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Professor

PhD (Leuven), MSc (Leuven), BSc (Bogor)

Indrawati Oey

Contact

Tel +64 3 479 8735
Email indrawati.oey@otago.ac.nz
Office Hours 9am- 5pm (Mon-Fri)
Location Archway West 1.08

About

Professor Indra Oey is Chair Professor of Food Science and a leading expert in food science, dedicated to advancing innovative food processing technologies and educating the next generation of food scientists. She actively teaches and mentors students while directing groundbreaking research in the field.

Her work focuses on developing smart food processing strategies using both conventional and advanced technologies—such as high pressure and pulsed electric fields—to create safer, healthier food products with unique sensory qualities. A key aspect of her research is understanding consumer perception and acceptance of food products and the technologies used to produce them, ensuring sustainable production and market success.

She holds esteemed fellowships with Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), the International Academy for Food Science and Technology (IAFST), and the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology. She is also a Professional Member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), United States. Previously, she served as Chair of Training and Development for the European Union-funded NovelQ project (2005–2008) and was honoured as a Distinguished Professor by the Institute of Food Science and Technology at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (2017).

Currently, she is a Principal Investigator at the Riddet Institute Center for Research Excellence (CoRE), a President Elect (becoming president in 2026) for the International Society for Electroporation-Based Technologies and Treatments, a Science Leader for the Ngā iwi i Te Rohe o Te Waiariki Māori Aquaculture Programme, and a Science Board Member for the German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL).

She  is also an active member of the Food Waste Innovation research group at the University of Otago, which focuses on measuring food waste, developing reduction strategies, applying innovative technologies, and shaping consumer and producer behaviour.

Find out more about Food Waste Innovation

Teaching

Course Co-ordinator

  • AGRI 321 Agriculture Production and Food Security
  • 400 Level Advanced Topics Module: Food Enzymology

Contributor to

  • FOSC 111 Food in a Changing World
  • FOSC 202 Food Systems and Quality
  • FOSC301 Food Chemistry, Structure and Function
  • FOSC 311 Food Product Development
  • APPS597 Supervised Independent Study

Research

Research interests

  • Plant proteins production and functionality
  • Enzymatic and chemical reactions in biological systems
  • Food processing and preservation technologies (Thermal treatment, High Pressure, Pulsed Electric Fields)
  • Enzyme technology and modulation
  • Postharvest Innovation and Sustainable Food Production
  • Kinetic modelling for design, evaluation and optimization of biological processes
  • Stability and functionality of health related secondary metabolites in vivo and in vitro to create novel functional foods

Research Projects (selected)

  • 2025–2028 Principal Investigator of Riddet Institute Center for Research Excellence for “Novel processing to enhance plant protein functionality and utilisation”. Funded by Ministry of Tertiary Education, Ongoing
  • 2023–2025 Co-Investigator, “New Zealand seaweed - a tissue engineering opportunity”. Funded by Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) funding Smart Idea. Ongoing.
  • 2020–2023 Principle Investigator, “Development of Pulsed Electric Field processing chamber for high throughput processing of value added products”. Funded by Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) funding for “Food Industry Enabling Technology” FIET Project (contract MAUX1402). Completed
  • 2015–2021 Principle Investigator Research grant on High Hydrostatic Pressure and Pulsed Electric Field processing technology: Funded by Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) funding for “Food Industry Enabling Technology” FIET Project (contract MAUX1402). Hosted by Massey University.In total, there are 6 institutions involved, University of Otago, University of Aucklan, Massey University, Plant and Food Research, AgResearch and Riddet Institute. NZ$ 16.8M. Completed

Postgraduate Supervision

Supervision topics

Please contact me for a list of topics or to discuss your ideas.

