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Professor Phil Bremer

Professor

Ph.D. (Otago), M.Sc. (Otago), B.Sc. (Otago)

 Phil Bremer 2020 image

Contact

Tel +64 3 479 5469
Email phil.bremer@otago.ac.nz
Location Archway West 1.07

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About

Phil’s research interests include product development, the tracking and controlling of foodborne pathogens, investigating the role of micro-organisms in flavour development, developing technologies and approaches to reduce food waste, and exploring consumer’s knowledge and perceptions on a range of food related topics.

Phil has worked with a wide range of companies on projects in the dairy, vegetable, seafood, meat, brewing and wine industries.

Prior to becoming a Professor in Food Science, Phil was the Microbiology Programme Manager at the New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food Research, Nelson from 1992 to 2002.

Phil is Chief Scientist for the New Zealand Food Safety Science Research Centre. He is also the President of The New Zealand Institute of Food Scientists and Technologists and a member of The New Zealand Association of Food Protection (President 2017–18), The New Zealand Microbiological Society (President 2001–03), and the Ministry of Health’s Infectious Disease Academy.

Phil leads the Technical Innovation sub-theme of the University of Otago’s Food Waste Innovation theme. The Theme measures food waste, develops reduction strategies, applies innovative technology, and works to modify producer and consumer behaviour.

Phil is available for consultation on a number of areas including:

The development of new food products

  • Ways to enhance the safety, quality or shelf-life of existing products
  • Microbiological issues in seafood, dairy and vegetable processing industries
  • Cleaning and sanitising regimes
  • Strategies to reduce or recover value from outputs which would otherwise be wasted

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Teaching

Course Co-ordinator

Contributor to

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Research

Research interests

  • Enhancing the quality, flavour attributes and shelf-life of foods
  • Understanding and optimising flavour development (beer, wine, blue cheese, processed meats)
  • The application of volatile analysis to study of food quality and/or microbial growth
  • Development and validation of cleaning and sanitising regimes
  • Consumer behaviour and food choice
  • Food safety and consumers’ perceptions of risk
  • Development of strategies to reduce or recover value from outputs which would otherwise be wasted

Research Funding/Projects

  • 2022, New Zealand-China Food Protection Network (NZ-CFPN). Behavioural Insights Research Programme Stage 3: Behavioural Insights for Food Assurance Practices – a Cultural Perspective. Miranda Mirosa, Phil Bremer, Craig Bunt, Pavel Castka, Lilly Zhao.
  • 2022, Ministry for Primary Industries. Nutrition Labelling. Miranda Mirosa, Phil Bremer, Sheila Skeaff, Tracy Perry, Erin Young.
  • 2021 University of Otago, Food Waste Innovation Theme Seed Research Grant, “Evaluation of brewery waste streams to assess potential for by-product utilization”. G. Eyres, P. Bremer and P. Silcock.
  • 2021-2023. New Zealand-China Food Protection. Behavioural Insights Research Programme Stage 2: Building biometrics behavioural science capability to underpin sound food safety and security decision making. Miranda Mirosa, Phil Bremer, Damien Mather, Erin Young and Kara Ma, Scion - Kate Parker, Eva Gaugler, Marc Gaugler, Lincoln University Lei Cong, Plant and Food Denise Conroy, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Eddy Fang, Tony So, China Agricultural University Xiaomeng Wu, Soochow University Hua He.
  • 2021. New Zealand Food Safety Science Research Centre. Challenges and opportunities for the New Zealand food industry associated with the use of recycled non-permanent materials (thermoplastics, paper and board). Bremer, P., Kilmartin, P., Young, B., Mirosa, M., and Silcock, P.
  • 2021. New Zealand Food Safety Science Research Centre. Towards the development of a Code of Practice for management of Cronobacter species in dairy production and processing environments, Swift, S., Young, B,, Huang, K., Bremer, P.
  • 2021– 2023, Catalyst Funding. Supporting HOP science and technology by high-throughput volatile compound analysis: Understanding changes during fermentation - HOVOC Fondazione Edmund Mach, Italy, Silcock, P, Bremer, P. and Eyres, G.
  • 2021. Royal Society Catalyst Seeding General. “Using fermentation to create flavour for plant based analogue products” (21-UOO-004-CSG). Pat Silcock, G. Eyres, P. Bremer, F. Biasioli, V. Capozzi, M. Tufariello.

