Location: Massey University – Manawatū Campus

Tour Highlights:

- FoodPilot – Tour the Southern Hemisphere’s largest pilot-scale food plant. See spray driers, extruders, and scraped-surface heat exchangers in action, and learn how the facility supports businesses to scale and export.

- Nutrition Laboratory – ISO-accredited testing for nutrient profiles, shelf life, and product claims – vital for regulatory compliance and product integrity.

- Human Nutrition Research Unit – Experience the BodPod body composition chamber and see how clinical testing links dietary products to proven health outcomes.

- Feast Lab – Enter Aotearoa’s only 360° sensory lab. Explore facial-emotion tracking, eye-tracking and a 12-booth tasting suite, including a live food demo.

Practical Notes:

- Closed-toe footwear required

- PPE (gowns, coats, hairnets) supplied

- Fully accessible venues

Location: Massey University – Research Farm Sites  

Focus: Sustainable farming systems and soil-first solutions.

Tour Highlights:

- Pasture Systems – Multi-species mixes for pasture resilience, animal production, and environmental outcomes. See the Licor trace gas analyser measuring greenhouse gas emissions directly from the soil.  

- Animal Performance & Emissions – Data on milk quality, yield, meat quality, and methane emissions, plus insights on feed–emission links for dairy brands and plant-based innovators.  

- Soil Health & Biodiversity – Practical soil-health metrics including visual assessments, worm counts, microbial activity, and nutrient budgets – increasingly requested by premium retailers.

Tour Format & Weather Contingency:

- Fine weather: Stop at Dairy 1 and PCRU Green Shed for talks and demonstrations  

- Wet weather: Drive-through sites with commentary, stop at PCRU Green Shed for covered demonstration

Key Takeaways:

- Transferable practices for orchards, glasshouses, and grazing systems  

- Independent data for sustainability reporting  

- Cost savings from reduced nitrogen and irrigation inputs

Practical Notes:

- Closed-toe footwear essential  

- Gumboots & hi-vis vests provided  

- Mostly outdoors – bring a jacket

Hosted by: CEDA | Lead: Greg Bignall  

Focus: Strategic freight and logistics planning for the future.

Tour Highlights:

- Overview presentation on Te Utanganui’s role in doubling NZ exports by 2034  

- Site visits to two operational distribution centres  

- Full precinct tour, including future development zones  

- Insights into how the Manawatū region can support business scale-up in FMCG, primary production, and manufacturing

Practical Notes:

- Closed-toe footwear and high-vis vest required (vests provided)  

- Limited to 20 guests  

- Goodie bag included

Hosted by: FoodHQ | Lead: Victoria Hatton

Focus: Cutting-edge research in dairy, plant science, and functional foods.

Plant & Food Research Highlights:

- Pilot Clinical Facility for health-focused foods

- Molecular genetics and genomics in plant science

- Food Development team specialising in plant-based ingredients, aquaculture feeds, and insect bioconversion

- Clinical trials validating functional food claims from marine and plant sources

Fonterra R&D Centre Highlights:

- One of the world’s largest dairy research facilities, home to 350+ scientists and engineers

- Pioneering work in dairy nutrition, sustainability, and product innovation

- Tours of the Pilot Plant, Genome Sequencing Suite, Microscopy Lab, and Food Lab

Practical Notes:

- Closed-toe footwear required

- Some walking between sites