Anne Doloras Perera is a Sri Lankan–New Zealand food scientist and author. She was awarded the

New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology The New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST) is a professional society for food scientists and technologists in industry and academia in New Zealand. History Kelvin Scott was the inaugural professor of food technology at ...

's J. C. Andrews Award in 2022. In 2024 Perera was appointed a Member of the

New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant (document), royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Monarchy of New Zealand, Queen of New Zealand, "for th ...

, for services to food science and nutrition.

Early life and education

Perera is from

Moratuwa Moratuwa () is a large municipality on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, near Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. It is situated on the Galle–Colombo (Galle road) main highway, south of the centre of Colombo. Moratuwa is surrounded on three sides ...

in Sri Lanka. She attended school at the Our Lady of Victories convent, and then at the Holy Family Convent in Bamblapitiya. Perera studied agriculture at the

University of Peradeniya The University of Peradeniya (, ) is a Public research university, public university in Sri Lanka, funded by the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka, University Grants Commission. It is the largest university in Sri Lanka, which was origin ...

, earning a Bachelor with Honours, and then received a Food and Agriculture Organisation scholarship to undertake a master's degree at the International Food Technology Training Centre in India, where she met her husband, Conrad Perera, also a food technologist. Perera completed a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

titled ''Vitamin B₆ enrichment of wheat flour: stability and bioavailability'' at the

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...

. She has also completed an Executive MBA at Massey University, and a diploma of psychology obtained when she was working in Singapore.

Research career

After graduating with her PhD in 1977, Perera then joined the faculty of the

State University of Londrina The State University of Londrina (, UEL) is a public higher education institution located in the city of Londrina, in the state of Paraná, Brazil. It is one of the largest state universities in Brazil, with students from all over the countr ...

in Brazil, where she worked for four years. In 1981, the family moved to New Zealand, where Perera worked as a nutrition specialist for Hansels, as research and development manager for frozen food at

Wattie's Heinz Wattie's Limited (or simply Wattie's) is a New Zealand–based food producer of frozen and packaged fruit, vegetables, sauces, baby food, cooking sauces, dressings and pet foods in the New Zealand market. History Founded in Hawke's Bay i ...

, and the Team Leader for Nutrition and Health at Crop and Food Research. Perera was part of the team that designed food science courses at the University of Auckland. Perera retired in 2010. After her retirement, she volunteered for

Volunteer Service Abroad Volunteer Service Abroad - Te Tūao Tāwāhi (VSA) a New Zealand-based volunteering agency working in international development. Operations VSA volunteers share skills with people in the wider Pacific. VSA's work is diverse and driven by the ...

, working in Tanzania to advise on food and nutrition and small food businesses. She also helped rebrand the Tanzania Association of Food Scientists and Technologists.

Honours and awards

Perera co-authored a book, Nutrition 2000, with Auckland food writer Pip Duncan, which was awarded the New Zealand Guild of Food Writers’ Nutrition Writer of the Year award in 1994. In the 2024 New Year's Honours, Perera was appointed a Member of the Order of New Zealand, for services to food science and nutrition. The New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology awarded Perera the J. C. Andrews Award in 2022, their most prestigious award.

Selected works

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References

External links

Interview with Dr Anne Perera - Food Scientist, Nutritionist and a Volunteer - SrilankaNZ Newspaper
18 April 2021, via YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Perera, Anne New Zealand academics New Zealand women academics Massey University alumni Alumni of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya Oregon State University alumni People from Moratuwa Sri Lankan emigrants to New Zealand Year of birth missing (living people) Living people