The Food Thymes - Cape Town - Cape Peninsula University of ...

The Food Thymes An occasional publication of: The Department of Food Technology & The Agrifood Technology Station Vol. 4 – December 2012

ADVISORY COMMITTEE 2012 - A JOINT AFFAIR WITH NO SMOKE

Some members of our new Joint Advisory Committee (Food Technology & Agrifood Technology Station): Messrs. Goodwell Dingaan (PGWC), Nick Starke (Independent & ILSI), Grant Momplé (Afriplex), Prof. V. Jideani (Food Tech), Dr Rolf Becker (Executive Director: SACNASP; Advisory Committee Chairman); Ms Dorah Lekalakala (DAFF), Ms. Charlene Louw (Distell), Prof. J. Van Wyk (Food Tech), Dr Gunnar Sigge (US Food Science), Mr Larry Dolley (ATS), Ms. Ellen Huester (TIA/GIZ), Dr Earl Starr (Consultant). Left early due to other engagements: Ms. Maryke Herbst (DoH: Food Control), Ms. Lulani Swanepoel (Swift Silliker), Ms. Charlene Steyn (Productivity SA). Also not pictured – several members who were absent with apologies

1 | P a g e F o o d T h y m e s

As of 2012, both the ATS and Food Technology Advisory Committees were merged to form one Advisory Committee with a view to streamlining and also toward a more coherent interaction between the two units. This has already reaped benefits in terms of reinvigorating the Committee with new members and from new sectors. Beside industry (the backbone of the academic Work Integrated Learning provision and also ATS clients), the Committee now also includes representation from the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP), the national Departments of Health (Food Control) and Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (DAFF), Productivity SA, the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and Provincial Government Western Cape. An orientation workshop was held in June 2012 followed by the Committee's most recent meeting in December 2012. These two meetings have set the stage for the work of the Committee in 2012. Dr. Rolf Becker, CEO of SACNASP, was unanimously elected Chairperson of the Committee. Together with his SACNASP hat he also brings extensive academic experience in the field of biochemistry. This experience will allow him to conduct intimate and knowledgeable management of the Committee and its work. The one big area for input from the Committee is the issue of the present recurriculation process taking place in Food Technology. This includes the existing application for the offering of the PhD in the near future. From the ATS side, the Committee will act as an oversight body in terms of the application of public funds toward achieving the mandate of TIA and its primary funder viz. the Department of Science & Technology. The Advisory Committee thus has an important advisory and oversight role whereby CPUT strives to mesh practical, industry-based research with the academic stream. This is eventually to be a seamless operation where a symbiosis between the academic and the industry streams display and promote the synergies inherent in the relationship. Larry

CELEBRATING STAFF SUCCESS Two staff members enjoyed the fruits of their academic labours when they graduated earlier this year. Dr Zanephyn Keyser graduated with his PhD degree in September 2012 (Thesis title: Investigations on the antifungal and cancer modulating properties of extracts from selected species of Tulbaghia) in the Department of Medical Biosciences at the University of the Western Cape in September 2012. Dr Keyser obtained his BSc degree at Stellenbosch University and the subsequent BSc (Hons) and MSc (Cum Laude) degrees at UWC. The study present preliminary evidence for the antifungal activity of garlic extract against Fusarium verticillioides MRC826 and how these plant extracts could potentially alleviate healthrelated problems associated with fumonisin toxicity. Natural plant extracts as alternatives to synthetic chemicals have received much attention in recent years in the scientific community to control several pathogens in food sources. In this study it was shown that natural compounds found in three South African wild garlic species (Tulbaghia alliaceae, T. violacea and T. simmleri) exhibit synergistic activity with synthetic antifungal compounds. The South African indigenous plant species were able to produce modulators that potentiate the activity of fungicides. Furthermore, this approach allow for reduced fungicide concentrations, a potential option to overcome the resistance mechanisms of fungi while still maintaining adequate fungal control. 2 | P a g e F o o d T h y m e s

Describing her journey as her own “long walk to freedom”, Lusani Vhangani described her feelings upon achieving her Master’s degree in April this year: After many years of hard work and lots of tears shed, I finally got it. Looking back at how difficult things seemed at that time, from where I’m standing now I can say it was nothing. Through the support of my supervisor Prof Jessy Van Wyk, Salphinah and Mandy Vhangani and friends I achieved my goal.

Zanephyn, Lusani & Jessy 3 | P a g e F o o d T h y m e s

WHAT’S BREWING?

Pictured above: A sneak pre-view of our Microbrewery, sponsored and constructed by SABMiller. A donation of R45 000.00 and unfathomable amounts of goodwill and expertise from SABMiller went towards constructing our new Microbrewery. The last phase, namely the dispensing units, is under construction and we are all agog, looking forward to our first, commissioning brew early in 2013. Our sincere thanks to Messrs. Denis de Silva, Paul van der Vyver and Tim Godfrey from SABMiller who have done so for months and are still working tirelessly to see the completion of the Microbrewery. Our sincere gratitude to Mr. Bruce Lennox (Chaswill Tetrapak) who assisted to ensure that the design and construction adhere to hygienic design principles in order to align with the existing equipment lines in our Pilot Plant. When completed, it will be included in our arsenal of “Production-based” practicals which is part of the training programme of diploma students, as well as used for various New Product Development and Post-graduate research projects. However, the most exciting aspect of the brewery would be that we would become part of the brotherhood competing for the coveted “Best Brew” intervarsity cup. We will keep you posted on this very exciting development in our Pilot Plant, so: “Bottoms up – and wish us luck”! Jessy

