12 September 2013 Leaving the home of pasta to study pasta

An Italian PhD student spent six months studying at Lincoln University as part of a collaborative research project to improve the nutritional value of pasta and other staple foods.

Martina Foschia lives in Codroipo, Italy, and began her PhD in Food Science at the University of Udine. She arrived in Christchurch to study at Lincoln University at the beginning of the year as part of a collaboration between the two universities.

After a previous meeting with Lincoln University’s Professor of Food Science, Charles Brennan, at an international conference in Rome, Ms Foschia says she found Lincoln’s research areas a good fit for her PhD project.

“I chose Lincoln University because I realised that I could have the opportunity to add value to my PhD thesis through working on this project with Professor Brennan. I also heard about the fantastic reputation of Lincoln University.”

She said the essence of the project was to study the effect of adding dietary fibre and other compounds to pasta, and how it changes both the nutritional aspect and quality of the final product.

“As the addition of functional ingredients often decreases the sensory quality of the food, one of my aims was to identify the optimum formulation and manufacturing process conditions in order to produce high quality functional foods,” says Ms Foschia.

“This way, I hope to improve the quality of life for consumers, in particular focusing on preventing nutrition related diseases.

“I hope to be able to develop staple foods that can enhance the physical and mental well-being of consumers.”

Professor Brennan says the research is very important in terms of the global food industry and the health and wellbeing of the consumer.

“Lincoln University are internationally known for their pioneering research in food science and technology. Our teams have conducted authoritative research in terms of the in vitro and in vivo analysis of carbohydrate digestibility and the body’s glycaemic response, which have direct relevance to multinational food manufacturers.
 
“If we can reduce the glycaemic index of pasta by introducing dietary fibre and making it healthier – as well as with other staple foods – then it will help reduce the rise of worldwide health issues, such as obesity.

“The key aspect of our research is being able to transfer our knowledge into practical uses and help benefit the nutrition of consumers by making food nutritionally sound but less energy dense.”

Professor Brennan says having a relationship with the University of Udine is “very special” and the aim is to build partnerships with other European universities.

“Having an Italian student come to Lincoln University to study pasta is quite novel,” he says. “It was great to have an international spin on the research that we do.”

Ms Foschia has since returned to Italy and plans to complete her PhD in 2014. “I would like to continue working in academic research and am interested in moving outside of Italy in order to improve my skills and learn different approaches in the research field.

“My time at Lincoln University was a fantastic experience and I think that New Zealand is an amazing country with a beautiful landscape and a great lifestyle – and Kiwis are very friendly and helpful!”