Photo (from left): Drs Kiri Dell (Ngāti Porou) – Faculty of Business & Economics, Chemmat’s Saeid Baroutian

 

Chemmat’s Dr Saeid Baroutian was invited to present his research on “Hydrothermal Deconstruction: Busting Waste with Water” and his new food additive products “Manuka and Kanuka Smoke Flavour” at Ideas to Life Conference – Innovation For A Better World in Hangzhou, China (21-22 November 2019). The event was organised by Auckland UniServices and Innovation Institute China and successfully showcased the strength of NZ’s innovations and research in the clean technologies area and facilitated great networking opportunities.

Some promising discussions arose from the event and Saeid’s “Manuka and Kanuka Smoke Flavour” received good attention from Chinese companies. With the Māori Landowners and UniServices (as stakeholders), Saeid Baroutian and Kiri Dell (Faculty of Business & Economics) have recently established a spin-off company, Kauruki Ltd. Smoke flavour is part of a broader and wider project in Kauruki Ltd that seeks to create many commercially based products (separate from honey) from mānuka and kānuka.

Combining mātauranga Māori concerning the alimental benefits within kānuka and mānuka with the technologies in chemical and food process engineering, and market research analysis has enabled Saeid and Kiri to create unique food additive products. This is exciting on so many levels because it is also an opportunity to look at setting up a manufacturing plant in Ruātoria so that the whole Māori community can benefit from job opportunities and be engaged with research. This is Vision Mātauranga in authentic action!

Chemmat and UniServices are now working on this opportunity to scale up the technology in order to distribute these unique smoke ingredients in China, and co-develop new food products with Chinese companies.