NEW COLLABORATION 6 APRIL 2016 BETWEEN MASSEY AND SINGAPORE Massey University will collaborate with the Singapore Institute of Technology to deliver its flagship food technology honours degree programme to Singaporean students, beginning in September. The Palmerston North-based programme, which has been delivered and awarded from a base at Singapore Polytechnic since 2008, will now be offered to students at the SIT Dover campus in the heart of Singapore after signing the partnership last week. Massey University Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Health Professor Paul McDonald says the university is pleased to offer its unique, high-calibre qualification which provides multidisciplinary, comprehensive training and education for excellent careers in the food industry. “Finding ways to increase the production and distribution of nutritious and safe food over the next century in Asia and other world markets is one of the most significant problems in the world today,” he says. “Massey has one of the world’s best programmes in food technology, and the largest group of food innovators in the southern hemisphere.” The programme focuses on food product technology, combining food science, food engineering and food business. Students will complete 28 weeks of an Integrated Work Study Programme, and will undertake real work and acquire experience in food manufacturing companies. In their final year, students will complete a research project, as well as complete a food product development project. SIT Deputy President (Academic) and Provost Professor Loh Han Tong says the food industry in both Singapore and globally is expanding in leaps and bounds. “The demand for better-tasting food is now coupled with demand for better access to high quality foods that are also healthy. “With the growing focus on health and wellbeing through food consumption, countries are looking for new ways to add value to raw products whilst tackling productivity and cost issues. This has led to an increasing demand for better-qualified, well-trained food technologists.” TOP SCIENTISTS SNAPPED UP FOR KEY ROLES Two of the country’s experienced scientists have been snapped up as new food and bioanalytical personnel for New Zealand’s leading analytical testing laboratory, Hill Laboratories. Sam Marengo and Ili Tulagi have been employed as key account managers for the Hamilton company, and will travel the country liaising with food and bioanalytical clients. Between them, the pair have more than three decades of laboratory experience behind them. Marengo worked for 10 years as a scientist in New Zealand, Australia, England and Brazil. She moved from England to New Zealand last year to work for Hill Laboratories as a technologist, developing the company’s gluten testing methodology before accepting the key account manager position. Tulagi joined Hill 13 years ago after moving from Fiji, and has experience in the agriculture and food and bioanalytical sectors. She worked as a Good Laboratory Practice study director for three years before accepting the role. Marengo says she and Tulagi will guide clients on the best testing to meet their needs, and key industries will include honey, horticulture, aquaculture and other food producers. The two are supported by a strong team of development scientists able to solve client issues and help with businesses. Hill has 20 client service manager roles dedicated solely to working directly with customers, Tulagi says. “Hill Laboratories aims to give customers a great experience. If there’s ever testing we’re not currently doing, but there’s a need in the market, then it’s possible for us to set up, so long as it’s sustainable ongoing,” she says. Hill Laboratories is a 100 per cent privately owned New Zealand analytical testing laboratory and has three major testing areas: agriculture, environmental and food. With its head office in Hamilton, the business has five sites in the North Island and two in the South Island. NEWS SNIPS DAIRY PRICES look set to fall again as the market buckles under the pressure of increased supply from major European Union producers. OM Financial’s Nigel Brunel says he won’t be surprised to see prices at the next level to be down as well, as the market “just feels weak.” TIN FOIL…new research says using aluminium foil particularly for cooking acidic or spicy food at high temperatures can leach excessive amounts of aluminium into the body, linked to Alzheimer’s disease, renal impairment and bone disorders, and reduced human brain cell growth. A QUARTER of New Zealand’s food and beverage sector is foreign-owned. A recent Government commissioned report aimed at attracting more investment into the sector found that of the top 100 food and beverage firms (with combined revenues of $51.5 billion), 24 are foreign controlled. N E W S Ili Tulagi (left) and Sam Marengo
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