CSIRO launched their Centre of excellence in extrusion technology

This Centre has new extrusion facilities and support capabilities including a new Clextral Evolum 32 twin screw extruder.

CSIRO launched their Centre of excellence in extrusion technology

Australia Launches a Centre of Excellence in Extrusion Technology

PICTURE CATHY JACKSON / THE WEEKLY

In August 2013, CSIRO the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Australia launched their Centre of excellence in extrusion technology at their Food Innovation Centre in Werribee, Melbourne. This Centre has new extrusion facilities and support capabilities including a new Clextral Evolum 32 twin screw extruder.

The objective of the Centre of Excellence is to develop up to date facilities and capabilities in extrusion technology to enable the Australian food and feed industry to be globally competitive. This objective will be achieved by carrying out research activities in extrusion technology to develop new knowledge and by transferring this knowledge to industry through strong industry interactions.

 

The Centre has a number of collaborators including local and overseas universities, consultants and equipment and ingredient suppliers. Clextral Pacific Pty Ltd is a key collaborator and CSIRO has a strategic agreement with Clextral to share knowledge and undertake business development activities in the Asia Pacific region for mutual benefit.

Following a focus group discussion involving a number of stakeholders from industry, academia, consultants and equipment and ingredient suppliers, CSIRO is aligning their research activities with industry requirements and their drivers for innovation, market trends and technology gaps.

The key areas of research for CSIRO are:

  • understanding the interactions between raw materials, processing conditions and product quality and functionality
  • understanding and predicting structure / function relationships
  • developing a technology platform to enable the development of healthy foods with high protein and fibre content with reduced salt, sugar and fat
  • utilising novel raw materials such as legumes and ‘ancient grains’ (e.g. amaranth).

Food process engineering (including mathematical modelling) and food material science are core capabilities of the CSIRO extrusion team and the state-of-art pilot plant facilities are complemented by well equipped laboratories and analytical, microbiology and sensory expertise.

Photographer Cathy Jackson

Clextral Pacific Pty Ltd

Terence Phillips
Phone +61 2 888 353 22
Unit B103, 20 Lexington Drive
NSW 2153
Bella Vista
Australia

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