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS Interns A total of five interns from international destinations were based in our department this year. During the May – August period, Aïda Mourched (University of Réunion) and Raphaëlle Ducré (Agrosup Dijon, France) and Doris Erobi (Ilorin, Nigeria) spent time with us frantically working on research projects. In July, Sebastian Kerbstadt from the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück Germany joined the BTech Food Technology program at CPUT. He attended the course “New Product Development”. “It was very interesting to see the difference in the way lectures are held” and he enjoyed the time with his classmates and staff at the Department. Sebastian completed two BTech.subjects, i.e. Food Product Development 4 and Food Project 4 4 | P a g e F o o d T h y m e s

successfully. What makes Sebastian’s achievements really special is that he was one of the victims of the Linkin Park concert incident. We are all very happy that he (only) had broken bones in his left foot, but it still marooned him in hospital for two and a half weeks. His perseverance paid off though, and he caught up with the reports and final assessment that he had to complete. In October, Sebastian was joined by Julian Witt, a Master’s student from the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück to work on a project for his master thesis. Together they will investigate the potential use of pulsed electric field technology in red wine production. Sebastian, who leaves South Africa in the middle of January, is supporting Julian in the early stages of the project. Julian will stay until May to finish the experiments for the project and his thesis. “It was, and it still is, a great experience to be here in South Africa and we hope that the cooperation of our institutions will grow stronger in future.”

Pictured above: Aïda Mourched (University of Réunion) and Raphaëlle Ducré (Agrosup Dijon, France); Sebastian Kerbstadt and Julian Witt (University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück)

Jessy, Sebastian & Julian 5 | P a g e F o o d T h y m e s

IUFoST In August this year, four staff members winged their way to Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil to attend the 16th World Congress hosted by IUFoST. Joseline Felix-Minnaar (JFM), Cindy Hunlun (CH), Lusani Vhangani (LV) and Jessy Van Wyk (JVW) were among the almost 3 000 Food Scientists and Technologists (FSTs) from around the world who attended the Congress (>2 700 delegates). There were, therefore, many opportunities to make contact with FSTs with similar or common interests to our own and that of our department, with a view to future collaboration, ranging from sharing ideas to shared research projects and even student and staff exchange. The programme was very full and rich with presentations on ground-breaking new developments in the various aspects of our field. With the exception of some plenary sessions, there were seven parallel sessions at any point, hence we would like to pay special tribute to the foresight of our dean, Prof. Fatoki who allowed four of us to attend. Without the manpower at hand, we would have missed out on many important sessions of the Congress, which would have seriously detracted from the value of the Congress, both in terms of the academic, as well as the monetary perspectives. On the first day of the Congress, we decided to divide ourselves among the various sessions as far as possible. As a result, JVW focused on matters in FST Education, Food Engineering and some Food Chemistry; JFM focused on General Food Chemistry, Innovation and Functional Foods (Food Fibre); CH focused on General Food Technology and LV on Food Chemistry, particularly Maillard Reaction and some General Food Technology. Several very important new contacts were made, while some existing contacts were further pursued. JVW met with Prof. Paola Pittia (University of Teramo, Italy) and Cristina Silva (Catholic University of Portugal, Oporto, Portugal), the President and General Secretary of ISEKI, to have very fruitful discussions around Food Technology education. Contact with Prof. Sam Saguy (Hebrew University, Jerusalem) was also renewed in this regard. JVW also met with Prof. Dietrich Knorr (TU Berlin) to pursue previous discussions between CPUT and TU Berlin concerning non-thermal processing technologies. Another meeting that occurred based on interest in JVWs poster presentation, was with Dr. Maikel L. Maloncy (University of The Hague, Netherlands) and Dr. Matthew de Roode (New Product Developer, Sensus, Roosendaal, Netherlands). Dr. Maloncy namely shared their practice of having such a close relationship with their industry suppliers of WIL that 1) they have a champion based at the company (Dr. de Roode is one such an example) who “sells” the concept to his superiors on the basis of 1.1) all those (mini) research projects/questions that the company never have the time or money to pursue – the intern will do it for free, i.e. it’s a free RESEARCH RESOURCE; 1.2) in the process the company has the opportunity to play a role in shaping their own food technologists ito what they require in a food technologist as an employee; 2) these champions also become involved in the teaching programme as guest lecturers; and 3) lecturers are invited to do projects in industry for industry, i.e. it becomes a two-way flow of technology and information transfer between the university and industry (these latter two points are very important – other persons, e.g. Prof. Saguy also emphasized the enormous value of this). Joseline, Lusani and Jessy also met with scientists who work in the fields of soluble fibre (Netherlands) and Maillard Reaction Products (Brazil and Argentina) with a view to future collaboration.


On the social front, we saw the most amazing waterfall, which is a world-heritage sight and called “Cataratas do Iguaçu” in the vernacular. This was certainly a huge privilege – it was a spectacular sight indeed!

