People

Current Teaching Module

• Food Contact Materials and Packaging

• Quality System Development and Management

• Food Supply Chain Management

Specialized Area

• Dr Navaranjan has expertise in food contact materials and packaging, enhancing shelf-life of food in supply chain, food supply chain quality and management, novel products development, and bio-based and hybrid materials for engineering and food packaging applications.
• He developed technologies for enhancing storage and transport environment to extend self-life and reduce postharvest losses for New Zealand horticulture, seafood, and meat industries.
• He developed new nano-droplets based technology to extend the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables stored in refrigerator compartment. It was for Haier and Fisher & Paykel whiteware manufacturers of New Zealand.
• He published over 35 refereed journal and conference papers, and submitted more than 50 scientific reports to the New Zealand government, clients and stakeholders during his previous service. He involved as a team member and individual to obtain research grant over BND50 million during his service in New Zealand. He received a few prestigious awards and US$0.5 million grant from GTZ, Germany for his outstanding work in Botswana (1998).
• He was an editorial board member of Journal of Advances in Applied Ceramics (2009-2012), and reviewer for materials related research funding application from the Orthopaedic Research UK (2010) and a number of international journals. He was also a programme committee member of some international conferences including IEEE (2008) and 7th Annual World Congress of Nano Science & Technology, Japan (2017).

Current Research and/or Postgraduate Projects

The following research projects have overseas collaborators. PhD students can have opportunity to visit them (contact me for detail of a project).

• Novel Food Contact Materials and Packaging
• Optimum Process for Canning Halal Poultry Meat for Extended Shelf-Life
• Industry 4.0 and Its Impact on Food Manufacturing
• Edible Food Packaging from Bioresources
• Agri-Food Cold Supply Chain Management – emphasis to minimise waste, cold chain management, enhancing storage environment, etc.
• Environmentally Friendly Solution to Treat Acidic Soil
• Food security – emphasis to high value food production to enhance income of low- and medium-income farmers using cost-effective sustainable technology for next 25 years.

Research Interest

• Food Science and Technology: food contact materials and packaging; modification of food storage environment to enhance shelf-life of food products; food supply chain quality and management.
• Materials Science and Engineering: sustainable and biodegradable materials.
• Nano-droplets: thermo-fluid dynamics of generation and dispersion; molecular modelling and analysis of evaporation; application to modify an environment or a surface.

Qualifications

• BScEng
• MEng
• PhD (Canterbury)

Career or Professional Bodies/Awards

Dr Navaranjan had 30 years of academic, research and commercial experience from Sri Lanka, Botswana and New Zealand before joining UTB in 2015. His major involvement was in food contact materials, enhancement of shelf-life of food, food supply chain quality and management, novel products development, and bio-based and hybrid materials for engineering and food packaging applications. He published over 30 refereed journal and conference papers and submitted 50 scientific reports to the New Zealand government, clients and stakeholders. He involved as a team member and individual to obtain research grant over BND50 million during his 13 years of service in New Zealand. He received a few prestigious awards and US$0.5 million grant from GTZ, Germany for his outstanding work in Botswana (1998). He was an editorial board member of Journal of Advances in Applied Ceramics (2009-2012), and reviewer for materials related research funding application from the Orthopaedic Research UK (2010) and a number of international journals. He was also a programme committee member of some international conferences including IEEE (2008) and 7th Annual World Congress of Nano Science & Technology, Japan (2017).

Currently a Premier Member of the Institute of Food Technologists of United States of America.

Publication

Other Achievements/ Most Prominent Publications

(Papers published recently)

1. Sulaiman, Syazwan, Navaranjan, Namasivayam, Hernandez-Ramirez, Guillermo, Sulaiman, Zohrah, Liew, Kathereen. The Effect of Biochar from Plant Materials on Agricultural Acid Sulfate Soil: A Laboratory incubation. ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development (2023), 40(2), 96-100.
2. Atiq Juani M., Navaranjan, Namasivayam. Recent Advance in Biodegradable Packaging from Banana Plant Feedstock: A Comprehensive Review. ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development (2023), 40(2), 71-88.
3. Mustafa, Muhammad Firdaus Mujibuddin Syah, Navaranjan, Namasivayam, Hong, Shyang Pei, Alihan, Fatnin Farhanah, Sahrullamzah, Amni Sahilah, Takiyaudin, Khairina Umairah. Technological Advancements in Brunei's Local Agriculture and Fisheries Companies: An Exploratory Study Based on Field Observations. ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development (2023), 40(2), 45-56.
4. Roslan, Wafidah, Navaranjan, Namasivayam, Sulaiman, Zohrah, Uddin, Naseem. Exploring the Impact of Vented Packaging Configurations on Airflow Patterns and Cooling Consistency for Muskmelons in a Cold Storage Environment. ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development (2023), 40(2), 57-62.
5. Hamid, Hamizah, Navaranjan, Namasivayam. Evaluation of Physicochemical Properties of Chicken Sausages Containing Whey Protein Isolate and Guar Gum. ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development (2023), 40(2), 89-95.
6. Ahmad, Afiqah N., Phuah, Eng T., Navaranjan, Namasivayam, Lim, Syazana A. Release Behavior of Butterfly Pea Anthocyanins from Sago Starch Micro-Composite Films Under Food Stimulants. ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development (2023), 40(2), 155 – 161.
7. Hamid, Hazirah A., Navaranjan, Namasivayam, Sulaiman, Zohrah, Basri, Aida M.B.H. Application of Three of Selected Medicinal Plant Extracts in Brunei Darussalam to Improve Shelf Life of Poultry Product. ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development (2023), 40(2), 112-117.
8. Nur Hamizah Hamid and Namasivayam Navaranjan. Quality characteristics of low-fat chicken sausages formulated with whey protein isolate and guar gum at different storage conditions. International Journal of Food Properties (2023), 26(2), 3544–3555.
9. Navaranjan Namasivayam, Review: Trends and Challenges of Biodegradable Plastics for Food Contact Applications. Polymers 2023 Conference. Invited Speaker.
10. Syazwan Sulaiman, Namasivayam Navaranjan, Guillermo Hernandez-Ramirez, Zohrah Sulaiman. Plant residues ameliorate pH of agricultural acid soil: a meta-analysis. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science (2023), 186(3), 330-338.
11. H Abd Hamid, N Navaranjan, Z Sulaiman, A Maryam Binti Hj Basri. Phytochemical Analysis, Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC) Profiling, Total Phenolic Content, Total Flavonoids Contents & Antioxidant Activities of Four Selected Medicinal Plants. Test Magazine 83 (2020).
12. AN Ahmad, SA Lim, N Navaranjan, YI Hsu, H Uyama. Green sago starch nanoparticles as reinforcing material for green composites. Polymer 202(2020).
13. AN Ahmad, S Abdullah Lim, N Navaranjan. Development of sago (Metroxylon sagu) based colorimetric indicator incorporated with butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) anthocyanin for intelligent food packaging Journal of Food Safety 40(4) (2020).
14. EM Gray-Stuart, JE Bronlund, N Navaranjan, GP Redding Measurement of thermal conductivity of paper and corrugated fibreboard with prediction of thermal performance for design applications. Cellulose 26 (9) (2019), 5695-5705
15. Navaranjan, N. (2017) Nanomaterials in Food Packaging: Trends and Issues. BIT’s 7th Annual World Congress of Nano Science & Technology, Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk, Japan.
16. Navaranjan, N., Fletcher, G.C., Summers, G., Parr, R. and Anderson, R. Thermal insulation requirements and new cardboard packaging for chilled seafood exports. Journal of Food Engineering. 119(2013), 385-706.

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