People

> DR NAMASIVAYAM NAVARANJAN

Room Dean Office, SASM Building

+6732461020 Ext +673-2461020 Ext 3214

+673 2461035/6
nava.navaranjan@utb.edu.bn

DR NAMASIVAYAM NAVARANJAN

SENIOR ASSISTANT PROFESSOR | DEAN SCHOOL OF APPLIED SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS School of Applied Sciences and Mathematics

Current Teaching Module

  • SF5108 Frontier of Food Processing Engineering
  • SF2219 Food Contact Materials and Packaging
  • SF3302 Food Supply Chain Management
  • SF2207 Process Design and Operation
  • SF2222 Quality System Management and Development

Specialized Area

  • Dr Navaranjan has expertise in food contact materials and packaging, enhancing shelf-life of food in supply chain, food supply chain quality and management, novel products development, and bio-based and hybrid materials for engineering and food packaging applications.
  • He developed technologies for enhancing storage and transport environment to extend self-life and reduce postharvest losses for New Zealand horticulture, seafood, and meat industries.
  • He developed new nano-droplets based technology to extend the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables stored in refrigerator compartment. It was for Haier and Fisher & Paykel whiteware manufacturers of New Zealand.
  • He published over 35 refereed journal and conference papers, and submitted more than 50 scientific reports to the New Zealand government, clients and stakeholders during his previous service. He involved as a team member and individual to obtain research grant over BND50 million during his service in New Zealand. He received a few prestigious awards and US$0.5 million grant from GTZ, Germany for his outstanding work in Botswana (1998).
  • He was an editorial board member of Journal of Advances in Applied Ceramics (2009-2012), and reviewer for materials related research funding application from the Orthopaedic Research UK (2010) and a number of international journals. He was also a programme committee member of some international conferences including IEEE (2008) and 7th Annual World Congress of Nano Science & Technology, Japan (2017).

Current Research and/or Postgraduate Projects

The following research projects have overseas collaborators. PhD students can have opportunity to visit them (contact me for detail of a project).

  • Novel Food Contact Materials and Packaging
  • Optimum Process for Canning Halal Poultry Meat for Extended Shelf-Life
  • Industry 4.0 and Its Impact on Food Manufacturing
  • Edible Food Packaging from Bioresources
  • Agri-Food Cold Supply Chain Management – emphasis to minimise waste, cold chain management, enhancing storage environment, etc.
  • Environmentally Friendly Solution to Treat Acidic Soil
  • Food security – emphasis to high value food production to enhance income of low- and medium-income farmers using cost-effective sustainable technology for next 25 years.

Research Interest

  • Food contact materials and packaging, enhancing shelf-life of food in supply chain, food value chain quality and management.
  • Novel products development, and bio-based and hybrid materials for engineering and food packaging applications.
  • Food processing especially focuses on food security, reduction of food waste, cost efficiency, digital tools like AI and machine vision.
  • Enhancing storage and transport environment to extend self-life and reduce postharvest losses of horticulture products, seafood, and meat.
  • New nano-droplets based technology to extend the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables stored in refrigerator compartment.
  • Environmentally friendly solution to acidic soil of farmland.
  • Novel enzymes development for food industry.
  • Biotechnology and engineering for food industry applications.

Qualifications

  • BScEng; PhD (Canterbury); Premier Member (IFT)

Career or Professional Bodies/Awards

Dr Navaranjan had 30 years of academic, research and commercial experience from Sri Lanka, Botswana and New Zealand before joining UTB in 2015. His major involvement was in food contact materials, enhancement of shelf-life of food, food supply chain quality and management, novel products development, and bio-based and hybrid materials for engineering and food packaging applications. He published over 30 refereed journal and conference papers and submitted 50 scientific reports to the New Zealand government, clients and stakeholders. He involved as a team member and individual to obtain research grant over BND50 million during his 13 years of service in New Zealand. He received a few prestigious awards and US$0.5 million grant from GTZ, Germany for his outstanding work in Botswana (1998). He was an editorial board member of Journal of Advances in Applied Ceramics (2009-2012), and reviewer for materials related research funding application from the Orthopaedic Research UK (2010) and a number of international journals. He was also a programme committee member of some international conferences including IEEE (2008) and 7th Annual World Congress of Nano Science & Technology, Japan (2017).