Pictured above: (1) & (2) Joseline and Cindy showing proud ownership of their posters; (3) Cindy, Joseline, Lusani and Jessy at a look-out point at the stupendous Cataratas do Iguaçu


International Maillard Reaction Symposium (IMARS, 16–20 September, Nancy, France) In 1912, a French scientist, Louis Camille Maillard, discovered that the attractive brown colour and delectable flavours that result when cooking a wide range of foodstuffs, from golden-brown crusty bread to fried meat, can be attributed to a complex set of chemical reactions. This set of reactions, which starts off when a carbonyl group (e.g. a sugar molecule) and a molecule containing a free α-amino group (e.g. an amino acid) are exposed to heat to form a Schiff base, followed by either Amadori or Heyns rearrangement products, culminating in complex melainoidins, was later dubbed the Maillard reaction. Most befittingly on the centenary of the Maillard Reaction, IMARS 2012 was held in Nancy (Burgundy), where Louis Camille Maillard attended university from age 16. Nancy is also a stone’s-throw from the famous scientist’s birthplace, Pont-à-Mousson, where the Symposium dinner was held and homage was paid to the inventor of the reaction which still holds so many mysteries, not least of which are the exact pathways of the reaction under different reaction conditions. The symposium was attended by myself (Jessy Van Wyk) and Lusani Vhangani, the principal researchers in the CPUT Food Technology Maillard Reaction (MR) research group. It was a huge privilege to rub shoulders with the authors of the articles that we have cited in Master’s theses and articles published by ourselves. We used the opportunity well to make the acquaintance of leading names in the field, such as Prof. Monica Anese (University of Udine, Italy), Prof. Francisco J. Hidalgo (CSIS, Spain), Prof. Jennifer Ames (University of the West of England), Prof. Thomas Hofmann and Dr Michael Granvogl (TU Munich (TUM), Germany) to name but a few. Many fruitful discussions were held, with definite plans to collaborate with the researches based at TU Munich in the foreseeable future, particularly focusing on our respective strengths of the effect of as well as the role of the MR in terms of lipid oxidation (CPUT) and elucidation of MRPs and pathways (TUM). The programme offered a good mix of clinical research (e.g. skin ageing caused by “AGEs” (Advanced Glycated End products)) and food research applications of the MR (e.g. the fact that a combination of dielectric heating and conventional heating can reduce the formation of acrylamide in baked goods, such as biscuits). This enabled Lusani and myself to be exposed to the latest, breaking-news advances in both fields, with our obvious focus on the food-based presentations. Lusani’s poster engendered a healthy amount of interest, while my presentation was attended by 50 delegates who were very interested in our results so far. Before the symposium, I revisited AgroParis Tech (APT) in Massy, Paris, while Lusani and I also visited AgroSup Dijon (ASD) after the symposium. At both institutions, discussions were held in terms of common areas of interest – they have similar Pilot Plants to ours. At ASD, in particular, their Pilot Plant (Wellience) is operated on very similar principles to ours, especially since they have an agency very similar to our own Agrifood Technology Station. We also made contacts at both institutions with a view to find the best model for equipping our Sensory Evaluation facility and we hope to start implementing our ideas in 2013. Our host at ASD also arranged a visit for us to Centre du Goût (literally: Centre for the Taste) a sophisticated state-ofthe-art Sensory facility just down the road from the university. It was a fascinating visit, especially since they also do research on the physiological and psychological responses to sensory stimuli, e.g. the innate responses displayed by a baby when presented with sweet, milklike and bitter-like stimuli (see picture below). At APT contacts were made with researchers who are also working on the MR, while an in-principle agreement was reached with Prof. Gaëlle Roudaut for future student exchange. Jessy


Above: Lusani at her poster and Jessy starting her presentation; The special “birthday cake”, made to celebrate the centenary and Lusani at the Eiffel Tower.


Above: An address in Paris that made one feel right at home and A poster at the Centre du Goût: Babies reacting to various sensory stimuli (Sweet: Milky; Bitter; Intensely bitter) (Courtesy of Centre du Goût)

Pictured above: The French version of “Walky Talkies” – with everything in-between included!

Experimental Design – Austria The meeting focused on DoE with special emphasis on the software package Design-Expert. Theoretical and practical aspects of experimentation were addressed, including the latest developments in the field. The objectives of the meeting included (1) Case studies providing real-life examples in implementation of DoE; (2) Opportunity for experts and users to come together for productive discussions and solutions to statistical problems; (3) Networking for future collaboration, cooperation and alliance. One of our MTech projects “Optimisation of lactic acid bacteria growth for the production of bambara groundnut probiotic beverage” was presented. Discussion on the possibility of having an African user meeting was initiated and is ongoing with the experts from Stat-Ease Inc. Victoria 10 | P a g e F o o d T h y m e s

INNOVATING WITH FRENCH FLAIR! The second Food Innovation Symposium organised by ATS was held on 25 & 26 September 2012 in the Senate Hall, Bellville Campus. A pleasant yet not unexpected surprise was a lastminute rush of registrations which pushed total attendances to 90 persons (inclusive of speakers). A French delegation from mainland France and Reunion contributed 23 participants, 13 of which were French SMEs specifically related to fruit and vegetable production and processing. The delegates were of varied origin (the following summary is not numerically correct since some participants represented more than one sector characterized below): French delegates: 23 SMEs: 49 Corporates: 5 Academia (CPUT, UWC, US): 10 Presenters: 19 State Departments (National, Province): 11 The presenters were an array from each of the sectors above. Similarly, the presentations were a mix of SME experiences, novel technologies, research results, funding agencies and other support agencies. A number of B2B meetings were held between members of the French delegation and South African companies and agencies while significant informal networking took place between all participants. A clearer understanding of the strategic targets and facilitation mechanisms of DTI, IDC, ATS and WCFFI as well as Qualitropic and Qualireg (Reunion Island) was developed. Two prizes were awarded i.e. a R10 000.00 lucky draw for ATS services and an Innovation prize (R50 000.00), the latter of which was awarded to Southern Oil. The Symposium in its present form will henceforth be run on a biennial basis starting in September/October 2014 in order not to clash with the biennial SAAFoST conference. The target audience and topics will be refined during 2013. An SME symposium may be arranged in 2013, the business plan for this will be fleshed early in 2012. Please feel free to suggest speakers, topics and themes for our next symposium. If you wish to sponsor the event in one way or the other, just let us know!!

