CASS (Consumer-Analytical-Safety-Sensory) Food Research Centre
The Deakin University CASS (Consumer-Analytical-Safety-Sensory) Food Research Centre is dedicated to helping the sustainable growth of the Australian food industry. By using state-of-the-art facilities and renowned researchers, we aim to deliver high-quality consumer, sensory, food safety and flavour analysis, as well as training the next generation of food scientists.Our vision
CASS's vision is to make sustainable and healthier foods the preferred choice of consumers.
Our objective is to identify and train students who show an interest in consumer, sensory, food safety and analytical science, and provide them with the opportunity to participate in different areas of industry-relevant research.
Our mission
Our team works towards:
- conducting the highest-quality consumer, sensory, safety and flavour research
- collaborating widely with the Australian food industry and government
- educating the next generation of food scientists
- promoting consumer, sensory, food safety and flavour analysis research both within Australia and internationally.
Our team
We have a number of widely published, highly esteemed researchers and PhD candidates working hard to deliver advanced knowledge and industry-relevant sensory and consumer science.
Our staff
| Name | Specialisation |
|---|---|
| Professor Russell Keast | Head of the CASS Food Research Centre Professor Keast has over 15 years experience in conducting sensory studies. He specialises in the association between taste, consumption and enjoyment. |
| Associate Professor Robert Shellie | Associate Professor, Food Chemistry and Flavour Science Robert Shellie’s research focuses on instrumental analysis of flavour compounds in food and beverages. He specialises in new techniques development to enhance flavour analysis capabilities. |
| Associate Professor Gie Liem | Senior Lecturer Dr Liem has worked in the food industry and research institutes in the Netherlands and the US. His research focus is the food choices of children and cross-cultural research. |
| Dr Snehal Jadhav | Lecturer in Food Safety Dr Jadhav has experience in working on food industry-based projects in the area of food safety and microbial omics. Her current research focuses on using proteomics and metabolomics approaches to solve issues around food quality, spoilage and contamination. |
| Dr Georgie Russell | Lecturer in Food Innovation Dr Georgie Russell’s work looks at understanding and influencing consumer behaviours with a focus on psychosocial factors and how these interact with foods, food products, biological and situational factors to affect food product choice, perception and dietary patterns. |
| Dr Andrew Costanzo | Lecturer in Nutrition Science |
| Dr Shirani Gamlath | Lecturer in Product Development Shirani Gamlath’s research interests are in designing healthy and sustainable food products. Shirani has expertise in food processing mainly in food extrusion technology and product development in plant based products. |
| Simone Lewin | Project Manager, Associate Research Fellow |
Researchers and PhD candidates
| Name | Specialisation |
|---|---|
| PhD candidate Celeste Chapple | Sensory immersion in virtual environments and the influence on consumer perception, choice and consumption of healthy and unhealthy foods |
|
PhD candidate Kathryn Colla | Measuring dynamics of liking: laboratory versus real-life environments using advanced sensory techniques |
|
PhD candidate Chayan Mahmud | Identification, characterisation, and preference mapping of odour-active compounds in coffee beverages |
|
PhD candidate Tanweer Gondal | Identification, characterisation, consumer acceptance and preference mapping of aroma compounds in brown and white rice from Australian cultivars |
|
PhD candidate Bella Hartley | Investigating umami as a basic taste and the association with diet and genetics |
|
PhD candidate Claudia Hartley | The association between carbohydrate taste and performance |
| PhD candidate Jookyeong Lee | The influence of oral tactile acuity on food texture acceptance in fussiness of children aged 5 to 12 years |
| PhD candidate Dipendra Kumar Mahato | The impact of sugar reduction on the consumer acceptance, physicochemical properties and microbial safety of flavoured milk |
| PhD Candidate Agnes Mukurumbira | Investigation of plant-based antimicrobials for applications in food packaging |
| PhD Candidate Manuel Rigo | Top-down and bottom-up processing in children's food choice and consumption |
| PhD Candidate Heng Wan Sin (Valarie) | Rapid detection of bacteria in contaminated foods using gas-chromatography |
Contact us
CASS Food Research Centre
+61 3 9244 3753
Email CASS
Twitter
@DeakinCASS
Visit us
CASS Food Research Centre
School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
Deakin University
221 Burwood Highway
Burwood VIC 3125