Anise Myrtle (Syzygium anisatum) Oils

Syzygium anisatum (formerly Backhousia anisata and Anetholea anisata) is an Australian rainforest tree with leaves that produce an essential oil (EO) that has the characteristic aroma of aniseed. It is referred to as aniseed myrtle or anise myrtle in the trade and the fresh and dried leaves of this plant are used as a herb in culinary applications. The EO is extracted by steam distillation of the leaves and the major aromatic volatile compound is anethole. The EO has broad spectrum antimicrobial activity but is more effective against bacteria than fungi. Indigenous Australians have used anise myrtle for its medicinal values and in recent times it has been used as a flavoring agent by the food and beverage industry. This chapter covers the use of anise myrtle EO in food and agricultural applications, botanical aspects, and chemical composition.

Artificial olfaction system for on-site odour measurement

Odour impacts and concerns are an impediment to the growth of the Australian chicken meat industry. To manage these, the industry has to be able to demonstrate the efficacy of its odour reduction strategies scientifically and defensibly; however, it currently lacks reliable, cost effective and objective tools to do so. This report describes the development of an artificial olfaction system (AOS) to measure meat chicken farm odour. This report describes the market research undertaken to determine the demand for such a tool, the development and evaluation of three AOS prototypes, data analysis and odour prediction modelling, and the development of two complementary odour measurement tools, namely, a volatile organic compound (VOC) pre-concentrator and a field olfactometer. This report is aimed at investors in poultry odour research and those charged with, or interested in, assessment of odour on chicken farms, including farm managers, integrators, their consultants, regulators and researchers. The findings will influence the focus of future environmental odour measurement research.