Photographed at the Symposium: Mr Likani Lebani (DTI) and French Delegation

Larry


The XI Workshop on Rapid Methods And Automation in Food Microbiology, held at the Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) 19–22 November 2012. The UAB campus is about 20 km from Barcelona. The trains of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) are the best option to arrive at UAB from the town centre. There were trains every 12 min and took 35 min to arrive from Plaça Catalunya station in Barcelona. People from various sectors such as technicians of industries, consultancies and laboratories of food, and other sectors (clinical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, chemical, environmental, etc.); food inspectors and other government staff; people from microbiology companies; university teachers, technical staff, and graduate and postgraduate students and so on attended the workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to broaden and spread the theoretical and practical knowledge about innovative methods for rapid detection, enumeration, isolation and characterization of foodborne and waterborne microorganisms and their products. There is an increasing demand to ensure safe food supply. The microbial testing and monitoring of many food products are therefore extremely important and the focus in recent years have shifted to rapid methods in order to obtain faster and accurate results. Furthermore, the development of faster, more sensitive and more convenient methods in food microbiology are becoming a globally all-important requirement. Technology is continuing to advance at a fast pace and these topics are directly related to the content covered in Food Microbiology 3. Moreover, the workshop will enable us to develop teaching and learning materials relevant to these topics. Zanephyn

Group photo taken at the workshop in Barcelona (Zanephyn).


“TEACHER, TEACH YOURSELF”! Concerning novel and good practice in Teaching & Learning, we kicked off the year in January under the expert tuition of Kasturi Behari-Leak, who guided us to bring out the “inner child” as well as to tap into our inherent creativity with a view to show us how to move towards studentcentred teaching and learning practices. In the process, we each did a finger-painting, one of which is depicted below. It was quite an experience, this business of trying to reconnect with the level of openness and creativity that one naturally owns as a child. As Kasturi explained: a teacher (lecturer), much like an actor, needs to reach a special place within yourself, because the classroom is a very special place! The session certainly paid dividends already, but the most valuable aspect was that it was yet another occasion that brought us closer as “Team Food Technology”.

Pictured above: Finger-painting by one of the senior staff members depicting a state of confusion and mayhem on the left in terms of the demands made on Academia nowadays (accompanied by the “frowny face”), then moving on to the most positive aspect of the department, namely teamwork (helping hands – hallmarked by the smiley faces) and culminating in the victory symbols of the trophy and crown when we have reached our goal, namely “World Class” status!

Jessy Four staff members joined the Teaching Development Programme this year and found that they had a few tricks to learn as Teachers. Cindy, Joseline, Lusani and Tony shared their experiences: The teaching development programme hosted by the Fundani Centre of Higher Education and Development and facilitated by Dr. Lorraine Hassan was very informative as well as hard work. I will continue to apply what I have learnt this year. Some high-lights of this year: Teaching with technology: The use of podcasts in Food Technology 1. Summaries of the class lectures were recorded and made available to students on blackboard. Questionnaires completed by students indicated that these audio lecture summaries helped them to prepare for assessments. This will continue in 2013, however the students will have access to the podcast before the lecture in order to prepare for the lecture. Cindy 13 | P a g e F o o d T h y m e s

I embarked on the Teaching development programme (TDP) with much trepidation at the start of 2012. Why? It appeared interesting, but rather like learning Greek! Words like problem-based learning, deep learning, rubrics, reflection and assessment practice were being bandied about – and what does this have to do with teaching I asked? To be a good teacher all you have to do is explain well and your students should pass – RIGHT? It appears not! TDP opened my eyes to the fact that I should be less of a teacher and more of a learning facilitator, creating the environment in which my students would be eager and willing to engage with the material and in such a way facilitate deep learning. From using community mapping as a tool for visualisation, entering into a mutually agreed to learning contract with the students to clarify expectations and responsibilities, to setting up of rubrics and analysing the language and fairness of assessment the TDP program opened my eyes to the complexity involved in being a learning facilitator. I enjoyed the experience immensely, it was lots of hard work and the worst (or is it best part :-) is that what we did for our portfolio was only the tip of the iceberg. I now have to look at all the subjects I offer from this viewpoint and aim to improve the total subject offering in line with these new insights. I am definitely bracing myself for this challenge in 2013. Joseline

Student discussions and self-directed learning have become a very useful part of my teaching repertoire after TDP. Here students are allowed to tease out the steps involved in developing a new food product – a major project for all final year Food Technology students (Joseline).

Aligning teaching and learning styles: We teach the way we were taught, and always expect students to learn the way we did” I want to believe I was a fast learner and could grasp things easily, I did not require diagrams and pictures, however, if present that would be a bonus. During my first lectures I taught with the idea that students are like me and will catch things like I did. However, after my lecturer’s evaluation by the students, I observed that some students understood me more and some I lost along the way. It was in TDP where I learned that one has to identify ways in which these students learn and then match your teaching styles to their learning style. After this I made life easy for myself and for students. With this in mind the first approach was to identify different ways which the students learn in class. I used the lecturer’s evaluation sheet to categorise my students according to their different learning styles. Different student learning styles:


    

Visual learners (prefer coloured pictorial presentations and can visualize info as a picture which aids how they memorize stuff) Audio learners (listening to lecturers, learn by interacting with peers and lecturer, prefer group discussions and presentations) Logic learners (able to integrate and link concepts between chapters and subjects) Physical learners (practical, seeing is believing, too much theory is complicated for them) Cultural (relate to home or social situations) This was the best highlight of my TDP course! Lusani

