Olivia began her journey into food science at the University of Newcastle. Now, she’s the proud owner of her own ice cream company, Duff’s Ice Cream.

Olivia always had a passion for food. In fact, she says most of her early memories revolve around it. And thanks to her chemistry-trained mum and her mum’s colleague in the food industry, Olivia was made aware of food science as a career option from very early on.

“To me, it was so cool that you could invent or develop recipes that millions of people enjoy.

“As I always considered myself to be 50% art and 50% science, food science and product development was the merging of these two skills and passions!

“That’s why food science was always on the list for me,” Olivia said.

As a local to the Central Coast, Olivia says she was excited to discover the University of Newcastle’s Bachelor of Food Science and Human Nutrition was offered right on her doorstep.

“Plus, it was also surrounded by amazing food businesses that we were taken to on excursions, including being almost next door to Sanitarium and Mars Food,” she said.

In addition, this program allowed Olivia to access the labs and kitchen spaces at the Ourimbah campus.

“There really is everything you could ever think to try in the lab: from measuring ash content, to freeze drying, to sensory testing booths.

“Although in industry, many processes are automated by machinery, we were taught to do these processes by hand, and this provided foundations of understanding and problem solving that couldn't be taught in any other way.

“I'm so thankful for the depth of knowledge and skills that our labs taught us, and I have been able to translate these skills to the industry jobs I've worked in with great success,” Olivia said.

One of the highlights of Olivia’s studies was the product development course toward the end of her degree.

“This course gives you free rein regarding what food product you want to develop.

“At the end of the semester, industry experts are invited to campus to try the students' products and see their presentations.

“This was so valuable in learning to interact and network with our soon to be colleagues and the practical experience helped prepare us to enter the food science world,” she said.

Olivia also had the opportunity to enter the AIFST Young Product Developers Competition with some of her classmates.

“We developed an iced tea range that was flavoured with Australian native foods such as davidson plum and quandong.

“We were mentored by Dr Quan Vuong and were awarded second place at the awards ceremony held at Luna Park, Sydney.

“This experience helped me enter the product development world and learn from amazing teachers like Quan,” she said.

Graduating in 2016, Olivia has gone on to do great things in the industry, first taking on a role in the highly contested Mars Foods Graduate Program.

From here, Olivia went on to briefly work at a gelato company in Sydney as their Gelato Innovator but soon realised she wanted to create her own ice cream product.

Olivia now owns her own ice cream business – Duff’s Ice Cream – after her dad, Duff, and his love of the desert.

“I have a personal love of ice cream and its ability to bring joy and keep you in the moment: if you aren't paying attention to it, it melts!

Right now, Olivia is working on upscaling Duff’s Ice Cream and is hoping to eventually open her own factory to ensure her products can continue to be made from scratch with ingredients sourced locally.

Olivia believes her time at the University of Newcastle has led her to be where she is in her career.

“I don't think my career would have been possible without the skills and breadth of knowledge I gained at university.

“Although it can be challenge at times, the classmates you meet, learn with and who will work with you long into your food science career, the amazing products you will make, and the ability to keep Australia's food supply chain running in a safe and efficient way, are just so exciting,” Olivia said.

Study Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Newcastle

Olivia Duffin `

Olivia Duffin

Now producing her own brand of ice cream, Olivia began her journey into food science at the University of Newcastle.

I don't think my career would have been possible without the skills and breadth of knowledge I had gained at the University of Newcastle.