Currently a Premier Member of the Institute of Food Technologists of United States of America.

Publication

Dr Namasivayam Navaranjan

Academic specialising in Food Technology (Engineering)

Dr Namasivayam Navaranjan is an accomplished academic and researcher with extensive expertise in food contact materials and packaging, shelf‑life enhancement technologies, food supply chain quality and management, novel product development, and bio‑based and hybrid materials for engineering and food packaging applications. His work integrates scientific innovation with industry‑focused solutions, contributing significantly to food security, sustainability, and supply chain resilience.

Over his career, Dr Navaranjan has developed several impactful technologies for the New Zealand horticulture, seafood, and meat industries, improving storage and transport environments and reducing postharvest losses. Notably, he pioneered a nano‑droplet based technology that extends the shelf‑life of fruits and vegetables in domestic refrigeration systems, developed for Haier and Fisher & Paykel, leading manufacturers of whiteware in New Zealand.

Dr Navaranjan has published over 35 refereed journal and conference papers and produced more than 50 scientific and technical reports for government agencies, industry partners, and stakeholders. He has contributed to securing over BND 50 million in research grants through individual and team‑based projects. His earlier work in Botswana earned him several prestigious recognitions, including a US$0.5 million grant from GTZ (Germany) for outstanding scientific contributions.

He has served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Advances in Applied Ceramics (2009–2012) and reviewed research proposals for Orthopaedic Research UK (2010). He is an active reviewer for numerous international journals, including Journal of Food Engineering, Journal of the Royal Society Interface (UK), Appita Journal, Journal of Drug Targeting, Journal of Climate Research, Journal of Infrared Physics and Technology, Journal of Environmental Management, and Journal of Food and Humanity.

Dr Navaranjan has contributed to global scientific communities through programme committee roles for major international conferences, including IEEE (2008) and the 7th Annual World Congress of Nano Science & Technology, Japan (2017). He has also served as an external examiner for multiple PhD and MSc research theses and participated in several advisory committees, supporting academic quality assurance and strategic development.

 

