Professor Phil Bremer
Ph.D. University of Otago (1988)
M.Sc. (Distinction) University of Otago (1984)
B.Sc. University of Otago (1982)
Tel 64 3 479 5469
Fax 64 3 479 7567
Email phil.bremer@otago.ac.nz
Research Philosophy
I like to apply a multi-disciplinary approach involving chemistry, microbiology, product development, flavour and sensory science to gain an understanding of how factors such as raw material characteristics, product formulation, handling methods, or processing and storage regimes impact on a food's safety, stability (shelf-life) and sensory properties. I have worked with a wide range of companies on projects in the dairy, vegetable, seafood, meat, brewing and wine industries.
Specific Research Interests
- Enhancing the quality, flavour attributes and shelf-life of foods.
- The application of volatile analysis to study of food quality and/or microbial growth.
- The development and assessment of microbial control regimes (sources of pathogens, thermal processing, washing, marinades, steam treatments)
- Development and validation of cleaning and sanitising regimes.
- Bacteria/metal interactions (metal cation binding to bacteria or bacteria attaching to metals)
- Understanding the factors affecting the attachment of bacteria to surfaces.
- The development of antifouling surfaces to limit bacterial attachment and marine fouling.
Course Co-ordinator
- FOSC 303 Food Quality Management
- FOSC 304 Food Science Project
- FOSC 311 Food Product Development
- FOSC 458 Flavour Science
- MICR 331 Food Microbiology
Thesis Topics Supervision
Industry Linkages
Seafood Industry, Vegetable processors, Dairy Industry, Brewing Industry, Wine Industry.
Referred Publications 136
Publications (last 5 years)
Matejka K. M., Bremer, P. J., Thompkins G. R., Brooks H.J.L. 2012 Antibotic susceptibilty of Moraxella catarrhalis biofilms in contiuous flow model. Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease. 74:394-398. doi.org/10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2012.08.021
Naila, A., Flint, S., Fletcher, G.C., Bremer, P.J., Meerdink, G., Morton, R.H. 2012. Prediction of the amount and rate of histamine degradation by diamine oxidase (DAO). Food Chemistry, 135:2650-2660.
Naila, A., Flint, S., Fletcher, G.C., Bremer, P.J., Meerdink, G. 2012. Histamine degradation by diamine oxidase, Lactobacillus and Vergibacillus halodonitrificans Nai18, Journal of Food Processing and Technology, 3(6):1-4
Verachia, W., Niven and Bremer, P. 2012. The effect of postharvest handling and processing on sea urchin (Evechinus chloroticus) gonad quality. International Journal of Food Science and Technology, 47:2545-2553. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2012.03133.x
Naila, A., Flint, S., Fletcher, G.C., Bremer, P.J., Meerdink, G. 2012. Histamine stability in Rihaakuru at -80C, 4C and 30C, Food Chemistry, 135:1226-1229
Verachia, W., Niven, B., Then, S. Brennan, N., Silcock, P. and Bremer, P. J. 2012. Determination of the similarity between gonads recovered from single sea urchins (Evechinus chloroticus) compared to the similarity of gonads recovered from different urchins. LWT - Food Science and Technology, 49:102-107 DOI:10.1016/j.lwt.2012.04.020
Verachia, W., Sewell, M.A., Niven, B., Leus, M., Barker, M.F. and Bremer, P.J. 2012. Seasonal changes in the biochemical properties of Evechinus chloroticus gonads (Echinodermata: Echinoidea), New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 46(3):399-410. DOI:10.1080/00288330.2012.697070
Garama, D., Bremer, P.J., and Carne, A. 2012. Extraction and analysis of carotenoids from the New Zealand sea urchin Evechinus chloroticus gonads Acta Biochimica Polonica, 59(1):83-85.
Teh, K.H., Flint, S., Palmer, J., Lindsay, D., Andrewes, P., Bremer, P. 2012 Proteolysis produced within biofilms of bacterial isolates from raw milk tankers, International Journal of Food Microbiology, 157:28-34.
