UNSW and Korean NIAS to research food allergies and food safety technologies

Innovative food processing techniques could soon be helping to minimise the adverse health effects of food allergens. The food allergy research group at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), led by Dr Alice Lee, is developing nanosensors to better detect allergens in food, while researching how allergens change during food processing and how this affects the human reaction.

In addition, the UNSW School of Chemical Engineering has signed a memorandum of understanding with Korea’s National Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) to explore the potential benefits of food processing for reduced allergen reactions and other food safety technologies.

“Food allergy has been an emerging food safety concern, especially in developed countries,” said Dr Lee, a senior lecturer in Food Science and Technology at UNSW. “The current collaborative research project we have with the National Institute of Animal Science is focused on reducing the health risks of milk allergens by a means of high-pressure processing.”

Much of UNSW’s research into food safety is focused on developing novel detection technology and new methods to improve food safety at both the farm and processing stages, Dr Lee said.

Part of the agreement between the university and the NIAS includes a researcher from the NIAS being seconded to UNSW to work with the Food Science and Technology researchers. As well as research into allergens, both groups are studying microbiological risks such as E. coli, Salmonella and chemical risks from traces of antibiotics, hormones and pesticides.

Dr Lee said that residues of antibiotics administered to livestock can be present in meat, which may affect humans when the meat is consumed.

“Korea and Australia share a common interest in food security, global food availability and food safety - especially around livestock hygiene,” says Professor Rob Burford, Head of the School of Chemical Engineering. “This is an exciting partnership for UNSW.”