.
said@unimelb.edu.auA/Prof Zhongxiang Fang
Zhongxiang Fang is a food scientist. His research interests include mechanisms of food processing and preservation on food quality and safety; food active compounds like polyphenols, peptides and polysaccharides; encapsulation, active packaging and edible coating; and emerging food technology.
zhongxiang.fang@unimelb.edu.au +61383445063Dr Ken Ng
Ken Ng is a biochemist with a key interest in the chemistry and biochemistry of plant secondary metabolites such as phenolic acids and flavonoids, with a focus on their health properties in relation to their ability to inhibit or modulate key enzymes in diabetes, Alzheimer’s diseases and oxidative stress.
ngkf@unimelb.edu.au +61390353141Dr Pangzhen Zhang
Pangzhen Zhang is a viticulturist and biochemist. His key research interest is to study plant secondary metabolites that contribute to the sensory attributes of food and wine, and their influence on human health. He studies grapevine rootstock, root-soil-microbe interaction, and their impact on sensory important grape metabolites. He investigates the biochemistry of natural molecules in food, their carcinogenic/anticarcinogenic effect and regulatory effect on antibiotic resistant bacteria.
pangzhen.zhang@unimelb.edu.au +61383446890Dr Senaka Ranadheera
Senaka Ranadheera is a food scientist and his research interests focus on probiotics and prebiotic food applications. Along with his research, Senaka is passionate about science communication.
senaka.ranadheera@unimelb.edu.au +61390355836Dr Hafiz Suleria
Hafiz Suleria has a major research focus on food science and nutrition particularly in functional foods and nutraceuticals, screening of phytochemicals and bioactive compounds from different plants, marine and animal sources. His research interest includes extraction, isolation, purification and characterization of novel bioactive compounds using advanced analytical tools followed by their in vitro, in vivo, cell culture-based bioactivities and animal studies.
hafiz.suleria@unimelb.edu.au +61383444984Postdocs and research fellows
Dr Sophie Selby-Pham
Sophie Selby-Pham is a food chemist and biochemist. Her key interest is optimising the health benefits of bioactives in food.
s.selby@unimelb.edu.auOsman Tuncay Agar
Ahmed Bilal
Ali Imran
Ying Miao
Sajid Arshad
Graduate researchers
Siyao Liu
Ziqi Qi
Aniket More
Yidan He
Yipeng Chen
Ze Liang
Erandi Herath
Baran Hewa Nadugala
Yohannes Gorfineh
Wenan Cai
Thomas Leadbetter
Shibo Ma
Meihui Yan
Miin Chan
Maryam Paykary
Billy Xynas
Anna Wittwer
I Nyoman Sumerta
Camilla Humphries
Xinwei Ruan
Beibei Tan
Zijian Liang
Zun Wang
Xiaoyu Feng
Fathima Afka Deen
Xuefu Zhou
Hanjing Wu
Amrit BK
Ashwin Srikanth
Cundong Xie (Frankie)
Dillani Putri Ramadhaningtyas
Faezeh Ebrahimi
Linghong Shi
Minhao Li
Vigasini Subbiah
Xinyu Duan
Ziyao Liu
Zu Jia Lee
The Food Science research group at the University of Melbourne conducts research into the composition, structure, function and flavour and aroma of foods and beverages.