7th International Conference on Food Structures, Digestion and Health

  • On behalf of the scientific and organising committees, we are delighted to invite you to join us at the 7th International Conference on Food Structures, Digestion and Health to be held in Tāhuna Queenstown, Aotearoa New Zealand, on 14 - 17 November 2023.

    A sustainable food supply is one of the great contemporary challenges facing humanity. Climate change, water availability and the loss of agricultural land force changes in food production systems at a time when the global population continues to grow. Furthermore, the prevalence of obesity, metabolic diseases and malnutrition in our societies caused by excessive or unbalanced diets is a worldwide concern. New technologies with the potential to change the very basis of food production are needed to support the transition to more sustainable food systems and diets.

    The 2023 Food Structures, Digestion and Health international conference is the seventh in a series co-hosted by the Riddet Institute (Aotearoa New Zealand) and CSIRO (Australia).

    This year we aim to showcase the latest scientific discoveries that address challenges for optimising the nutritional value of sustainable foods by unpacking the hierarchy of complex structures occurring in foods and modifications during processing and gastrointestinal digestion. Increasing knowledge of the digestive behaviour of food materials will translate into the formulation of food that provides optimum nutrient bioaccessibility and absorption.

    The 2023 FSDH conference will bring together world-leading scientists from diverse disciplines and innovators from the food industry with common interests in food science, technology and nutrition, offering the opportunity to form new networks, establish research collaborations and partnerships, and develop joint research initiatives. Early career researchers and students will have the opportunity to present their research to leading scientists.

    We welcome you to join us in Tāhuna Queenstown, one of our premier food and wine locations. Tāhuna Queenstown is a true four-season destination, offering an adventure playground extraordinaire in a breath-taking natural environment, an unrivalled range of attractions and a vibrant night life.

    We look forward to welcoming you to the conference dinner on Thursday 16 November 2023 with beautiful views of Tāhuna Queenstown in the background.

    Best wishes,

    Dr Alejandra Acevedo-Fani, Chair of the Technical Committee                                                            
    Adjunct Professor Dr David Everett, Chair of the Organising Committee

    Riddet Institute, Massey University

  •  

    E ngā reo, e ngā mana e ngā waka Koutou

    E ngā whanau o tangata whenua

    E ngā whanau o tangata tiriti

    E ngā manuhiri o ngā hau e whā,

    Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

     

    Bring your voice, your prestige and all of your people,

    To the indigenous people of this land.

    To the indigenous people of all of New Zealand,

    To all the visitors brought here by the four winds,

    Greetings, greetings, greetings to one and all.

     

    Welcome to Tāhuna/Queenstown nestled along the shores of Whakatipu wai Māori. Surrounded by the beauty of our maunga.

    Many of you will be familiar with the Remarkables and Coronet Peak but for mana whenua these maunga are rich in pūrākau. The Remarkable Range is for the early people a Tupuna who turned himself into a mountain to ensure his mana remained forever. His name was Kawarau so the maunga and the water at his feet bear his name. 

    We gaze across to Coronet Peak and an ancient pūrākau talks of Rakinui the husband of Papatūānuku who was summoned by her. Where he entered this earthly realm is remembered as Pa Ha Raki, the place where the breath of Raki was first felt.

    We karanga to the first tribes Te Rapuwai, Kahui Tipua, Hawea I te Raki all who now come under the korowai of Waitaha and their ancestor Rakaihautu who is said to have as a giant dug up and created all the South Island lakes. Ka puna karikari o Rakaihautu the cold-water lakes of Rakaihautu.

    Followed by the people of Hotu Mamoe the Ngāti Mamoe lived here for many years under the leadership of the famous fighting chief Tuwiriroa and his locally famous daughter Haki te kura the first person to swim the lake.

    Through intermarriage the Ngāi Tahu people arrived in to the Whakatipu and the intermarry of Chiefly bloodlines see them as Mana Whenua for this area.

     

    Translations:

    Whakatipu – to raise grow and sustain.

    Wai-maori – ordinary water.

    Tahuna – shallow shingle bank used to catch eels.

