October 05, 2023
Australian innovators can lead the world
QUT’s Professor Jolieke van der Pols has joined FaBA as one of the Deputy Program Leads for the Innovative Ingredients Program. Here, she shares her excitement about the future of healthy, sustainable food production and explains why Australia should be at the forefront of innovation.
Why do you like conducting industry-led research?
As a nutrition researcher, I particularly like supporting the Australian food and beverage industry by providing expertise and creating evidence for novel food formulations and their potential effects on health and wellbeing. For example, I have researched locally grown chickpeas and mung beans. These foods provide an exciting opportunity for food innovation. There are many ways ingredients can be used to develop new premium products.
We can offer a variety of consumer-focused research ranging from acceptability and sensory experience to health outcomes such as human performance, gut microbiome, bone and muscle health. We can also provide expertise on regulation of novel ingredients, and health and sustainability claims.
Why is the development of innovative, new ingredients important?
There is so much excitement and opportunity around food innovation in Australia now. Our country has some of the best produce available globally. It is an important time for the Australian food industry to aim for novel products that use those local ingredients and to address the shift to a more sustainable food supply.
Why is the market looking for different products?
Consumers are savvy these days. They understand the significant global, environmental, supply chain and health challenges. They want to make a difference by purchasing foods that address these issues. The sky is the limit in this field. I think FaBA offers a wonderful chance for Australia’s food companies to step-up and leverage opportunities to increase the healthiness and sustainability of our foods. I believe this will give us a competitive edge locally and globally.
Can you tell us a bit about your background? What problems have you helped to solve in your career?
I like to promote consumption of food that is healthy for people and the planet as well as being tasty and convenient. With more than 20 years’ international research experience evaluating the health and sustainability effects of food, I have also worked on clinical trials and environmental footprint analysis.
The emergence of precision fermentation as a novel way to produce ingredients for human foods is very exciting. This method provides a way to create proteins or fats in a reliable and sustainable manner. Precision fermentation is gaining significant interest globally, and there are many opportunities for Australian food and beverage companies to leverage this technology.
What is the benefit of combining the resources of UQ, QUT and UniSQ?
With QUT joining UQ and UniSQ in the program, we have created a powerhouse of food innovation research that will lead cutting-edge research nationally in the coming years. This triangulation of research expertise and facilities offers a one-stop shop for Australian food companies that would otherwise not have been possible.