Research - Food Microbiology

Prof Fleet, A/Prof Cox

The principal goals of the food microbiology research program are to develop fundamental knowledge and understanding about the ecology, growth and biochemical activities of microorganisms associated with foods and beverages, and to apply this information to the management of food safety and food spoilage, the production of fermented foods and beverages, the use of microorganisms as potential sources of food ingredients and processing aids, to quality evaluation and hazard analysis. Parallel to these goals are programs to evaluate and develop modern systems for the detection, enumeration and identification of microorganisms in foods. Some projects in food microbiology include:

Wine and grape microbiology

Yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, bacteriophages, bioreactor technology)

Microbiological safety of salad vegetables
Cocoa bean fermentation
Yeasts as spoilage organisms, sources of ingredients for food processing
Microbiology of dairy products
Investigation of properties of foodborne pathogens

Salmonella, Listeria, Bacillus cereus, Yersinia enterocolitica and enterohaemorraghic Escherichia coli

Rapid and molecular methods for detection, enumeration, identification, and differentiation of microorganisms associated with foods

Probiotic microorganisms for humans and poultry

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