Postgraduate Supervision

Supervision topics

My industry connections are as follows:

  • seafood Industry
  • vegetable processors
  • dairy Industry
  • brewing Industry
  • wine Industry
  • meat Industry
  • poultry Industry

Please email me for a list of projects.

Current Students

  • Rebecca Roberts. Understanding hop flavour in beer using high throughput volatile compound analysis. Graham Eyres, Pat Silcock, Phil Bremer, Franco Biasioli. University of Otago Scholarship
  • Jessica O’Connor, Food waste in the beef and dairy industry. Mirosa, M. Bremer, P., G. Lucci and S. Skeaff. AgResearch PhD Scholarship
  • Grace Clare, Determining the return on social investment for food banks. Mirosa, M. Bremer, P and Skeaff, S. University of Otago Scholarship
  • Stella Zhou, Investigation of the barriers and enablers for reducing meat consumption in China. Mirosa, M. and Bremer, P. University of Otago Scholarship
  • Sarathadevi Rajendran, The development of meat and dairy flavours by the fermentation of plant based substrates. Bremer, P. and Silcock, P. AHEAD (Accelerating Higher Education Expansion and Development program) a world bank-funded project- PhD scholarship
  • Charlene Li, Quantification and management of food waste associated with online food delivery in China. Mirosa, M. and Bremer, P., Division of Science Strategic Scholarship

Recent Students

  • Parise Adadi (2022). The effect of sound on yeast during fermentation and the impact on beer flavour, Eyres, G., Silcock, P. Bremer, P. and Jeffs, A. Smart Ideas PhD Scholarship Funding
  • Soundarya Karamcheti (2022). Using Bayesian inference to model microbial growth or death in food. Bremer, P. Schofield, M. and G. Brightwell. Division of Science Strategic Scholarship
  • Roman Kari, (2022) Impact of pulse electric field processing and sous vide technology on the tenderness of beef short-ribs. I Oey, P. Silcock and P. J. Bremer. MBIE FIET Scholarship
  • Erin Young (2021). Chinese consumer perceptions of smart packaging technologies. Mirosa, M. and Bremer, P. New Zealand Food Safety Science Research Centre Scholarship
  • Ke Wang (2021). Understanding consumers’ acceptance in China and New Zealand of novel food processing technologies. Bremer, P., Mirosa, M. and Fang, E
  • Ryan High (2021). Volatile flavour development in New Zealand blue cheese by unique strains of Penicillium roqueforti, P. J. Bremer, B. Kebede, G. Eyres. University of Otago PhD Scholarship

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Publications

O'Connor, J., Skeaff, S., Bremer, P., Lucci, G., & Mirosa, M. (2023). A critical review of on-farm food loss and waste: Future research and policy recommendations. Renewable Agriculture & Food Systems, 38, e24. doi: 10.1017/S1742170523000169

Clare, G., Diprose, G., Lee, L., Bremer, P., Skeaff, S., & Mirosa, M. (2023). Measuring the impact of food rescue: A social return on investment analysis. Food Policy, 117, 102454. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1071829

Rajendran, S., Silcock, P., & Bremer, P. (2023). Flavour volatiles of fermented vegetable and fruit substrates: A review. Molecules, 28, 3236. doi: 10.3390/molecules28073236

Mirosa, M., & Bremer, P. (2023). Understanding new foods: Upcycling. In L. Serventi (Ed.), Sustainable food innovation. (pp. 147-156). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-12358-0_11