The TDP program has empowered me to be the best lecturer I can be, through identifying all the tools available to me and equipping me with some I may be lacking. Tony

DEPARTMENTAL OPEN DAY 2012 The Food Technology department hosted their annual Open day on 25 August 2012. Those who attended the Open day were welcomed by the departmental staff followed by an informative presentation by Prof. Van Wyk (Head of Department). The learners came from the Cape Town and Boland surrounds together with some parents and school teachers and principals. The highlight of the day was a tour of the world class and one of a kind food production facility with the accompanied scientific laboratories. The day was a huge success and once again thanks to everyone involved. Cindy

ATS SCORES PROVINCIALLY The Agrifood Technology Station has been awarded two Western Cape Provincial Government projects. The first project is the Food Safety Certification Programme 2012 for which 50 foodrelated companies in the SME category needs to be identified. The project deals with assisting at least 10 of the companies by advising and guiding the implementation of a minimum food safety standard on site. In addition, added value is given by a general introductory workshop covering aspects of food safety and the services provided by ATS and its partners. Finally, for this project, a 3-day workshop will be conducted with 20 lucky companies during which the principles of HACCP and its implementation will be covered. This further includes document templates to facilitate these companies reaching a minimum standard as they work toward HACCP. The second project is the Food Innovation Programme where in a similar fashion to that above, 50 companies will be asked to suggest at least one innovative project or intervention they would like to implement. These companies will then be advised on feasibility and implementation plans. Again, 10 companies will be assisted towards implementation of the innovation. This includes identifying potential funders on the local and international scene. In both instances ATS will be looking to assist the minimum of 10 companies per project but, where it can, it will assist other companies not falling in the final ten. This Station works for you! Larry


HACCP WORKSHOP WITH UNILEVER Unilever South-Africa, situated in Durban, offered a free two-day basic HACCP workshop to 24 first year and 10 second year ECP students on the 1st and 2nd November, 2012. Training was conducted by Mrs. Raymonde De-Vries, Country Quality Assurance Manager, and was facilitated by the assistant Corporate Quality Assurance Managers: Mr. Allen Jagnaik, and Miss. Kavita Hira (Figure 1). Although this workshop is aimed at 2nd year main stream Food Technology students, as to benefit students when they enter manufacturing companies, such as Unilever, for WIL training; the ECP students benefitted from this HACCP training as it laid the basic background for the Service Learning project for 2013, where students will be trained to present workshops on topics such as food safety and hygiene to informal marine fishermen at harbours in and around Cape Town (in collaboration with DAFF: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry). In addition, Unilever indicated that the workshop is also a way of Uniliever to build good relationships with Institutions offering Food Technology and to educate students on a topic that would be used in their working careers.

Figure 1. Presenters Mrs. Raymonde De-Vries (Country Quality Assurance Manager), Mr. Allen Jagnaik and Miss. Kavita Hira (Corporate Quality Assurance Managers) presenting the UNILEVER HACCP workshop. Unilever provided the “learners” with training manuals, stationery, and goodie bags containing several beauty products manufactured by Unilever. This workshop was very interactive and covered topics such as history of HACCP, Unilever system and Codex Alimentarius, introduction to HACCP and HACCP studies, terms of reference, the 12 steps and 7 principles of HACCP, implementing HACCP tips, auditing HACCP, HACCP levels of detail for hazards, general hazards in food manufacture, and allergens. With each topic introduced and discussed, the Unilever team had an interactive activity for the “learners” to complete. For example, “learners” were split into groups and tasked to make use of pictures from magazines to illustrate the 12 steps and 7 principles of HACCP (Figure 2). These posters were placed onto the walls of the lecture venue and each group had to present their posters (Figure 3). The posters were evaluated by the three course presenters, and the winning group, who illustrated all the aspects according to a set-up rubric, received a price.


Figure 2. Students actively busy creating posters illustrating the 12 steps of HACCP by cutting and pasting pictures from magazines onto paper.

Figure 3. “Learners” at the HACCP workshop presenting their poster projects. Other activities included where the “learners” had to develop a flow diagram and indicate CCP’s for a boiled egg operation (Figure 4). They also did an auditing HACCP exercise and the workshop was finished with an open book test to evaluate the training effectiveness of this workshop. Each “learner” whom completed the full two-day workshop was issued with a certificate of attendance.


Figure 4. “Learners” busy with interactive project for illustrating their understating of a flow diagram, hazards, and CCP’s. Some of the feedback from the 1st year ECP students included: “I’ve never been so busy on one single day since I came to campus. It was two very busy days!” “I really learned a lot. Too much for two days to remember.” Some of the feedback from the 2nd year ECP students included: “The workshop gave a lot of information, but it was very interesting and valuable.” The Department of Food Technology expressed their sincere gratitude to Unilever and the three energetic presenters for offering this valuable workshop for free, and hope to welcome Unilever back next year for another such workshop for the 2nd year main stream students and/or ECP students. Suné Henning

SOMETHING FISHY The Agrifood Technology Station (ATS) in collaboration with the Department of Food Technology had performed a consumer panel sensory evaluation project for industry. The work was conducted by request on behalf of Sea Harvest as a client of ATS. The aim of the study was to determine the consumer acceptability of a range of product lines and variants of these. The work was planned and conducted under the auspices of Ms. Hybré Michaels as the ATS Technician in charge and she was ably assisted in the planning and implementation phases by Profs. Jideani and Van Wyk. Students and staff from the CPUT community from Cape Town and Bellville campuses were invited to participate as panellists for this project. Although the initial response was slow, it was eventually very well-supported with participants showing a willingness to participate in similar events in the future. Was this because “free food” was on offer? We are sure this was not the case based on the seriousness with which participants approached the task at hand.


