Amit Taneja
Position: Junior Research Officer, Organisation: Riddet Institute
Amit Taneja
Amit enjoys working in the food technology industry.
Amit’s role is a product developer at the Riddet Institute. Since 2006, he’s been involved in developing and commercialising a microencapsulated omega-3 emulsion for food products.
Find out more about fish oil in functional food in this introductory article.
Job
Amit works closely with the business development team at Speirs Nutritionals Limited, providing technical support to food companies in New Zealand and overseas.
Every day, I have something new to do and something more to learn.
As well as omega-3 products, Amit has been developing various dairy-based beverages with a multinational food company.
The diverse nature of the job is what Amit enjoys the most. It’s not just about trying out new formulations at a bench scale – scale-up, industrial practicality and consumer acceptance are some of the other things that come into play. All in all, he feels it’s an exciting and rewarding field.
Career pathway
After finishing senior secondary school, Amit wanted to have a career in an area that was very hands on and was applicable to everyday life. Having visited various food industries in the region during school trips, he was aware of the career opportunities as a food technologist.
After completing his undergraduate degree in food process engineering at GND University in India, Amit decided to further his studies with an MTech at Massey University, undertaking project work in new product development.
Adding fish oil to ice cream
Researchers at Riddet Institute have tried adding the emulsion to a variety of different food types to show the food industry that it can be used in a range of products. By adding it to ice cream, they have shown it can be added to frozen products.
Personal interests
Amit feels it is essential to maintain recreational interests as it helps to relax and cope with stress. During the last couple of years, he has been enjoying mountain biking at various tracks around the North Island. Amit also plays club cricket during summer to stay competitive and golf to hang out with friends.
This article is based on information current in 2009.
Adding fish oil to ice cream
Researchers at Riddet Institute have tried adding the emulsion to a variety of different food types to show the food industry that it can be used in a range of products. By adding it to ice cream, they have shown it can be added to frozen products.
Amit Taneja: a career in food technology
Amit Taneja developed an interest in food technology when he was at secondary school. He completed a master’s degree at Massey University and is now working in food product development at Riddet Institute in Palmerston North. Amit finds the work really exciting because it involves all aspects of food technology.