Kumar, A., Warburton, A., Silcock, P., Bremer, P. J., & Eyres, G. T. (2023). Yeast strain influences the hop-derived sensory properties and volatile composition of beer. Foods, 12, 1064. doi: 10.3390/foods12051064

Mirosa, M., & Bremer, P. (2023). Understanding new foods: Upcycling. In L. Serventi (Ed.), Sustainable food innovation. (pp. 147-156). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-12358-0_11

Chapter in Book - Research

Karki, R., Oey, I., Bremer, P., & Silcock, P. (2022). Pulsed electric fields application in meat processing. In J. Raso, V. Heinz, I. Alvarez & S. Toepfl (Eds.), Pulsed electric fields technology for the food industry: Fundamentals and applications. (2nd ed.) (pp. 399-438). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-70586-2_14

Chapter in Book - Research

Rashidinejad, A., Bremer, P., Birch, J., & Oey, I. (2017). Nutrients in cheese and their effect on health and disease. In R. R. Watson, R. J. Collier & V. R. Preedy (Eds.), Nutrients in dairy and their implications for health and disease. (pp. 177-192). London, UK: Academic Press.

Chapter in Book - Research

Alahakoon, A. U., Faridnia, F., Bremer, P. J., Silcock, P., & Oey, I. (2016). Pulsed electric fields effects on meat tissue quality and functionality. In D. Miklavcic (Ed.), Handbook of electroporation. Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-26779-1_179-1

Chapter in Book - Research

Flint, S., Palmer, J., Burgess, S., Bremer, P., Seale, B., Brooks, J., & Lindsay, D. (2016). Biofilm formation and control. In G. W. Smithers (Ed.), Reference module in food science. Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.00639-9

Chapter in Book - Research

Bremer, P., Flint, S., Brooks, J., & Palmer, J. (2015). Introduction to biofilms: Definition and basic concepts. In K. H. Teh, S. Flint, J. Brooks & G. Knight (Eds.), Biofilms in the dairy industry. (pp. 1-16). Chichester, UK: Wiley Blackwell.

Chapter in Book - Research

Flint, S., Brooks, J., & Bremer, P. (2015). Thermoresistant streptococci. In K. H. Teh, S. Flint, J. Brooks & G. Knight (Eds.), Biofilms in the dairy industry. (pp. 99-111). Chichester, UK: Wiley Blackwell.

Chapter in Book - Research

Niimi, J., Overington, A. R., Silcock, P., Bremer, P. J., & Delahunty, C. M. (2015). Influence of cross-modal sensory interactions on cheese flavour intensity and character. In B. Guthrie, J. Beauchamp, A. Buettner & B. K. Lavine (Eds.), The chemical sensory informatics of food: Measurement, analysis, integration: ACS Symposium Series (Vol. 1191). (pp. 15-25). Washington, DC: American Chemical Society. doi: 10.1021/bk-2015-1191.ch002

Chapter in Book - Research

Parkar, S., Flint, S., Teh, K. H., Brooks, J., & Bremer, P. (2015). Pathogen contamination in dairy manufacturing environments. In K. H. Teh, S. Flint, J. Brooks & G. Knight (Eds.), Biofilms in the dairy industry. (pp. 154-188). Chichester, UK: Wiley Blackwell.

Chapter in Book - Research

Seale, B., Bremer, P., Flint, S., Brooks, J., & Palmer, J. (2015). Overview of the problems resulting from biofilm contamination in the dairy industry. In K. H. Teh, S. Flint, J. Brooks & G. Knight (Eds.), Biofilms in the dairy industry. (pp. 49-64). Chichester, UK: Wiley Blackwell.

Chapter in Book - Research

Seale, B., Burgess, S., Flint, S., Brooks, J., Bremer, P., & Parkar, S. (2015). Thermophilic spore‐forming bacilli in the dairy industry. In K. H. Teh, S. Flint, J. Brooks & G. Knight (Eds.), Biofilms in the dairy industry. (pp. 112-137). Chichester, UK: Wiley Blackwell.

