Project Collaborators Involved in the FFC Research
Find here information about the collaborating research institutes, our main researchers, and our industry partners.
Research Institutes: Massey University (A-NZ) and A*Star (SG)
Massey University, Aotearoa New Zealand, and A*STAR Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore, are two leading and complementary research facilities in Australasia.
We are collaborating on this project to better understand consumer food choice behaviours and sensory preferences when it comes to plant-based foods (PBFs).
In partnership with Māori entities, we also seek to explore awareness in the Singapore market of the unique value proposition of Māori food and beverage businesses.
Principal Investigators: Prof Hort and Dr Foster
Professor Joanne Hort
Joanne is a globally recognised sensory and consumer scientist with a strong track record in measuring individual differences in perception and consumer emotional engagement with food.
Joanne represents Massey University (Aotearoa New Zealand on the project).
Get in touch: JHort@massey.ac.nz
Dr Meika Foster
Meika, an independent nutrition researcher, is interested in the development of high-value plant-based food products that are of excellent nutritional quality, beneficial for health and the environment, and profitable for Aotearoa New Zealand. Through her work with Māori entities, she ensures research outcomes appropriately promote and protect mātauranga Māori.
Meika represents Edible Research Ltd (Aotearoa New Zealand) on the project.
Get in touch: meika.foster@edibleresearch.co.nz
Ng Siew Bee, Acting SG Principal Investigator
The Sensory and Ingestive Behaviour Team at the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre uses novel approaches to investigate the impact of product characteristics on food intake behaviour and associated health outcomes.
Siew Bee has decades of experience in natural product research. She develops technologies and implements miniaturised screens to harness natural biodiversity for industrial applications.
This PI represents A*STAR (Singapore) on the project.
Get in touch: ngsb@sifbi.a-star.edu.sg
Researchers: research fellows & PhD students
Get in touch: Amanda_Lim@sifbi.a-star.edu.sg
Amanda’s Research Focus:
- consumers’ attitudes & acceptance towards novel/functional products
- what sensory properties do consumers perceive to be desirable
Get in touch: Goh_Ai-Ting@sifbi.a-star.edu.sg
Ai Ting’s Research Focus:
- tool to measure eating behaviour and oral processing abilities
- characterisation the role of food structure in the design of healthier food products
Get in touch: Teo_Pey_Sze@sifbi.a-star.edu.sg
Dr Pey Sze (Apple’s) Research Focus:
- sensory science and eating behaviour
- consumer perception
- nutrition epidemiology
Get in touch: c.giezenaar@massey.ac.nz
Caroline’s Research Focus:
- determinants for food choice through discrete choice experiments
- application of digital immersive technologies to improve ecological validity in consumer testing
Get in touch: m.weerawarna@massey.ac.nz
Maheeka’s Research Focus:
- tools to capture better insights into consumer experience on PBFs
- impacts of repeated exposure on temporal product experience
Get in touch: p.coetzee@massey.ac.nz
Petra’s Research Focus:
- flexitarian segments in A-NZ based on motivations & barriers about PBFs
- sensory space of commercially available PBFs & how that relates to acceptance by different dietary groups
Get in touch: r.orr@massey.ac.nz
Rebekah’s Research Focus:
- tool to measure consumer emotional response to PBFs
- differences in emotional response to PBFs between age groups & dietary groups, e.g.
- meat eaters
- meat reducers and
- meat avoiders
- application of digital immersive technologies to improve ecological validity in consumer testing
Get in touch: s.wright2@massey.ac.nz
Summer’s Research Focus:
- value of PBFs for Māori entities through consumer science and qualitative approaches
- land-use for food to achieve social, cultural & environmental outcomes
Get in touch: ciaran.forde@wur.nl
Ciarán’s Research Focus:
- researches how sensory properties of foods influence
- calorie selection,
- eating behaviours,
- energy intake and
- metabolism in adults and children
Get in touch: f.sheen@ucl.ac.uk
Florence’s Research Focus:
- consumer’s perceptions & acceptance of alternative protein sources
- impact of expectations created by specific labels
- flexitarian consumers, their subgroups & their motivations
Get in touch: Rachel_Tso@sifbi.a-star.edu.sg
Rachel’s Research Focus:
- implementation of dietetics for long-term adoption of positive dietary changes
- nutritional implications of switching from animal-based to plant-based diets
Industry Partners and Affiliates:
NZ Algae Innovation (under the Tahi Spirulina brand), Goodman Fielder, Fonterra, Movers In Hemp Innovation (MIHI), the Riddet Institute, Pūhoro STEMM Academy, Wakatū Incorporation, NUKU ki te Puku, Vince and Food Nation bring the
- product expertise,
- pathways to capability development, and
- stakeholder input.
We would love to hear from you if you want to collaborate with us on this project. Just get in touch with any of our Principal Investigators:
at Massey University: J.Hort@massey.ac.nz
at A*Star: ngsb@sifbi.a-star.edu.sg
at Edible Research: meika.foster@edibleresearch.co.nz