Naila, A., Flint, S., Fletcher, G.C., Bremer, P.J., Meerdink, G. & Morton, R. H. (2011). Degradation of histamine in tuna soup by diamine oxidase (DAO). WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Enviroment, 152, 10 pages, 10.2495/FENV110111
Upritchard, H., Yang, J., Bremer, P., Lamont, I. McQuillan, A. 2011 Adsorption of enterobactin to metal oxides and the role of siderophores in bacterial adhesion to metals Langmuir 27(17):10587-10596. doi10.1021/la202352j
Teh, K.H., Flint, S., Palmer, J., Lindsay, D., Andrewes, P., Bremer, P. 2011. Thermo-resistant enzyme-producing bacteria isolated from the internal surfaces of raw milk tankers, International Dairy Journal, 21:742-747.
Han, J., Seale, R.B., Silcock, P., McQuillan, A. J., & Bremer, P.J. 2011. The physico-chemical characterization of casein-modified surfaces and their influences on the adhesion of spores from a Geobacillus species. Biofouling, 27(5), 459-466.
Naila, A., Flint, S., Fletcher, G.C., Bremer, P.J., and Gerrit, M. 2011. Biogenic amines and potential histamine - forming bacteria in Rihaakuru (a cooked fish paste), Food Chemistry, 128: 479-484
Seale, R.B., Flint, S. H.A., McQuillan, A.J. and Bremer, P.J. 2010. Effect of NaOH (caustic wash) on the viability, surface characteristics and adhesion of spores of a Geobacillus sp. isolated from a milk powder production line. Letters in Applied Microbiology, 52, 104-108.
Naila, A., Flint, S., Fletcher, G.C., Bremer, P.J., and Gerrit, M. 2010. Chemistry and microbiology of traditional Rihaakuru (fish paste) from the Maldives International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 62(2):139-47
Phillips, K., Hamid, N., Silcock, P., Sewell, M.A., Barker, M., Weaver, A., Then, S., Delahunty, C and Bremer, P. 2010. Effect of manufactured diets on the yield, biochemical composition and sensory quality of Evechinus chloroticus sea urchin gonads. Aquaculture, 308:49-59
Seale, R.B., Flint, S. H.A., McQuillan, A.J. and Bremer, P.J. 2010. Characterization of spore surfaces from a Geobacillus sp. isolate by pH dependence of surface charge and infrared spectra, Journal of Applied Microbiology, 109, (4):1339-1348.
Han, J., Silcock, P., McQuillan, A.J., Bremer, P.J., 2010. Self-organization of dipeptide-grafted polymeric nanoparticles film: A novel method for surface modification, European Polymer Journal, 46:1824-1832
Naila, A., Flint, S., Fletcher, G, Bremer, P., and Gerrit, M. 2010. Contol of Biogenic Amines in Flood-Exisiting and Emerging Approaches, Journal of Food Science, 75, (7), R139-R150.
Daughney, C.J., Hetzer, A., Heinrich, H.T.M., Burnett, P.G., Weerts, M., Morgan, H., Bremer, P.J., McQuillan, A.J. 2010. Proton and cadmium adsorption by the archaeon Thermococcus zilligii: Generalising the contrast between thermophiles and mesophiles as sorbents. Chemical Geology, 279(1-2), 82-90.
Shepard, J., Savory, D., Bremer, P. J., McQuillan, A.J. 2010. Salt modulates bacterial hydrophobicity and charge properties influencing adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA01) in aqueous suspensions. Langmuir, 26(11): 8659-8665.
Niimi, J., Leus, M., Silcock, P., Hamid, N., Bremer, P., 2010. Charateristics of odour active volatile compounds of New Zealand sea urchin (Evechinus chloroticus) roe using gas chromatography-olfactometry-finger span cross modality (GC-O-FSCM) method. Food Chemistry, 121:601-607
Phillips, K., Niimi, J., Hamid, N., Silcock, P., Delahunty, C., Barker, M., Sewell, M. and Bremer, P. 2010. Sensory and volatile analysis of sea urchin roe from different geographical regions in New Zealand. LWT-Food Science and Technology 243:202-213. DOI:10.1016/j.lwt.2009.08.008
Phillips, K., Hamid, N., Silcock, P., Delahunty, C., Barker, M. and Bremer, P. 2010. Effect of season on the sensory quality of sea urchin (Evechinus chloroticus) roe. Journal of Food Science 75(1):S20-30
Shepard, J., Bremer, P.J., McQuillan, A.J., 2009. Structure and conformation in Poly(ethylene oxide)-water mixtures: Principle Component Analysis and band fitting of infrared Absorptions. Journal of Physical Chemistry, B113(43):14229-14238.