The process involved significant behind the scenes preparation and production of the documentation and consumables associated with such a study. All in all, based on the outcomes (including a final report to the client), a significant learning curve was experienced by all staff and students concerned with due consideration to confidentiality and integrity of the study. The Sensory Facility itself presently is a “bare bones” venue with the ambitious view to fit it out to world-class standards, both as a service to industry and just as importantly toward the training of sensory analysts. This project may just have seen the start to this ambitious goal being reached. More such projects will be procured in future! “Tastes good to me!” Thank you to Sea Harvest for showing the confidence in CPUTs ability to deliver in this regard! Hybré

Some panellists caught in the act of concentrating hard on the task at hand

LETTER FROM K. WOOLWARD (SENIOR LECTURER, FOOD TECHNOLOGY) TO L. DOLLEY (MANAGER, ATS) Dear Larry I would like to make use of this opportunity to report back on some of the activities and highlights in the Food Technology program over the past year that have overlapped with the ATS activities and where our teaching program has benefited from these activities. The demonstration of the Vitek 2 compact organized by the ATS staff and the user training that Biomerieux provided over a period of two weeks by their product specialist was an excellent learning curve. Members of the ATS staff and my colleagues and myself involved in the teaching of microbiology had an excellent opportunity to evaluate the machine, refresh on techniques and the various biochemical reactions of micro-organisms in general and validate


our current stock culture collection. We have submitted a motivation for the purchase of this equipment and will be talking to other potential users regarding its use and funding. The NLA rounds which ATS partake in every year provides our microbiology programs with a base to test our practical teaching materials and methods and provides exposure to the latest bacteriological media for demonstration purposes at the undergraduate level and for use in the B.Tech practicals. This has now for the second year improved the practical component of our course. The results and real data from canning trials done in the factory by the ATS have been used successfully in our teaching program. We have had discussions with the ATS senior technical staff regarding the use of the programs and probes in the study of heat destruction of micro-organisms in cans and in pouches. We have been offered assistance and have planned new practicals for our B.Tech. students for next year. At this stage we are excited at the prospect of using the programs and probes next year to generate our own data from experimental products undergoing retorting for commercial sterility. I would like to in conclusion thank the manager of the ATS station for the opportunity to assist in the NLA rounds and to act as a consultant with regards to the industry products being tested and the projects being undertaken. One of the projects undertaken served successfully as a project for a B.Tech student. This exposure to the industry and industrial projects continues to add to one’s experience and the benefits are passed on into the teaching program. Regards Keryn

NEW & IMPROVED! NPD WORKSHOPS In May this year, we offered our annual New Product Development Workshop, freshly revised and updated to include the latest developments in terms of NPD, including ideation, legislation and packaging. The content was also updated to ensure a completely South African context, i.e. we moved away from any Eurocentric or American content and context. The presenters were also “an all South African cast”! Ms. Sydlene Hector (Synorich Consulting), Ms. Sharon Bolel (Sharon Bolel Chemicals), Dr Karin Blignaut (CMB Consultants), Ms. Tracy Vogt & Beulah Ebrahim (Woolworths), Ms. Norah-Anne Hayes (Focal Food), Messrs. John Byett and Llewellyn Fisher (IPSA & CPUT) and Profs. Victoria Jideani and Jessy Van Wyk made up the panel of presenters. In addition, David Howard (Pioneer Foods), Meshack Bistoli and Florette Van Rooyen (Nibbly Bits) assisted with the judging and feedback when each group presented their newly-developed product, complete with concept packaging material and pack format. With the total number of delegates limited to 15, individual attention was possible and the delegates indicated how much they learned and the enormous value that the course offered. The practical nature of the course, with the emphasis on creativity, also ensures a fun-element. The next NPD Workshop will take place from 22–24 May 2013. Furthermore, since many delegates asked for an Advanced version of the course, we will host the first Advanced NPD Workshop from 26–28 June 2013.


Pictured: 1) Class of 2012 intently listening to the presenter. 2) David Bell (Anchor), Levona Hector (SME), Maxi Idas and Lizel Jordaan (Irvin & Johnson) flexing their innovative muscle in the R&D lab. 3) NPD workshop champion! Bread 'cigars' with real rum & raisin filling to dip in your Don Pedro the Italian way


NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH (DIPLOMA STUDENTS) Eight groups of students successfully completed their New Product Development projects and displayed the results at the New Product Launch on the 31st of October. The DVC Academic, Prof. Anthony Staak, opened the event by welcoming all guests, staff and students. He emphasized the importance of this project in the context of the philosophy of CPUT to focus on innovation as part of our training, particularly innovation that is aimed at practical, industryfocused end-products or results. Our guest speaker was Dr. Adriaan Liebenberg, a well-known neurosurgeon, who shared his personal experiences around a “think-thin” approach to diet and weight control. Next year will be the 25th Anniversary of our New Product Launch, so please diarise the last Wednesday in October 2013 to ensure that you can join us on that evening! Congratulations to the winners, pictured below:

Winners of the Agrifoods Technology Station prize pictured with ATS Technician, Bradley Arendse (Sodasnapper biscuit).

Winners of the Freddy Hirsch & Orley Foods prizes pictured with Donna-Leah Thomas (Nutty Jellos).


Winners of the SAAFoST prize pictured with Mr. Tony Obilana (Coffee 2 Go tablet).

Winners of the Tongaat Hulett Starch prize (Honey-Cins).


