Food Science master's student Nazuna Harada in the 'nursery' where she grows the prize-winning larvae that could help devour food waste.
Second- year Food Science master’s student Nazuna Harada is flying high after winning the poster and presentation categories at the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST) conference in July.
Attending her first conference and sharing how insects can help us make better use of food waste was a milestone for the researcher who once had quite different career aspirations.
"I took a course in high school called Food and Nutrition because I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher," Nazuna says.
"I wanted to learn about children’s nutrition, but then I found out about food poverty. It made me curious about why it’s difficult to produce cheap, nutritional food from raw materials and get it to the consumer."
Learning about food production and its associated challenges inspired Nazuna to undertake Food Science research. She left her hometown of Christchurch and made a beeline for the University of Otago.
"I came to Otago because the employment rate is high for Otago graduates, and because the campus is pretty. I love it here – I like the scenery, the old buildings and the traditional vibes."
She may not be spending her days in a kindergarten, but Nazuna has her own nursery – an incubator filled with black soldier fly larvae.
"I grow 600 at a time. I see them every day and say 'hi' and give them water. It’s quite cute looking at them," she says.
"We have lots of food waste materials that have no use, and I'd like to transform them into something useful. So, I’m taking non-edible waste material and converting it into food for the larvae, which can then be used for different applications."
The high-fat larvae can be fed to chickens and fish, produce a biofertiliser, and their oil can be extracted for possible future use in human foods.
"It brings food waste back into the food system to create a more circular, sustainable food economy."
Nazuna beetled away to distil her research for the NZIFST poster and presentation competitions, getting feedback from industry and conference delegates.
Though she had butterflies about attending the conference, she enjoyed the opportunity to connect with her peers and see Otago "dominate the podium".
Still buzzing from her successes, Nazuna has some advice for other "shy but competitive" students.
"Sometimes it’s important to take a big or little step," she says.
"It’s quite a privilege to have the university experience. Enjoy the journey and take opportunities – you don’t know where they will lead to."
Nazuna's prize-winning tips
Presentation: “Think about your audience. Make it fun, relatable, simple and clear. To check that you’re not using jargon, ask for feedback from non-scientists.”
Poster: “Use colour strategically. Stand back and stare at your poster. Lots of staring is needed!”