    Maunga – mountains

    Mana – authority and prestige.

    Mana whenua – indigenous people from this land.

    Pūrākau – stories and mythology.

    Rakinui – sky father (for naming we have used the kai Tahu dialect, otherwise use contemporary Māori. E.g.: maunga vs mauka, Rakinui vs Ranginui)

    Papatuanuku – earth mother.

    Karanga - call

     

     

    Tēnā rawa atu (thank you very much) to Darren Rewi at Tāke Tuia and the Mana Tāhuna Charitable Trust for the above history of Tāhuna Queenstown.

               

  • QT Queenstown
    38-54 Lake Esplanade, Tāhuna Queenstown 
    Aotearoa New Zealand

  • Delegate Accommodation

    We are pleased to offer delegates preferred rates at the following hotels (these rates are available up until 60 days prior to the conference).

    *Please note this is a direct booking with the hotel, and the conference organisers do not take any responsibility for changes or cancellations including costs relating to this.

    QT Queenstown

    30 Brunswick Street, Tāhuna Queenstown

    • from NZD $419.00 per night (bed and breakfast included)

    Book here to secure this rate: https://www.qthotels.com/private-page/riddet-institute/

    Rydges Lakeland Resort Queenstown 

    38-54 Lake Esplanade, Queenstown

    • NZD $229 per night - Standard double with 1 breakfast
    • NZD $279 per night - Lake Facing ROH with 1 breakfast
    • NZD $339 per night -Lakeview Suite with 1 breakfast
    • Call Rydges Queenstown reservation team +64 3 442 7600
    • Quote Riddet Institute - FSDH 2023 Conference to receive the conference rate

    Ramada Queenstown Central 

    24 Frankton Road, Tāhuna Queenstown

    • NZD $310 - $390 per night
    • Call Ramada Queenstown Central on 0800 119 252 (within NZ) or +64 3 244 9000
    • Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
    • Quote code " RID23" or " Riddet Institute" 

    Heartland Hotel

    27 Stanley Street, Tāhuna Queenstown

    • NZD $205.70 room only rate, per night
    • Availability from 14-17 November 2023
    • Call Heartland Hotel on 0800 69 69 63 (within NZ) or +64 3 357 1919 (international)
    • Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
    • Quote group name Group: FSDH 2023 - The Riddet Institute or Booking code: 1858539 (not valid for online booking)

     

  • Registration:

    - Standard fee NZD$1,950.00
    - Student fee NZD$980.00

    The conference registration fee (standard and student) includes the Welcome Function on 14 November and Conference Dinner on 16 November.

    To register, please email Lis Carroll: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  • Plenary Speakers: 

    Professor Rickey Y. Yada

    University of British Columbia, Canada 

    Session theme: Global food challenges

    Professor Rickey Yada has served as Dean of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia since 2014. Prior to UBC, Dr. Yada was at the University of Guelph where he held numerous leadership roles, including Assistant Vice President Research, Canada Research Chair in Food Protein Structure, and Scientific Director of the Advanced Foods and Materials Network (Networks of Centres of Excellence). He is an advisor to many research and industry organisations, including serving on the Board of the Canadian Food Innovation Network; Board of Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network; and the Board of Bioenterprise Inc. Other positions include Advisory Board Member – Arrell Food Institute; Member of Scientific Advisory Panels – Riddet Institute (Aotearoa New Zealand) and AgResearch (Aotearoa New Zealand). Dr. Yada recently completed a term as Global Innovation and Partnership Advisor to the Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI). He is also a Past President of the Deans Council of the Faculties of Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Medicine in Canada; Past President and Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology, and the International Academy of Food Science and Technology; and Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists.

