Food Process Engineering: Running to Stand Still
The food sector has been the subject of constant change and increasing scutiny over the last 30 years. By the end of the 20th century the consumer in wealthy nations has come to expect wider ranges of choice,
manufactured at low cost, and almost guaranteed safety. The
international market has been transformed by the emergence of large retail and manufacturing groups, in a manner similar to the pharmaceutical and energy sectors. The 21st century has seen the added demand of sustainable manufacture, 'nutraceuticals', and modifying foods to counter the growing obesity problems in wealthy nations. These sometimes conflicting demands have made the food engineering arena a challenging and exciting place to operate.
Food engineering has always been a multi-disciplinary activity as it must combine vast differences in length scales (from the micron of the bacterium to the kilometres of supply and logistics) and time scales (from polymer relaxation times to shelf-lives). Food engineering research activities range from delivery of the next version of the current product to development of next year's new product and pursuing strategically important areas of science. In many instances, the system of strategic alliances between researchers and companies has been replaced with a market in expertise and experience: the food company researcher has often changed from being an expert to a liaison officer and product designer, while the university sector has redefined its position within the technology marketplace.
In this presentation I will give an overview of food engineering research trends and research-industry relationships as seen by a UK researcher and educator, with some detailed examples drawn from our research activities where we have chosen to chase the dragon and also where we have chosen to stay in our ivory tower. In particular I will consider how we should train undergraduates and researchers.