Most prominent publications and recent publications

  1. Roslan, Wafidah, N Navaranjan, Sulaiman, Zohrah. Effects of Packaging Design on The Quality of Muskmelons: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Simulation, Physicochemical, Microbiological and Sensory Analyses. Journal of Applied Food Research. (Under Review)
  2. Sulaiman, S., Hernandez-Ramirez, G., Navaranjan, N., & Sulaiman, Z. (2026). How does wheat straw-derived biochar influence the nutrient pool of a site-specific Luvisols in a laboratory incubation? Journal of Environmental Quality, 55, e70121.https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.70121.
  3. MFMS Mustafa, N Navaranjan, A Demirovic Food cold chain logistics and management: A review of current development and emerging trends. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research 18 (2024), 101343.
  4. Sulaiman, Syazwan; Navaranjan, Namasivayam; Hernandez-Ramirez, Guillermo; Sulaiman, Zohrah; Liew, Kathereen. Exploring the Impact of Biochar-Dolomite Application at Different Pyrolysis Temperatures on Acid Sulfate Soil Properties. Land Degradation and Development (2024).
  5. NH Hamid, N Navaranjan. Quality characteristics of low-fat chicken sausages formulated with whey protein isolate and guar gum at different storage conditions. International Journal of Food Properties 26 (2) (2023), 3544-3555
  6. HA Hamid, N Navaranjan, Z Sulaiman. Application of Three of Selected Medicinal Plant Extracts in Brunei Darussalam to Improve Shelf Life of Poultry Product. ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development 40 (2), 10. 2024
  7. NH Hamid, N Navaranjan. Evaluation of Physicochemical Properties of Chicken Sausages containing Whey Protein Isolate and Guar Gum. ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development 40 (2), 6. 2024.
  8. S Sulaiman, N Navaranjan, G Hernandez-Ramirez, Z Sulaiman, K Liew. The effect of biochar from plant materials on agricultural acid sulfate soil: a laboratory incubation. ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development 40 (2), 7. 2024.
  9. NW Roslan, N Navaranjan, Z Sulaiman, N Uddin. Exploring the Impact of Vented Packaging Configurations on Airflow Patterns and Cooling Consistency for Muskmelons in a Cold Storage Environment. ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development 40 (2), 3. 2024.
  10. AN Ahmad, ET Phuah, N Navaranjan, SA Lim. Release behavior of Butterfly Pea anthocyanins from Sago starch micro-composite films under food stimulants. ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development 40 (2), 16. 2024.
  11. MA Juani, N Navaranjan. Recent Advance in Biodegradable Packaging from Banana Plant Feedstock: A Comprehensive Review. ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development 40 (2), 5. 2024.
  12. AN Ahmad, N Navaranjan, H Uyama, SA Lim. Influence of ultra-fine friction grinding on microstructured Sago starch particles and suspension films. Materials Research Foundations 29 (2023).
  13. Syazwan Sulaiman, Namasivayam Navaranjan, Guillermo Hernandez-Ramirez, Zohrah Sulaiman. Plant residues ameliorate pH of agricultural acid soil: a meta-analysis. Plant Nutrition and Soil. 17 April 2023 https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.202200332.
  14. Eric D, Navaranjan N, Nur Bazilah Rasyiqah Bte AB, Nurafiqah Binti MA. An Investigation of the Effects of Surface Treatment on the Fatigue Property of Titanium Alloy for Femoral Stem and Bone Fracture Fixation. Modern Approaches on Material Science 3(3) (2020), 360-365.
  15. H Abd Hamid, N Navaranjan, Z Sulaiman, A Maryam Binti Hj Basri. Phytochemical Analysis, Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC) Profiling, Total Phenolic Content, Total Flavonoids Contents & Antioxidant Activities of Four Selected Medicinal Plants. Test Magazine 83 (2020).
  16. AN Ahmad, SA Lim, N Navaranjan, YI Hsu, H Uyama. Green sago starch nanoparticles as reinforcing material for green composites. Polymer 202(2020).
  17. AN Ahmad, S Abdullah Lim, N Navaranjan. Development of sago (Metroxylon sagu) ‐ based colorimetric indicator incorporated with butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) anthocyanin for intelligent food packaging. Journal of Food Safety 40(4) (2020).
  18. EM Gray-Stuart, JE Bronlund, N Navaranjan, GP Redding. Measurement of thermal conductivity of paper and corrugated fibreboard with prediction of thermal performance for design applications. Cellulose 26 (9), 5695-5705 Cellulose 26 (9), 5695-5705 (2019).
  19. Das, R., Navaranjan, N., Browne, P., Riley, G. and Nguyen, C. Finite Element Analysis of Interfacial Fracture in Polyurethane Foam–Steel Composites at Micro-Scale. International Journal of Applied Mechanics 7(06) (2015).
  20. D. J. Lowe, R. Das, C. Clifton, N. Navaranjan, "Characterisation of the Shear Stud-Concrete Connection Using Finite Element Analysis", Applied Mechanics and Materials, Vol. 553, pp. 570-575, 2014.
  21. Navaranjan, N., Fletcher, G.C., Summers, G., Parr, R. and Anderson, R. Thermal insulation requirements and new cardboard packaging for chilled seafood exports. Journal of Food Engineering. 119(2013), 385-706.

Recent Research Grants:

 

  • Obtained B$50 k UTB internal grant.
  • Obtained grants from CREATES for B$250 k + Polygel B$250 k.
  • B$25 k in-kind support from Faculty of Agriculture, University of Alberta
  • B$15 k in-kind support from Gropoint Sdn Bhd
  • UTB internal grant B$8k (2016)

 

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