The Centre for Applied Food Sustainability and Biotechnology (CAFSaB) has contributed a great deal to the milestones and innovation celebrated and fostered over the last 20 years at the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State.
The CAFSaB is one of the oldest research centres in the CUT. “We have a long history of research and innovation at the institution, since 2004. We work closely with the food industry and the Technology Transfer office at the CUT to explore every possible avenue for innovation that the outcomes of our research may present,” said /Dr Olga de Smidt, research scientist and deputy director of the CAFSaB.
The centre has positioned itself as the core drive through its flagship projects.
The unit for Functional Fermentations explores the microbial diversity and functionality in fermented beverages and related ingredients and waste products. Microbes with potential application in fermentation biotechnology are preserved and characterized for industrial use.
The unit for Ethnobotany and nutraceuticals develops personal care products using local plant materials and indigenous knowledge for preparation.
According to De Smidt, the CAFSaB has great potential to continue benchmarking in the future, keeping in line with the CUT’s vision to be a leading African university of technology, shaping the future through innovation. She is hopeful about the prospects achieving targeted future goals.
“Operating our product development microbrewery with a digital clone as part of the Smart Cities initiative will be a milestone. An inter-faculty collaboration to have an entity operate with a mixed business model which include student training, research, product development and commercialisation.
“The centre also holds a Wholesale and retail SETA leadership Chair in Food Safety Culture and Sustainability. Working closely with the food industry to develop safety culture training and assessment tools.”
Optimism to reach even greater heights and CAFSab fulfilling its core function, is underlined by capable and knowledgeable graduates produced.
“In CAFSaB we train postgraduate students on master’s and doctorate level. We focus on applied research and work closely with the food industry. Our students manage their own projects and spend time in the production and processing environments for which the research is intended.
Most projects have elements or laboratory work, interaction with food industry workers and data dissemination to participating industries.
“The skill set the CAFSaB provides graduates enable them to contribute to improve South Africa’s socio-economic environment, and them become pioneers of innovation entrepreneurship to grow. Our most recent success story is alumni Dr Shrileen Theising who established a food microbiology testing laboratory, which has national accreditation and expanded to two provinces.”
In accordance to the CUT’s vision, De Smidt said the CAFSaB deserves the most focus during this time of innovation, digital technology, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
“Our Functional Fermentation unit’s CUTbrU beer lab initiative deserves the focus. We dabble in an ancient practice, brewing using the latest technology and creating a digital clone of the brewery and brewing process that allows metadata capturing. Data that can be used in predictive modelling to improve not only the brewing process, but also the product itself. While still requiring creative input from brewers and analysts.”
According to De Smidt, Covid-19’s disruption served as the yardstick for stimulation for CAFSaB.
“Covid-19 gave us an opportunity to pause, to take the time to evaluate where our focus should be, and to engage our research with newfound energy and purpose.”