Chapter in Book - Research

Teh, K. H., Flint, S., & Bremer, P. (2015). Raw milk quality influenced by biofilms and the effect of biofilm growth on dairy product quality. In K. H. Teh, S. Flint, J. Brooks & G. Knight (Eds.), Biofilms in the dairy industry. (pp. 65-98). Chichester, UK: Wiley Blackwell.

Chapter in Book - Research

Flint, S., Palmer, J., Bremer, P., Seale, B., Brooks, J., Lindsay, D., & Burgess, S. (2011). Biofilm formation. In J. W. Fuquay, P. F. Fox & P. L. H. McSweeney (Eds.), Encyclopedia of dairy sciences (Vol. 1). (2nd ed.) (pp. 445-450). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

Chapter in Book - Research

Bremer, P. J., & Seale, R. B. (2010). Clean-in-place (CIP). In Encyclopedia of industrial biotechnology: Bioprocesses, bioseparation, and cell technology. Wiley. doi: 10.1002/9780470054581.eib231

Chapter in Book - Research

Bremer, P., Seale, B., Flint, S., & Palmer, J. (2009). Biofilms in dairy processing. In P. M. Fratamico, B. A. Annous & N. W. Guenther (Eds.), Biofilms in the food and beverage industries. (pp. 396-431). Oxford: Woodhead. doi: 10.1533/9781845697167.4.396

Chapter in Book - Research

Geesey, G. G., Beech, I., Bremer, P. J., Webster, B. J., & Wells, B. D. (2000). Biocorrosion. In J. Bryers (Ed.), Biofilms II: Process analysis and applications. (pp. 281-325). New York, USA: Wiley-Liss Inc..

Chapter in Book - Research

Clare, G., Diprose, G., Lee, L., Bremer, P., Skeaff, S., & Mirosa, M. (2023). Measuring the impact of food rescue: A social return on investment analysis. Food Policy, 117, 102454. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1071829

Journal - Research Article

Karki, R., Oey, I., Bremer, P., & Silcock, P. (2023). Understanding the effect of meat electrical conductivity on Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) process parameters and the ability of PEF to enhance the quality and shorten sous vide processing for beef short ribs. Food Research International, 163, 112251. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112251

Journal - Research Article

Kumar, A., Warburton, A., Silcock, P., Bremer, P. J., & Eyres, G. T. (2023). Yeast strain influences the hop-derived sensory properties and volatile composition of beer. Foods, 12, 1064. doi: 10.3390/foods12051064

Journal - Research Article

Castka, P., Zhao, X., Bremer, P., Wood, L. C., & Mirosa, M. (2022). Supplier audits during COVID-19: A process perspective on their transformation and implications for the future. International Journal of Logistics Management, 33(4), 1294-1314. doi: 10.1108/ijlm-05-2021-0302

Journal - Research Article

Clare, G., Mirosa, M., & Bremer, P. (2022). The impact of COVID-19 on food rescue organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand and future crisis management. British Food Journal. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1108/BFJ-12-2021-1292

Journal - Research Article

Cong, L., Bremer, P., Fang, E., Li, L., & Mirosa, M. (2022). Biocide use in the beverage industry: Consumers' knowledge and label preferences relating to the need and usefulness of biocides with particular reference to dairy beverage products in New Zealand and China. Beverages, 8(1), 5. doi: 10.3390/beverages8010005

Journal - Research Article

Etxabide, A., Young, B., Bremer, P. J., & Kilmartin, P. A. (2022). Non-permanent primary food packaging materials assessment: Identification, migration, toxicity, and consumption of substances. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science & Food Safety. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.13001

Journal - Research Article

High, R., Kebede, B., Eyres, G., & Bremer, P. (2022). Modelling the non-linear development of Shenley Station blue cheese volatiles during ripening using untargeted volatile fingerprinting and self-organizing maps. Food Chemistry Advances. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.focha.2022.100047