Han. J., Silcock, P., McQuillan, A.J. and Bremer, P. 2009. Bovine serum albumin adsorption on N-methyl-D-glucamine modified colloidal silica. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects 349:207-213. doi:10.1016/j.colsurfa.2009.08.023
Phillips, K., Bremer, P., Silcock, P., Hamid, N., Delahunty, C., Barker, M. and Kissick, J. 2009. Effect of gender, diet and storage time on the physical properties and sensory quality of sea urchin (Evechinus chloroticus) gonads. Aquaculture 288:205-215. DOI:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2008.11.026
Shephard, J., McQuillan, A. J. and Bremer, P. J. 2008. Mechanisms of cation exchange by Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and PAO1 wbpL, a strain with truncated lipopolysaccharide. Applied and Environmental Microbiology: 74(22): 6980-6986.
Heinrich, H. T. M, Bremer, P. J., McQuillan, A. J., Daughney, C. J., 2008. Modelling of the acid–base properties of two thermophilic bacteria at different growth times. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 72:4185–4200. DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2008.06.017
Han, J., Silcock, P., McQuillan, A. J. and Bremer, P. 2008. Preparation and characterisation of Poly(Styrene-alt-Maleic acid)-b-Polystyrene block copolymer self-assembled nanoparticles. Colloid and Polymer Science, 286:1605-1612. DOI: 10.1007/s00396-008-1934-7
Seale, R. B., Flint, S. H., McQuillan, A. J. and Bremer, P. J., 2008 Recovery of spores from thermophilic dairy bacilli and effects of their surface characteristics on attachment to different surfaces, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74(3):731–737. DOI:10.1128/AEM.01725-07
Membership of Scientific and Professional Organizations
Member, New Zealand Microbiological Society (President 2007 – 2009)
Fellow, New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology
Member, American Society for Microbiology
Research Funding (Last 5 years)
2010 - 2014. Bremer, P. J., Silcock, P. and Lusk, K. Fresh is Best . Goodman Fielder / MSI. Collaborator Hamish Conway, Goodman Fielder, $330 000.
2010 - 2011. S. Silcock, S.P. Heenan, P. J. Bremer and E. Walton. Determination of the factors controlling the development of wine flavour using PTR-MS. New Zealand Wine Growers Research Project Proposal, $80 000. Collaborators from IASMA Research and Innovations Centre, Foundation Edmund, Food Quality and Nutritional Area, S. Michele, Italy.
2010 - 2011. P. J. Bremer, R. Muirhead, and S. P. Heenan. Can volatile analysis determine the mechanisms involved in faecal microbial transport from agricultural land to waterways? Primary Partnerships University of Otago and AgResearch, $52 180. Collaboration with Climate Land and Enviroment, AgResearch.
2009 - 2012. P. J. Bremer, S. Silcock and N. Hamid, Nutritional Vitality: Cross Modal Sensory Interactions, Foundation for Research Science and Technology, Sub-contract from this Fonterra led programme of $375 000, Sub-contract Programme Manager. Collaborators: Fonterra and Food Safety Australia.
2009. S. Flint, P. Bremer and J. Palmer, Improving raw milk quality through biofilm control, Foundation for Research Science and Technology, TIF 22319, $90 000. Collaborators: Massey University,. PhD Co-Supervisorl, Kenneth Teh.
2008. J. Pirker and P. J. Bremer, Increasing postgraduate study and research relevant to the seafood sector. Tertiary Education Commitee: Encouraging and Supporting Innovation Fund, Collaboration between Canterbury University and the University of Otago, $177 777
2008 - 2009. P. J. Bremer, S. Silcock and N. Hamid, Explaning the consumer perception of freshness in terms of objective measures: a product development tool. Baking Industry Research Trust, $45 000.PI
2006 - 2009. Te Tipu Putaiao Fellowship from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology to support Daniel Garama's research into the biochemistry of compounds that affect roe colour and flavour. Supervisors are A. Carne (Biochemistry), P. Bremer (Food Science) and M. Barker (Marine Science) $107 500
2005 – 2008. P. J. Bremer, J. McQuillan, S. Flint, Technology New Zealand Application 04-TIF-14809 Scholarship for Control of Spore Attachment to Surfaces. $ 93,000. In collaboration with Foterra.