Current students

  • Safira Andayani (2024). Effect of novel processing and fermentation on legumes
  • Angela Wulansari (2024). Effect of high pressure homogenisation and Pulsed Electric Field on the fermentation of oat-pea milk
  • Nan Hu (2024). Reduced-salt bread: Consumer perception and effect on blood pressure and serum electrolytes
  • Dede Wangiyana (2024). Development of plant based food products for people with dysphagia
  • Jervee Punzalan (2023). From structure to functionality: investigating molecular-level properties of semi-refined plant protein extract
  • Yunfan Mo (2023). Sensory influence on plant-based food choice using pregnancy as a model
  • Norma Cecille Bagarinao (2022). Impact of Pulsed Electric Field treatment on germination and subsequent effect on protein quality of oat seeds
  • Stephanie Mcleod (2022). Food-related behavioural and psychological changes among pregnant women following plant-based diets
  • George Yang (2022). Developing strategies to create new structured plant protein foods with more appealing texture using 3D printing technology

Previous Students

  • Courtney Johnston (MSc, 2022). Effect of particle size on starch and protein digestibility of lentils
  • Jason Wister (MSc, 2022). Freeze dried donor human milk to improve premature infant outcomes: a qualitative and quantitative study within Aotearoa New Zealand
  • Nicholas Horlacher (PhD, 2025). Use of Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) to pasteurise plant-based dairy alternatives
  • George Yang (PhD, 2022). Developing strategies to create new structured plant protein foods with more appealing texture using 3D printing technology
  • Caitlin-Berry Kilgour (PhD, 2025). Decellularised macroalgae as novel skin engineering scaffolds
  • Stephanie Mcleod (PhD, 2022). Food-related behavioural and psychological changes among pregnant women following plant-based diets
  • Ari Hayati (PhD, 2024). Effect of Pulsed Electric Fields on processing of fishbone by-products
  • Joy Fenhua Sim (PhD, 2024). Vibrational spectroscopy for origin food traceability and authenticity of coffee
  • Chelsea Brooke (PhD, 2019). Understanding the effect of storage on chilling damage for kiwifruit
  • Ladie Conde (2023). Effect of emerging non-thermal food processing on the functional properties of cassava flour
  • Neda Irvani (PhD, 2023). Cyanobacteria and microalgae protein: extraction, digestion and characterisation
  • Jessica Ashleigh Fitzgerald (2022). Biochemical and metabolic defence responses to Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum in potato tubers and the implications for PEF treatment
  • Roman Karki(2022) Application of pulsed electric fields and sous vide processing to enhance the quality of meat
  • Xingchen Li (2022). Evaluation and optimisation of flavour changes during oat processing: An integrated fingerprinting-kinetics approach
  • Erin Young (2022). The impact of active and intelligent packaging on Chinese consumer confidence in New Zealand food export products
  • Johannes M Magpusao (2022). Potential of using high pressure homogenisation to improve the functionality of microalgal suspensions
  • Sashie Abeywickrame (2022). Linking individual olfactory and gustatory sensitivity to adiposity and eating behaviour
  • Rachel Ginieis (2021). Individual multi-sensory fingerprint and its relationship with food reward susceptibility
  • Evelyn Mere Mete (2021). Effect of grain particle size of wholegrain foods on the postprandial glycaemic response
  • Prit Khrisanapant (2021). University of Otago. The effects of hydrothermal processing on legumes: volatile profile and digestibility aspects
  • Setya Budi Muhammad Abduh (2020). Effect of Pulsed Electric Fields on potato chips processing
  • Sheba Mae Magbanua Duque (2020). Impact of Pulsed Electric Fields treatment on oat flour properties
  • Stephen Gitonga Giteru (2019). The feasibility of using pulsed electric fields processing to modify biomacromolecules
  • Amali Alahakoon Mudiyanselange (2018). The impact of pulsed electric field and sous vide processing on the quality of tough meat cuts
  • Tingting Liu (2018). The impact of structure on the outcome of pulsed electric fields (PEF) processing of plant organs
  • Rajkumar Nandakumar (2018). Understanding the impact of pulsed electric field (PEF) processing on onions
  • Aswathi Soni (2018). University of Otago. Finding the achilles heel in B. cereus spores
  • Yafei Liu (2018). The impact of heat, pulsed electric fields and pH on the properties of ovomucin-depleted egg white
  • Claudia Philipp (2017). Rheological behaviour and final properties of pea protein-fortified extruded rice snacks
  • Vidya Kethireddy (2017). Application of Pulsed Electric Field processing for production of low sulphite wine and  the selective inactivation of non-Saccharomyces yeasts
  • Sze Ying Leong (2016). The feasibility of using pulsed electric field processing to increase the phytochemical contents of plant-based foods
  • Pui Yee  Lee (2015). An investigation of Chinese consumers' perceptions of pulsed-electric field and high hydrostatic pressure processing
  • Farnaz Faridnia (2015). The impact of pulsed electric field (PEF) processing on solid food materials
  • Shahin Roohinejad (2014). Extraction of β-carotene from carrot pomace using microemulsions and pulsed electric fields
  • Pankaj Sharma (2014). Pasteurisation equivalence of pulsed electric fields and its impact on the functional properties of bovine whole milk
  • Raseetha Vani Siva Manikam (2013). Feasibility of using combined proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) technique and biochemical analysis to assess the quality of broccoli florets during postharvest storage and minimal processing
  • Kathryn Bradbury (2012). Monitoring the impact of a voluntary bread folic acid fortification programme on the folate status of New Zealand women of childbearing age