BTECH NEW FOOD PRODUCT LAUNCH The 27th of November saw the 2nd BTech New Food Product Launch. Our thanks to our much appreciated assessors: Ms. Alrina Fourie (IMCDSA), Ms. Lolita Kohne and Mr. Tallis Calmeyer (Tate & Lyle), Ms. Jennifer Ricketts (Deli Spice), Ms. Tricia Fritchet (SAAFoST), Mr. Charl du Plessis (Fruca), Mr. Ashton Kock (Orley Foods) and Dr. Chris Hansmann (ARC-Infruitec). The presentations by the students displayed scientific merit and they managed to carry over a powerful marketing argument as well. The quality and level of innovation of the products were admired by the assessors. The winning group is pictured below.

Savoury on the go – Winner of the SAAFoST prize is an instant pap with a boerewors flavour sachet.

Afrinola – A gluten free muesli.


Cranilla – A gluten free biscuit.

Brocaple – A broccoli and apple juice blend.

MASTERS OF THEIR FATE A few of our MTech students and one graduate agreed to share their experiences: I have a B-Tech in Food Technology, and currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Food Technology at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. I have been involved with chromatography and gained a great deal of laboratory experience in chemistry and 25 | P a g e F o o d T h y m e s

microbiological analysis. While studying at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, I successfully applied my research skills, and laboratory techniques where required. I participated in planning experiments as well as evaluating test results. I’ve been involved with the operation of various laboratory equipment. In addition, I was responsible for maintaining and ensuring proper handling of potentially hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals and microbial cultures. In addition to the lab work, the experience gained thus far allowed me to be able to record, calculate, and analyze data, as well as prepare reports. Furthermore, I worked with researchers at the department Food Technology as well as international students and learned the value of good lab practices and team work. Ryan Morkel This has not been a smooth road, neither can be it be described as a tough unreachable shore. It is basically a mix of mostly interesting activities in which you have to establish a balance between your goals, your difficulties and successes. Initially I have come to realise how difficult it is to sit down and write something that can be deemed reasonable in the scientific field. At some point you do get stuck and clueless as to what to write although you have loads of information at your disposal. It has not been easy to be able to design how the experimental work is to proceed. It becomes more difficult when the results you getting are totally the opposite of your expectations, having spent hours on that work and sometimes late into the night. The most uncomfortable part is when you have to repeat the procedures or when you have to think of a way to get around the mishaps, remember this is also a chase against time. However, I do appreciate the endless assistance I get from the supervisor as well as the academic staff who are always willing to go an extra mile to be of assistance. The technical staff are always willing to assist and contribute positively to the student’s work. As much as I do appreciate the input of the supervisors in securing research funds, I think the Department must do more to be able to secure funding and bursaries* for their MTech students. By doing this, this could attract more students who are willing to further their studies but are financially discouraged. I do believe the department has much expertise as well as facilities to include more students and carry out various ground breaking researches which could be a boost to our department. Prince Tshalibe (MTech student and Agrifood Intern) The Food technology M.Tech programme is, in my opinion, the best of its kind available in South Africa. Meeting all my needs perfectly, it is offering me the opportunity and the environment for the self-improvement in the different components of research activity such as communication, human relations, proposal design and negotiation. Speaking, writing, reading and presenting are significantly enhancing my communication skills in the new environment. In terms of human relations, the warm and supportive staff increases my confidence through their accessibility. The use of certain tools in mathematics and cereal technology under the advice and guidance of my supervisor deeply contributed to understand the design of research proposal which is the foundation of any research activity. My increased confidence and improved communication skills enhanced my chances with some companies which provided me freely some food ingredient samples and the possibility to use their equipment to run some food analysis. With all these considerations, the laboratory work is currently giving off promising results. Patrick Nitcheu I had a positive experience doing my MTech through the Food Technology Department of CPUT. I would definitely recommend it as a further study to Food Technology students. The 26 | P a g e F o o d T h y m e s

whole experience allows you to grow as a person and so allows you to be an asset to your company. It changes your mindset when problem solving, writing articles and reports and broadens your knowledge and skills on a higher level. Valmary van Breda (MTech graduate 2012) [*Funding is relatively freely available via the URF(und) and Bursaries are also not hard to come by for students who performed at an aggregate of 60% or better in the BTech. – Ed.]

WIL OR WON’T!? Is Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) all it is cracked up to be? We asked several of our students and here are the responses that we received in their own words:

Pictured above Qiqa Mafongosi busy in the workplace Being a student means that you are exposed to many products, processes, developments and are thus always learning. Everyday holds a new challenge that requires many skills which I am gaining. Amongst other things, WIL has taught me that Food Technology is not only about products but also processes, machinery, people, safety, quality and adherence to set Standard Operating Procedures and rules of the trade. I see the subjects that are learned at school come into play and interact. Each subject should not be treated as a separate entity as they are all interrelated and each plays its own role in the Food Technology puzzle. It has been said that it’s the little things that count, and true to that saying I personally have seen the importance of the little things namely labelling of samples, writing down the date of an analysis and even double checking the weight of a weighed sample. These small, tedious and seemingly unimportant acts save time, money and resources all three of which are important in a business and the industry as a whole. In my experience I take on numerous roles and acquire vital skills that I use on a daily basis. Some of these roles include being a New Product Development (NPD) technologist where I have helped improve existing products and develop new ones. This helped me to better understand the role of each ingredient in a food product and thus the science and technology behind it. I have also worked in the factory as both a supervisor and part of a production team. Analytical laboratory work is something that should not be taken lightly-so I have seen. As mentioned before, everything has an important role to play and analytical lab work is no exception. Taking pH, Brix, salt and acid readings etc. is an everyday occurrence in NPD because these readings help technologists determine processing parameters and the shelf life 27 | P a g e F o o d T h y m e s

of food because the one thing that everyone trusts when it comes to food is the expiry or best before date. In this broad and fast-paced field, everyone is forced to learn but whether one assimilates and applies this knowledge is solely up to the individual. Experience? Yes. Knowledge? Yes. Critical thinking, analytical, problem-solving skills? Yes. I have completed nearly half of my WIL (6 months) and I can confidently say that WIL is a holistic program that develops and challenges one’s thinking, skills and character. It teaches one to be a good subordinate, a better food technologist and a great leader. Qiqa Mafongosi - In-service trainee at Tiger Consumer Brands, Culinary Division.

