PERTH, AUSTRALIA — The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) has opened new laboratories for its Western Australia (WA)-based noodle and Asian product specialists at the Sustainable Innovation Food Technology (SIFT) facility south of Perth at Nambeelup.

“As WA’s leading food innovation and technology facility, SIFT is the ideal home for our Asian products and flour quality labs in the medium term as we work towards more permanent arrangements,” said Courtney Draper, executive general manager, AEGIC. “Our technical experts have been hard at work moving equipment and setting up the new noodle labs at SIFT, which I’m pleased to say are already operating.”

AEGIC said it is transitioning its WA-based technical functions to alternative locations following the restriction of access to its headquarters at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) site at South Perth where test results in June revealed the presence of asbestos.

“Identifying alternative lab facilities has been top priority for us,” Draper said. “AEGIC’s labs are the crucial link between our market insights and market education services, allowing us to identify opportunities for Australian grains, and develop solutions to benefit both the Australian grains industry and our export markets. Our noodle labs also support Grains Australia’s wheat classification framework through expertise in noodle quality assessment for all types of Asian noodles.”

AEGIC is working closely with DPIRD and Grains Australia and other industry stakeholders to identify medium-term alternative arrangements for all its WA-based technical functions, and said more information will be forthcoming as details are finalized. 

“I’d like to thank the Australian grains industry and our Members DPIRD and Grains Australia for the strong support we have received during this period,” Draper said.

Opened in 2024, SIFT provides state-of-the-art facilities in WA to facilitate food and product innovation among startups and established companies alike. SIFT is an investment of DPIRD and is operated by the Future Food Systems Co-operative Research Centre (FFSCRC) and Murdoch University.

SIFT is located within the Food Innovation Precinct of WA in the Peel Business Park at Nambeelup.