Friday, 11 July 2014 16:07

Top food science award for Massey professor

Written by 

MASSEY UNIVERSITY Professor Richard Archer has been awarded the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology's most prestigious honour, the JC Andrews Award.

 

The annual award is in memory of Massey's first Chancellor, Dr John Clark Andrews, who proposed that New Zealand's first food technology degree be established in 1964. The award recognises institute members who have made a substantial contribution to science and technology and leadership in the food industry.

Professor Archer was presented with the award at the institute's annual conference in Christchurch last week. "To me, this is the premier award in a profession and industry which I personally regard as core to New Zealand wellbeing," he says.

"Those who have won before are my industry heroes. Without their work we would be a poorer and much more boring place, still exporting butter and cheese in wooden boxes, whole frozen carcasses and not much else, and eating a diet of white bread, mutton roast and cordial."

Professor Archer gave a speech highlighting his future ambition to revamp milk tanker design and develop the manuka honey industry.

Professor Archer is a principal investigator at the Riddet Institute at Massey, specialising in food process engineering, biotechnology and commercialisation.

After graduating from Massey with a Bachelor of Technology in Biotechnology with honours and a PhD in Biotechnology in 1980, he spent four years in the pioneering phases of the New Zealand deer by-product process industry, then 19 years in the dairy industry.
He held senior management roles at the Lactose Company, FonterraTech (formerly KiwiTech) and the powder and protein technology section of the New Zealand Dairy Research Institute. He recently led Massey's Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health during its expansion into Singapore. He is director of the New Zealand Food Innovation Network.

More like this

Featured

T&G Global returns to profitability

Fresh produce grower and exporter T&G Global has overturned last year’s dismal performance by reporting a half year net profit of $1.7 million.

Rural backlash over plan to cut police staffing

Federated Farmers North Canterbury president Bex Green says two public meetings held this week should have made it loud and clear that rural families and businesses are concerned about proposed staffing changes at NZ Police.

DairyNZ thanks farm staff

August 6 marks Farm Worker Appreciation Day, a moment to recognise the dedication and hard mahi of dairy farm workers across Aotearoa - and DairyNZ is taking the opportunity to celebrate the skilled teams working on its two research farms.

Editorial: Getting RMA settings right

OPINION: The Government has been seeking industry feedback on its proposed amendments to a range of Resource Management Act (RMA) national direction instruments.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Trop de Paris!

OPINION: Your old mate's ear has been chewed off recently by farmers voicing their displeasure with the National Party, particularly…

NZ vs Aussie beef

OPINION: Your old mate hears that at a recent China Business Summit, PM Christopher Luxon delivered a none-too-subtle "could try…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter