Food Materials Research Team (FOMT) is under Advanced Polymer Technology Research Group of the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC). Our research focuses on two main themes as follows.

1) Production of functional ingredients from agricultural wastes by advancing our developed production technology from lab scale to industrial level based on uncomplicated process and reduction or avoidance of toxic chemicals.

2) Research and development based on applying fundamental materials science and engineering to the improvement of food texture, particularly, to develop healthy foods and personalized diet as well as to elucidate food structure-property relationship during eating process including chewing and swallowing while investigation on digestion and excretion will be incorporated in the near future.

• Develop functional ingredients from agricultural wastes or biomaterials
• Improve/modify food texture and develop food texture modifier by applying fundamental knowledge in materials science including rheological property related to flow and deformation, viscoelastic property and tribological property
• Bioavailability and bioaccessibility testing of functional ingredients during/after oral mastication and swallowing processes, digestion and excretion by simulated gut model system

• Rotational rheometers with controlled-stress and controlled-strain modes equipped with various types of geometries for rheological and tribological testing of food and biopolymer material

• Extensional rheometer (HAAKE CABER1)
• Capillary rheometer equipped with Haul-off unit for polymer melt strength test

• universal testing machine

• 3D Food Printer (Fused Deposition Modeling)
• Equipment for food and food additive preparation such as high pressure homogenizer, ultrasonic probe sonicator, high shear disperser, high temperature food processor (Thermomix), low temperature food texturizer (PACO Jet II), food dehydrator, Sous Vide machine, and twin-drum dryer

• Functional Ingredients
  – Pectin (texture modifier and gelling agent from pomelo peel)
• Healthy food products
  – Plant-based burger from mushroom
  – Reduced oil-absorption crispy fry batter mix
  – Low-fat pork frankfurter
  – Oil-free salad cream and mayonnaise
  – Plant-based burger from mushroom
• Personalised Food Products
  – Gluten-free bread, croissant and alkaline noodles from cassava flour or rice flour
  – Portable energy dense food bar and power-boosting gel
  – Soft pork meat (Japanese Universal Design Food Standard or UDF level 2 and 3) for elderly or persons with chewing/swallowing difficulties
  – Blenderized diets

FOMT brochure [pdf]

Dr. Saitip Soratana
Business and Industry Coordinator
Tel. 662 564 6500 ext. 4786
e-mail: saitips@mtec.or.th