Food Science/ Technology

Agritechnology understands food at a molecular level. We are experts in a range of analytical techniques, and we have the knowledge and tools to create novel food ingredients that are superior in taste, performance or value. We work with food processing companies to help them find a competitive advantage.

Agritechnology specialises in the fractionation and analysis of organic materials, offering a variety of techniques including:

  • Kjeldahl digestion, the internationally recognised method for estimating the protein content in foods
  • Bradford and Lowry assays for measuring the concentration of protein in a solution
  • High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for separating, identifying and quantifying each component in a mixture (carbohydrates, antioxidants and proteins)
  • Enzyme assays for measuring enzymatic activity

Conducting accurate analyses of food ingredients and understanding the enzymatic activity associated with different components are essential to developing food production processes. Agritechnology can provide expert scientific support to food processing companies through fractionation and analysis techniques.
We specialise in using enzymes to fractionate or separate natural raw materials to create functional ingredients including:

  • Food ingredients for human consumption based on proteinaceous, carbohydrate or lipid fractions
  • Ingredients to improve the organoleptic properties of food, ie the mouth feel, taste, sight or smell of food
  • Nutraceuticals like antioxidants, immunostimulants, vitamins and trace minerals
  • Ingredients for promoting processing functions like water binding and gelation
  • Feed ingredients for agriculture and aquaculture

Agritechnology has capacity to provide an initial sample of a few grams up to pilot plant scale up to tonnage quantities.