      


    Dr. Tsz-Ning Mak

    Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences Singapore Hub Manager Singapore

    Session theme: Nutritional science in the 21st century from an industry/consumer perspective

    Dr. Tsz-Ning Mak is a nutritionist with a Ph.D. in Nutritional Epidemiology from University of Cambridge. Her research experience spans across food industry, EU nutrition policy, and academia, focusing on understanding the dietary needs of different populations, from children to older adults; from Europe, Latin Americas to South-East Asia. Between 2018 and 2022, Tsz Ning was a scientist at Nestle Research in Switzerland and subsequently led a research group to develop nutritional solutions to support children’s dietary needs. She is currently managing the Singapore Hub of Nestle Research Institute of Health Sciences, to develop scientific research to tackle nutrition and health challenges in South-East Asia and translate such findings into product innovations that are tailored to the needs of consumers in this region.

     

       


    Professor Tarek Zohdi

    University of California, Berkeley
    United States (Presenting online)

    Session theme: A glimpse into the next generation food systems

    Tarek I. Zohdi is a W. C. Hall Family Endowed Chair in Engineering, Chair of the Designated Emphasis Program in Computational and Data Science and Engineering and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Engineering at UC Berkeley, as well as Faculty Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Labs. His main research interests are in high-performance computing and modeling and simulation of coupled multiphysical industrial processes. He has published over 200 archival refereed journal papers and eight books. He is an Editor-in-Chief of the leading Journal in the field, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering and a co-founder and an Editor-in-Chief of Computational Particle Mechanics. He has given more than 200 plenary, keynote and contributed lectures at conferences, universities and other research institutions. In 2019 he was elected as Fellow of the American Academy of Mechanics (AAM) and in 2020, he received the prestigious Humboldt-Forschungspreis (Humboldt Research Prize).

      


    Keynote Speakers:

    Professor Mike Gidley

    Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation University of Queensland, Australia

    Session theme: Food structure, digestion and health outcomes

    Emeritus Professor Mike Gidley was until recently Director of the Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of Queensland, Australia, with research themes including: ‘Smart Selections’ (how to identify the right combinations of raw materials and processing to deliver consumer-preferred foods), ‘Naturally Nutritious’ (maximising the intrinsic nutritional properties of agricultural products in foods and ingredients) and ‘Uniquely Australian’ (identifying and validating opportunities for elite products from foods and ingredients that can only have come from Australia). Prof. Gidley also co-chaired the development of ‘Nourishing Australia – a decadal plan for the science of nutrition’ under the auspices of the Australian Academy of Science and available from the Academy’s website.

       


    Professor Erich J. Windhab

    Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich
    Switzerland

    Session theme: Food materials and structures produced by sustainable processing

    Professor Erich Windhab is currently a Professor in Food Process Engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), where he heads the Laboratory of Food Process Engineering (FPE) at the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health (IFNH). Erich Windhab has received several prestigious international awards, including: 2003, Blaise Pascal Medal (EAS); 2006, Int. Nestlé Innovation Award; 2014, Int. Food Engineering Award (ASABE); 2015, Lifetime Achievement Award (IAEF); 2018, Distinguished Lecturer Award (IUFoST); 2021, Lifetime Achievement Award (EFFoST); 2022, Outstanding Achievement Award (SATW). He created more than 600 scientific publications, ca. 85 patent applications and founded 12 companies. His research fields include Food Process Engineering with focus on multiscale functional structuring, Fluid Mechanics, Rheology, Soft Matter Physics and Process Control/ Automation.

       


    Dr. Simon Harrison

    CSIRO, Australia

    Session theme: Advances in integrated models of human digestion

    Dr. Simon Harrison is a Team Leader and Principal Research Scientist in CSIRO Data61’s Natural Systems Modelling group. He combines Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and Discrete Element Model (DEM) simulations of fluid and solid dynamics with Markerless Motion Capture (MMC) and musculoskeletal models of the body to study food digestion, performance, injury, and health. Simon and co-authors have built novel 3D physics-based models of food ingestion and mastication, gastric mixing and emptying, and intestinal transport, and have applied these models to research questions in the areas of food reformulation and GI tract performance. He holds a B Eng (Mech), a B Sci (Chem), and a PhD (Biomechanical Engineering) from the University of Western Australia.