Previous Otago MSc Students

  • Chun Zhao. (2023). Free amino acid pool profiling of chitosan and zein-based films to identify the potentially deleterious effects of heavy metals
  • Courtney Johnston (2023). Pulsed electric field and germination as pre-treatment processes for faba bean (Vicia faba L.) flour and their effects on the quality, nutritional and digestion properties of faba bean enriched wheat bread.
  • Marbie Alpos (2020). Combined effects of calcium addition, thermal processing, and pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment on the texture and in vitro starch and protein digestibility of black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
  • Mylene Ross Arcena (2019). Integrated profiling, fingerprinting, and chemometrics as a tool for distinguishing the impact of Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) pre-treatment, winemaking, and storage on Merlot grape juice and wines
  • Dawei Ji (2019). Purification and characterization of β-galactosidase from Lactobacillus leichmannii 313
  • Zhihao Hu (2017). Feasibility of using zein to create edible film
  • Natasha Rodrigues (2017). Effect of partial sucrose replacement with fructose on glycaemic, uricemic and blood pressure response
  • Alexandra Rozhkova (2016). Wine grape bioactive production & release following leaf plucking & pulsed electric field treatment, & wine industry applications
  • Fiona Zhang (2015). Chinese consumers' perception on the freshness of orange juice
  • Dafu Doo (2013). Effect of thermal and Pulsed Electric Field treatments on carrots texture

Publications

Horlacher, N., King, J., Leong, S. Y., Agyei, D., Moggré, G.-J., Sutton, K., & Oey, I. (2025). Synergistic effects of PEF treatment and lactic acid fermentation on protein digestibility and texture in a blended oat and pea yogurt alternative. LWT, 220, 117587. doi: 10.1016/j.lwt.2025.117587 Journal - Research Article

Punzalan, J. M., Hartono, P., Fraser-Miller, S. J., Leong, S. Y., Sutton, K., Moggre, G.-J., Oey, I., & Gordon, K. C. (2025). Fingerprinting of semi-refined flaxseed protein using Raman spectroscopy and multivariate analysis: Pulsed Electric Field (PEF)-assisted alkali and aqueous extraction methods alter composition and protein conformation. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1002/jrs.6783 Journal - Research Article

Punzalan, J. M., Hartono, P., Fraser-Miller, S. J., Leong, S. Y., Sutton, K., Moggre, G.-J., Gordon, K. C., & Oey, I. (2025). MicroNIR spectroscopy with chemometric analysis provides rapid protein content evaluation and prediction of semi-refined flaxseed protein extract produced via pulsed electric field (PEF)-assisted extraction. Food Chemistry, 473, 143062. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.143062 Journal - Research Article

Yang, C., Leong, S. Y., King, J., Kim, E. H.-J., Morgenstern, M. P., Peng, M., Agyei, D., … Oey, I. (2024). Texture evaluation and in vivo oral tactile perceptions of cooked wheat pasta sheets partially substituted with pea protein. Foods, 13(23), 3798. doi: 10.3390/foods13233798 Journal - Research Article

Berry-Kilgour, C., Oey, I., Cabral, J., Dowd, G., & Wise, L. (2024). Decellularized green and brown macroalgae as cellulose matrices for tissue engineering. Journal of Functional Biomaterials, 15, 390. Journal - Research Article

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