Âé¶¹ÒùÔº


Fermenting a future for food in Australia

Fermenting a future for food in Australia
Dr James Heffernan working with a FaBA-funded bioreactor at the UQ Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology. Credit: University of Queensland

Forming a National Food Plan and appointing a food minister are among the key recommendations of a white paper into growing a precision fermentation industry in Australia.

The Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) based at The University of Queensland has released the "Precision Fermentation: A Future of Food in Australia."

Professor Esteban Marcellin from FaBA said precision fermentation was a transformative opportunity to strengthen , foster economic growth, enhance , and boost food security.

"Fermentation has been used for centuries to create staples like bread, cheese and beer," Professor Marcellin said.

"Precision fermentation builds on traditional methods, offering the potential to develop entirely new ingredients, flavors and tastes.

"This technology can enhance and diversify our —imagine microbial strains precisely engineered to yield high quality protein.

"We are on the brink of producing tailored, sustainable food sources."

More than 70 authors from industry, government and academia contributed to the white paper, which explores areas crucial for industry growth, such as regulatory needs, sustainability, , and ethical considerations.

Among the eight key recommendations are establishing common international standards, boosting investment in large-scale manufacturing, and standardizing methods to assess environmental impacts.

"Our primary recommendation is to develop a National Food Plan that would unify efforts in regulation, innovation and promotion of precision fermentation," Professor Marcellin said.

"This approach would enable streamlined approvals, better integration with traditional agriculture, and a coordinated strategy to build a robust industry."

FaBA Director Dr. Chris Downs said research had an important role to play in meeting future food challenges.

"As a global society, we must innovate and transform the food system if we are to address some of the greatest challenges of our time," Dr. Downs said.

"Precision fermentation represents a promising approach, alongside conventional food production, for the future of Australia's food and beverage industry."

More information: Precision Fermentation: A Future of Food in Australia.

Citation: Fermenting a future for food in Australia (2024, November 18) retrieved 21 June 2025 from /news/2024-11-fermenting-future-food-australia.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Cheese of the future: Consumers open to animal-free alternatives

0 shares

Feedback to editors