Journal - Research Article

Karki, R., Oey, I., Bremer, P., Leong, S. Y., & Silcock, P. (2022). Effect of pulsed electric fields (PEF) pre-treatment on the quality of sous vide (SV) processed beef short ribs and optimisation of PEF and SV process parameters using multiple polynomial regression model. Food & Bioprocess Technology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s11947-022-02932-y

Journal - Research Article

Leong, S. Y., Roberts, R., Hu, Z., Bremer, P., Silcock, P., Toepfl, S., & Oey, I. (2022). Texture and in vitro starch digestion kinetics of French fries produced from potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) pre-treated with pulsed electric fields. Applied Food Research, 2, 100194. doi: 10.1016/j.afres.2022.100194

Journal - Research Article

Li, C., Bremer, P., Harder, M. K., Lee, M. S. W., Parker, K., Gaugler, E. C., & Mirosa, M. (2022). A systematic review of food loss and waste in China: Quantity, impacts and mediators. Journal of Environmental Management, 303, 114092. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.114092

Journal - Research Article

Ma, K. X., Mather, D. W., Ott, D. L., Fang, E., Bremer, P., & Mirosa, M. (2022). Fresh food online shopping repurchase intention: The role of post-purchase customer experience and corporate image. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 50(2), 206-228. doi: 10.1108/IJRDM-04-2021-0184

Journal - Research Article

Wang, K., Mirosa, M., Hou, Y., & Bremer, P. (2022). Chinese consumers acceptance of novel technologies designed to control foodborne bacteria. Journal of Food Protection. Advance online publication. doi: 10.4315/jfp-22-006

Journal - Research Article

Yi, Y., Bremer, P., Mather, D., & Mirosa, M. (2022). Factors affecting the diffusion of traceability practices in an imported fresh produce supply chain in China. British Food Journal, 124(4), 1350-1364. doi: 10.1108/bfj-03-2021-0227

Journal - Research Article

Adadi, P., Harris, A., Bremer, P., Silcock, P., Ganley, A. R. D., Jeffs, A. G., & Eyres, G. T. (2021). The effect of sound frequency and intensity on yeast growth, fermentation performance and volatile composition of beer. Molecules, 26, 7239. doi: 10.3390/molecules26237239

Journal - Research Article

Gholamibozanjani, G., Leong, S. Y., Oey, I., Bremer, P., Silcock, P., & Farid, M. (2021). Heat and mass transfer modeling to predict temperature distribution during potato frying after pre-treatment with pulsed electric field. Foods, 10(8), 1679. doi: 10.3390/foods10081679

Journal - Research Article

High, R., Eyres, G. T., Bremer, P., & Kebede, B. (2021). Characterization of blue cheese volatiles using fingerprinting, self-organizing maps, and entropy-based feature selection. Food Chemistry, 347, 128955. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128955

Journal - Research Article

Hutchings, S. C., Guerrero, L., Mirosa, M., Bremer, P., Mather, D., Pavan, E., … Realini, C. E. (2021). The implications of COVID-19 on Chinese consumer preferences for lamb meat. Foods, 10(6), 1324. doi: 10.3390/foods10061324

Journal - Research Article

Jalil Mozhdehi, N., Abeywickrema, S., Bremer, P. J., & Peng, M. (2021). Comparing taste detection thresholds across individuals following vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore diets. Foods, 10, 2704. doi: 10.3390/foods10112704

Journal - Research Article

Richter, T. M., Laing, R. M., & Bremer, P. J. (2021). Binding and release of odor compounds from textiles: Changing fiber selection for apparel. Textile Research Journal, 91(7-8), 709-716. doi: 10.1177/0040517520957397

