Current Projects
Native Food Research Programme 2008 – 09
ANFIL has developed a package of research initiatives designed to help all facets of the industry, in collaboration with RIRDC, and with support from the Coles Indigenous Food Fund and other industry contributors. The projects outlined below represent the current areas fir attention, with projects either up and running or in the development stage.
1. Preparing the native food industry for national and global challenges
ANFIL will continue to research and prepare background material for regulatory authorities to consider for recognition of more native food species. This research has already enabled a number of species to achieve recognition by the Australian regulator FSANZ, which in turn improves the prospects for acceptance in the EU and the United States. We already have a large dossier of references and data for submission to the international Codex Alimentarius and the relevant European Union committee. The regulatory process in the EU, the US and even in Australia is quite slow and deliberate, and it is absolutely important that the industry be well prepared, and well represented in the committees responsible for these very important decisions.
The work will tackle the main species, (based on either volume traded or the availability of scientific and historical data) moving as many as possible into the traditional context over the course of the project.
2. Development of Native Food Website Profiles
ANFIL will develop a library of Fact Sheets relating initially to each of the 10 main native food crops -consolidating past and future research projects, which will be available on this website and updated as more information and data comes to hand.
Industry participants will help with Odata mining¹ in small working groups, developing the background for each sheet , then researchers will add technical and scientific detail as research progresses.
The fact sheets will provide production, marketing and promotional support covering:
· Standardised names and descriptions, images
· A snapshot of the supply chain
· Aroma/flavour descriptors
· Nutritional/toxicity information
· Special properties, health benefits etc
· How to store (best practice)
· Regulatory, food standards and export issues
· Chef/Recipe/Usage suggestions
3. Develop Nutritional and Toxicological profiles
To comply with national and international food standards producers must support their products with sound scientific information about their nutritional and toxicological properties. This project will establish what gaps in the available data need to be addressed in order to meet the requirements of FSANZ.
A project officer will collate all available data and arrange for product to be supplied to testing laboratories. The number of samples required will reflect the range of commercial species/ chemotypes and varieties currently traded.
This data can then be used to inform international standards for the products, and to support application to international regulatory authorities. It will also be incorporated into the website resource (project 2).
4. Development of aroma flavour descriptions for Australian native foods
One of the difficulties encountered in the industry is the wide diversity of descriptions used to characterise our products.
This project will involve a professional panel of taste and aroma experts who will review each of the main products and develop flavour and aroma profiles, using recognised and authenticated terminology appropriate to the genre.
The initial phase will combine efforts with a current study which is assessing some 17 native flavour ingredients in combination with Australian seafood products.
Further work involving both pure ingredients and formulations, will provide a clear, useful means of characterising our products for chefs, formulators, food technologists and flavour experts. Again, the outcomes of this project will be incorporated into Project 2.
5. Health Benefits Part A Exploration
This project will support continuation of the Food Science Australia work which last year drew positive attention to the industry by publishing startling results showing very high levels of beneficial compounds in several native food products.
The top ten products will be the focus of attention, and researcher (Dr. Izabela Konzcak) will be looking at antioxidant activity, anticancer and antidiabetic properties and bioavailability. The work will be publicised through scientific publication and conference presentation and the key findings incorporated into the fact sheets (project 2).
6. Other projects for future (Year 2/3)
ANFIL plans further work in the next two to three years on storage and shelf life parameters for native foods, assessing the impacts of various processing techniques and packaging solutions.
A second phase of the Health Benefits work (project 5) will look at incorporating native food ingredients into the diet – how they can be seen as healthy, positive ingredients. Part of this work will look at mapping consumer preferences and attitudes to native food products.