     

     


    Professor Gail M. Bornhorst

    University of California, Davis
    United States

    Session theme: Advances in Integrated models of human digestion

    Dr. Gail Bornhorst is a Professor of Food Engineering in the Departments of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Food Science and Technology at the University of California Davis. She is also an Associate Investigator at the Riddet Institute (Massey University, Aotearoa New Zealand). She received her B.S. degree from Michigan State University and her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of California Davis in biological systems engineering. Her research involves developing a quantitative understanding of food structural breakdown during digestion and the impact on nutrient release and food functional properties, using in vitro and in vivo approaches. Her group also works on development of dynamic in vitro model systems for studying food digestion to improve human health.

       


    Dr. Alejandra Acevedo-Fani

    Riddet Institute, Massey University, Aotearoa New Zealand

    Session theme: Food structure modifications in the GIT: implications in sensory perception and nutrient absorption

    Dr. Alejandra is a Senior Food Scientist and Principal Investigator of the Riddet CoRE (Riddet Institute, New Zealand). She holds a Ph.D in food nanoencapsulation from the University of Lleida, Spain. Her research vision is to elucidate how changes of the food material properties and structure in the GIT relates to the kinetics of delivery and absorption of nutrients and bioactive substances, with the ultimate goal of providing a stronger framework of knowledge to develop food products with optimal nutrient absorption.

        

       

     


     Dr. Anthony Fardet

    National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), France (Presenting online)

    Session theme: Impact of food structure on physiology and human health

    Dr. Fardet trained as an agro-food engineer from AgroParisTech and has a doctorate in Human Nutrition from the University of Aix-Marseille. Dr. Fardet worked for 12 years on the health potential of cereal products using experimental approaches (in vitro studies, in animals and humans), including metabolomic studies. Since 2010, Dr Fardet’s work has mainly consisted of analyzes of food data using an empirico-inductive (from reality to theory) and holistic (search for links between the parts of complex systems that are food and diets) approach: collection, analysis, synthesis and dissemination of new concepts, theories and/or paradigms for preventive and sustainable diets. Dr. Fardet’s work has generated new holistic concepts such as the 3V rule (Vrai, Végétal, Varié) for global health, the HCM (‘Healthy Core Metabolism’) or the new link between the loss of the « matrix » effect of foods and increased chronic diseases and degradation of food systems.

      

     


    Professor Robert R. Wolfe

    University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
    Riddet Institute Fellow

    Session theme: Foods for populations with different nutritional needs (including fortification approaches)

    Dr. Wolfe is Jane and Edward Warmack Chair in Nutritional Longevity, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR. Dr. Wolfe previously held the John Sealy Distinguished Chair in Clinical Research at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX. Dr. Wolfe is a world leader in the fields of human metabolism and stable isotope tracer methodology, with more than 600 publications, five books and nine patents to his credit. According to Google Scholar his papers have been cited more than 77,000 time (h factor =137). He has been funded by the NIH throughout his 40-year career. He has served as a member of several government and industry committees responsible for determining dietary protein requirements and has received numerous honors and awards for his work.

      

     


    Professor Oded Shoseyov

    Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel (Presenting online)

    Session theme: Advances in precision fermentation, plant biotechnology and cellular agriculture for sustainable food production

    Professor Oded Shoseyov is a Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in Israel. He has extensive experience with plant transformation systems, protein engineering and nano-biotechnology, specifically bio-inspired nano-composite materials. He has authored or co-authored over 350 scientific publications and is the inventor of more than 97 patents. Moreover, he is an outstanding entrepreneur and scientific founder of 18 companies. Among them are: Futuragene Limited, which develops transgenic eucalyptus trees for the pulp and paper industry; Collplant Limited, which produces human recombinant Type I collagen in transgenic plants for medical implants used in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine; SP-Nano Materials Limited, which manufactures protein-based nano-coating solutions for the composite industry; Melodea Limited, which develops and manufactures Cellulose Nano Crystals for food packaging and composite materials applications; and Miruku, an Aotearoa New Zealand-based company developing plant-based dairy proteins.