Journal - Research Article

Asaduzzaman, M., Scampicchio, M., Biasioli, F., Bremer, P. J., & Silcock, P. (2020). Methanethiol formation during the photochemical oxidation of methionine‐riboflavin system. Flavour & Fragrance Journal, 35, 34-41. doi: 10.1002/ffj.3536

Journal - Research Article

Chua, J. C. L., Hale, J. D. F., Silcock, P., & Bremer, P. J. (2020). Bacterial survival and adhesion for formulating new oral probiotic foods. Critical Reviews in Food Science & Nutrition, 60(17), 2926-2937. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2019.1669528

Journal - Research Article

Cong, L., Bremer, P., Kaye-Blake, W., & Mirosa, M. (2020). Chinese consumers’ perceptions of immune health and immune-boosting remedies including functional foods. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 26(1), 55-78. doi: 10.1080/10454446.2020.1720885

Journal - Research Article

Cong, L., Mirosa, M., Kaye-Blake, W., & Bremer, P. (2020). Ideal attributes of functional foods helping the immune system recover from the impact of air pollution: A consumer-led product design. Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing, 32(5), 482-502. doi: 10.1080/08974438.2020.1750528

Journal - Research Article

Cong, L., Mirosa, M., Kaye-Blake, W., & Bremer, P. (2020). Immune-boosting functional foods: A potential remedy for Chinese consumers living under polluted air. Business & Management Studies, 6(1), 12-27. doi: 10.11114/bms.v6i1.4624

Journal - Research Article

Li, C., Mirosa, M., & Bremer, P. (2020). Review of online food delivery platforms and their impacts on sustainability. Sustainability, 12(14), 5528. doi: 10.3390/su12145528

Journal - Research Article

Mirosa, M., Liu, Y., & Bremer, P. (2020). Chinese consumers' perceptions of food safety cues and maximising the effectiveness of food safety communications. British Food Journal. doi: 10.1108/BFJ-09-2019-0694

Journal - Research Article

Mirosa, M., Liu, Y., & Bremer, P. (2020). Determining how Chinese consumers that purchase Western food products prioritize food safety cues: A conjoint study on adult milk powder. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 26(5), 358-371. doi: 10.1080/10454446.2020.1782796

Journal - Research Article

Phan, T., Bremer, P., & Mirosa, M. (2020). Vietnamese consumers' preferences for functional milk powder attribute: A segmentation-based conjoint study with educated consumers. Sustainability, 12(13), 5258. doi: 10.3390/su12135258

Journal - Research Article

Soni, A., Oey, I., Silcock, P., Ross, I. K., & Bremer, P. J. (2020). Effect of pulsed electric field with moderate heat (80°C) on inactivation, thermal resistance and differential gene expression in B. cereus spores. Journal of Food Processing & Preservation, 44, e14503. doi: 10.1111/jfpp.14503

Journal - Research Article

Alahakoon, A. U., Oey, I., Bremer, P., & Silcock, P. (2019). Process optimisation of pulsed electric fields pre-treatment to reduce the sous vide processing time of beef briskets. International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 54, 823-834. doi: 10.1111/ijfs.14002

Journal - Research Article

Alahakoon, A. U., Oey, I., Bremer, P., & Silcock, P. (2019). Quality and safety considerations of incorporating post-PEF ageing into the pulsed electric fields and sous vide processing chain. Food & Bioprocess Technology, 12(5), 852-864. doi: 10.1007/s11947-019-02254-6

Journal - Research Article

Cong, L., Bremer, P., & Mirosa, M. (2019). Chinese consumers’ perceptions of functional foods: A netnography study of foods that help the immune system recover from air pollution. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 25(6), 628-646. doi: 10.1080/10454446.2019.1626316

Journal - Research Article

High, R., Bremer, P., Kebede, B., & Eyres, G. T. (2019). Comparison of four extraction techniques for the evaluation of volatile compounds in spray-dried New Zealand sheep milk. Molecules, 24(10), 1917. doi: 10.3390/molecules24101917

Journal - Research Article

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