As a Nutrition Science student, there are many industry employment opportunities available for consideration after the completion of my studies. Gearing up to start my study mobility programme for Semester Two at the International Medical University (IMU), I was lucky to be included in a field trip organised by the IMU Nutrition team.
This trip provided me and other IMU Nutrition students the opportunity to view and experience daily operations of the Origin Foods functional ingredients manufacturing plant, and ask questions about the nutritional foods industry, including future direction of small-scale local Malaysian food manufacturing and how we could enter this industry with our degrees and possible future entrepreneurship.
We were shown the process of manufacturing capsules, tablets, and powders from wheatgrass into nutrition supplements, then into packing the products ready for shipping to the companies, which then go out to retail for the consumer.
A fascinating aspect of Origin Foods is the presence of their own Indoor Organic Aeroponic Cultivation of wheatgrass within the urban office building, which is utilised in their product offerings. As the interest in indoor urban farming grows in response to concerns about food insecurity and climate change, it becomes essential for upcoming nutritionists and dieticians to be knowledgeable about these modern practices employed by companies. This awareness enables us to understand the array of choices accessible to the public when providing nutritional advice.
For nutrition and dietetics students with a business-minded, this engagement with the nutrition supplement sector also offers a valuable understanding of its operations. This includes essential aspects such as providing an insight into operations and crucial safety bio-testing innkeeping with food laws and regulations, as well as the in depth and rigorous process of obtaining Halal and Organic certifications on your products.
My experience with IMU led initiatives to the wider Nutrition Industry spanned back to December 2022 when I went on a Deakin University International Food and Nutrition Tour, which included trips to the Ministry of Health, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Kawan Food Factory, and Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS). We also had many talks from nutrition bodies including the Nutrition Society of Malaysia, The Malaysian Dietitian’s Association and a cooking workshop with IMU Healthy Cafeteria.
Written by E Clarke, Mobility Student from Deakin University Australia
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