My name is Ndiphiwe Fikeni, I am currently studying food technology and doing my work integrated learning (WIL) with Tiger Brands at the new product development (NPD) department. Work integrated learning is known as the Co-operative Education Programme. The primary objective of the programme is for me, as a Food Technology student, to get exposure to business and to gain valuable experience in my field of study. NPD is a dynamic environment. I have a lot of responsibilities and currently gaining remarkable experience as an NPD technician. The scope of my work on a daily basis is either assisting in the development of new food recipes, improving food that is currently on the market or analysing the rheological properties of food to make it more healthier and convenient for the consumers. Analysing food is more than just the tasting and smelling, it involves more intricate studies. Therefore, when analysing at the lab I have to consider various aspects such as chemical, microbial and physicals aspects of that particular food product. to be more specific, it is not enough for me to know that lemon juice is sweet and sour, the is a necessity for me to be able to discover the acid content, the degree of sweetness, how long the shelf life of the juice last for and how I can improve or extend it. Now that all requires hard work and dedication, most of the time making sacrifices and walking the extra mile to get where you want to be. When designing a food product one has to consider various aspects such as what the current trend requires you to produce, the legislation in regards to what you decide to develop, lab experimenting, running trials at the factory, putting quality measures in place and advertising. All these particular sectors have some sort of link with each other and require one with good communication skills. Work integrated learning has broadened my learning skills to such an extent that I have developed an ability to communicate well with different work colleagues, take responsibility of any given tasks and tremendous leadership skills, solving problems, becoming an innovative thinker, applying methodological approaches and various food processing principles. I remember when I had to supervise production at different processing plants on various occasions. This was the most interesting and awesome experience I had to overcome. I had to make critical decisions at some stage, motivate workers to get the work done in less time, had to monitor all quality measures put in place, had to ensure that all specifications are within limits from filling to packing of the products. 28 | P a g e F o o d T h y m e s

The corporate world is very sensitive and one has to acquire sound morals and working skills before climbing the ladder. I am currently getting exposure within different departments of my field of study e.g. NPD, production, quality, technical and the packaging department. Facing a challenge of being expected to work with all these departments is not a very easy task but I am currently gaining skills and believe that I wouldn’t make it to full time industry if had not been exposed to the work integrated learning programme. Work integrated learning is all about being able to apply theoretical knowledge to practical wok exposure; I am very grateful to be part of the programme. As you discover your purpose in life and pursue your dreams, you inevitably spend most of your time doing what you enjoy and do best; a food technologist is what I was meant to be. Ndipiwe Fikweni - In-service trainee at Tiger Consumer Brands, Culinary Division. ANNUAL FOOD TECHNOLOGY BUILDING AWARDS The second edition of our annual awards ceremony concerning ALL the staff operating in the Food Technology was held on the afternoon of 4th December 2012. The intention of these awards is to create a sense of unity and "belonging" and is thus not necessarily restricted to academic staff members but also the auxiliary staff and security personnel as well. There were six awards made in the following categories:  Research Achievement (winner for the second year running was Dr. Victoria Jideani for her patented product she had developed);  Teaching and Learning Achievement (awarded to Ms. Cindy Hunlun);  General Merit Achievement (awarded to Dr. Zanephyn Keyser for achieving his doctoral milestone);  People's Person of the Year (awarded to Mr. Bhesengile of Orbis Security for his always gregarious and warm disposition);  HoD Food Technology Award (Ms. Joseline Felix-Minnaar for her sterling work on student NPD);  ATS Manager's Award (Mr. Meshack Bistoli as an outstanding Intern and Technical Assistant to ATS). In all cases a magnificent award of under R100.00 (in the form of Christmas cakes) was presented to each achiever. A slap-up meal ended the awards with beaming faces all round! Larry

The Stork struck seven times since January 2011! We welcomed these seven new members of the Department & ATS as follows: Silamlela Mayekiso (January 2011); Lukhanyo Sigwela (October 2011); Chadley Cloete (March 2012); Onako Lolwana (July 2012); Ilke Krügel (September 2012); Liezel Booyse (September 2012); and Letsatsi Obilana (October 2012). Congratulations to all the new Moms & Dads!

Editors: Larry Dolley & Jessy Van Wyk Contact details: [email protected] & [email protected]; 021 959 6276/6176 Contributors: Cindy Hunlun, Larry Dolley, Keryn Woolward, Suné Henning, Joseline Felix-Minnaar, Zanephyn Keyser, Tony Obilana, Hybré Michaels, Lusani Vhangani, Qiqa Mafongosi, Ndipiwe Fikeni, Prince Tshalibe, Ryan Morkel, Valmary van Breda, Patrick Nitcheu, Victoria Jideani, Sebastian Kerbstadt, Julian Witt & Jessy Van Wyk.


Best Wishes for a Blessed, Happy, Joyful, Peaceful, Restful and Safe Festive Season! From All of us at Food Technology and Agrifood. 30 | P a g e F o o d T h y m e s