Library Out Loud

They are all topics of theses from students who have studied Food Technology at Massey University.

2014 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Massey University offering the world’s first Food Technology degree. So what research topics have these students been investigating over the years?

Studies are varied and range from food nutrition on a domestic and national level, to scientific investigations in specific foods and food properties.

Making cheese is a popular hobby these days, but what are the optimal methods for making halloumi from cow’s milk?  Find out in Rayed Rashid Shaker’s doctoral thesis, Technological aspects of the manufacture of Halloumi cheese (1988).

Feijoas make fabulous fresh eating, but they have a short season. Abdul-Aziz Salim Al-Harthy investigates keeping them fresh for longer in his doctoral thesis, Postharvest treatments to extend the storage life of feijoa (Acca sellowiana) (2010).  A similar investigation has been done on limes, by Pranamornkith Thamarath in their thesis, Effects of postharvest treatments on storage quality of lime (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) fruit (2009).

Broccoli may not be your favourite vegetable but it is acknowledged that it is very good for you. So what about broccoli juice? How to keep it fresh and viable was Claire Redman’s topic in her masters thesis, Factors affecting the composition and quality of broccoli juice (2009).

Infant nutrition is studied in Janet Weber’s doctoral thesis, Feeding children : mother’s feeding decisions and the diets of their children from birth to two years (1997).

The antioxidants properties of olive leaves are the focus in Helen Luo’s masters thesis,  Extraction of antioxidant compounds from olive (Olea europaea) leaf (2011).

Topics of interest in the early days included The design of nutritional food products for a developing country, a doctoral thesis by William Edwardson from 1974; Keeping food fresher for longer was also still important as Gordon Packer’s 1967 doctoral thesis, on optimal food preservation shows: The development of a chemical analogue of thermal destruction of bacterial spores . Of course the dairy industry’s products have always been a fascinating topic, with Krishna Ramachandran Aiyar’s doctoral thesis on rennet-casein systems in his 1969 doctoral thesis, A study of factors contributing to gel formation and to syneresis of gels with particular reference to rennet casein systems

More theses available on Massey Research Online.

More information about Massey University’s Anniversary Celebrations.