       


    Dr. Laura Domigan

    University of Auckland,
    Aotearoa New Zealand

    Session theme: Advances in precision fermentation, plant biotechnology and cellular agriculture for sustainable food production

    Dr Laura Domigan is a biomaterials scientist based in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau. She is the co-founder and Chief Science Officer at Opo Bio Aotearoa, New Zealand’s first cultivated meat company. Laura’s research focus is sustainable protein materials, including formulating new biomaterials for surgical use and cell-based meat production.

       

       

     


    Dr. Sunil Sukumaran

    Chief Technology Officer
    Perfect Day, San Franciso
    United States (Presenting online)

    Session theme: Advances in precision fermentation, plant biotechnology and cellular agriculture for sustainable food production

    Dr. Sunil Sukumaran serves as Chief Technology Officer at Perfect Day, and leads a global team of scientists, engineers, and researchers on the development and innovation of Perfect Day’s technology. Dr. Sukumaran joined Perfect Day as the Head of Operations and Vice President of R&D, before being promoted to Chief Technology Officer. He was previously with Anthem Biosciences, where he served as the Head of R&D for a decade. Dr. Sukumaran earned his PhD in biotechnology from Anna University and the University of Leicester and completed his post-doctoral training in microbial pathogenesis at the University of Southern California. He is passionate about the future of animal-free dairy and, with the rest of the Executive Leadership Team, is driving Perfect Day to its vision of building a more equitable, resilient, and diverse food system for all of us.

       

       


    Associate Professor Elke Scholten

    Wageningen University & Research,
    The Netherlands

    Session theme: Challenges using plant proteins in food: How to control functionality by understanding structural development

    Assoc. Prof. Elke Scholten is an Associate Professor in the group of Physics and Physical Chemistry of Foods at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. She studied Physical Chemistry at Utrecht University, after which she obtained her PhD from Wageningen University in the area of Food Technology. She then spent two years as a post-doctoral associate at MIT (USA) in the department of Chemical Engineering, one year at AKZO Nobel, after which she re-joined Wageningen University in 2009.

    Her research group focuses on food structuring approaches with a variety of food grade materials to change characteristics in a variety of foods systems, including gels, emulsion-filled gels and emulsions using dairy and plant-based ingredients. She aims to unravel relationships between the structure of food systems to the mechanical properties, lubrication properties and sensory perception of such foods using a combination of rheology, tribology, and microscopy techniques. This knowledge is used to provide new guidelines for the reformulation of foods, such as fat reduction, ingredient flexibility, and the design of plant-based foods. 

     


    Dr Cuong D. Tran

    CSIRO Health and Biosecurity BU
    Australia

    Session theme: Foods for enhancing the gut microbiome and human health

    Dr Cuong D. Tran is a Senior Research Scientist within the CSIRO Health and Biosecurity BU. He has a PhD in nutritional physiology and gastroenterology, and more than 16 years of research experience in gut health and nutrition. Cuong has a research interest in gut barrier function and microbiome in particular in developing effective measures of gut health and function and how that impacts on health and well-being. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed research papers ranging from topics such gut microbiome and health, zinc nutrition as a potential therapy for inflamed conditions of the gut, non-invasive testing for gut health and “leaky gut”. Cuong is an author of 2 best-selling CSIRO gut health books which has sold over 120,000 copies. Cuong currently leads a team of multidisciplinary team of research scientists focusing on developing new technologies and novel products in modulating the gut microbiome specifically in minimising antimicrobial resistance.


     

  • Dr Alejandra Acevedo Fani (Chair)

    Riddet Institute, Massey University, Aotearoa New Zealand

    Dr Amy Logan

    CSIRO, Australia

    Dr Cuong Tran

    CSIRO, Australia

    Professor Indrawati Oey

    University of Otago, Aotearoa New Zealand

    Dr Ingrid Appelqvist

    CSIRO, Australia

    Professor Mike Gidley

    University of Queensland, Australia

    Distinguished Professor Harjinder Singh

    Riddet Institute, Massey University, Aotearoa New Zealand

    Professor Warren McNabb

    Riddet Institute, Massey University, Aotearoa New Zealand

Aerial view of Queenstown at dusk. 

See more at Destination Queenstown 
2022 © Riddet Institute