2004 – 2010. J. McQuillan, P. J. Bremer, M. Barker and P. Silcock, Multiscale Modelling and Control of Material Structure, Properties and Performance New Economy Research Fund(CO8X0409). $ 2,100,000 (Value of the University of Otago's subcontract) PI. Collaborators: Industrial Research Limited, Fonterra and Resene Paints.
2004-2008. P. J. Bremer (Programme Leader), P. Silcock and M. Barker, Maximising value from the New Zealand Sea Urchin (Evechinus chloroticus) Resource: Enhancement of roe quality through diet and development of processing strategies. Foundation for Research Science and Technology, Innovative Foods, UOOX0402, $ 2,776,000.
Current Students
- Valentina Ting, Real time monitoring of volatile organic compound release in relation with textural and acoustic characteristics in apples. P.J. Bremer, P. Silcock, F. Biasioli
- Claudia Schueuermann, Understanding the factors responsible for character development in Pinot noir. P. J. Bremer, P. Silcock.
- Mohammad Alothman, Fresh is Best. P. J. Bremer, K. Lusk, P. Silcock, H. Conway.
- Hassan Ismailia, Preperation of biodiesel from algae growing on food waste. J. Birch, P. J. Bremer.
- Rana Peniamina, The impact of food hypersensitivity on quality of life, M. Mirosa, T. Connor, P. J. Bremer.
- Khalid Al-Shoaily, The production and flavour properties of date vinegar, P.J. Bremer, A. Bekhit, N. Hamid.
- Leonardo Germoni, The effects of carbohydrate depolymerases on bacteriophage and antibiotic penetration of alginate biofilms of P. aeruginosa. I. Lamont and P.J. Bremer
- Mohd Hafiz Bin Jamaludin. Investigating the mechanism responsible for the enhanced shelf-life of venison. A. Bekhit, P.J. Bremer.
Completed PhD Projects
- Jun Niimi, Cross modal sensory interactions. P. J. Bremer, A. Overington, C. Delahunty, P. Silcock.
- Anil Jalaludin, Attachment and activity of proteins on surfaces. J. McQuillan, P. J. Bremer, B. Monk
- Koon Hoon (Kenneth) Teh, Improving raw milk quality through biofilm control. S. Flint, P. J. Bremer, J. Palmer.
- Aishath Naila, Histamine reduction possibilites from Maldive fishery products including Rihaakuru. S. Flint, G. Meerdink, G. Fletcher, P. J. Bremer.
- Dan Garama, The biochemistry of compounds that affect roe colour and flavour. A. Carne, P.J. Bremer, M. Barker.
- Deborah Jordan, Synthesis and study of quaternary nitrogen surfactants. E. W. Tan, P. J. Bremer, J. McQuillan.
- Wasseela Verachia, Enhancing the quality and shelf-life of kina roe. P. J. Bremer, M. Barker.
- Karen Matejka, Characterisation of Moraxella catarrhalis biofilms. G. Tompkins, P. J. Bremer.
- Brent Seale, Control of spore attachment to surfaces. P. J. Bremer, J. McQuillan.
- Kylie Phillips, Enhacement of sensory properties of kina roe. P. J. Bremer, N. Hamid, C. Delahunty, P. Silcock.
- Hannah Heinrich, Metal binding by extremophilic bacteria. P. J. Bremer, J. McQuillan.
- Richard Muirhead, The association between faecal bacteria and soil particles in overland flow. P. J. Bremer, R. Collins
- Muriel Dufour, Novel antimicrobial products incorporating compounds derived from milk, R. Simmonds, P. J. Bremer.
- Steve Flint, Formation and control of biofilms of thermo-resistant streptococci on stainless steel, J. Brooks, P. J. Bremer
Professional Positions Held
2002 - Department of Food Science, University of Otago.
1992 - 2002 Microbiology Programme Manager, New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food Research, Nelson, New Zealand.
1991 - 1992 Post-doctoral fellow, Center for Interfacial Microbial Process Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, (now called Center for Biofilm Engineering, CBE).
1989 - 1991 Post doctoral fellow, Microbiology Department, California State University, Long Beach.
Professional Specialties
- Consultant on developing new food products or enhacing the safety, quality or shelf-life of existing products.
- Consultant on Microbiology in seafood, dairy and vegetable processing industries.
- Consultant on cleaning and sanitising regimes.
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