Australian Food Scientist Wins Industry Award for Milk Chemistry Research

Dr. Mary Ann Augustin, a CSIRO scientist working within Food Science Australia, along with two of her team members, Mr. Bruce Aitken and Mr. Phillip Clarke, are the winners of the 1998 Sir Ian McLennan Achievement for Industry Award.

Dr. Augustin leads a larger team whose discoveries over the past 10 years have resulted in frothier cappuccinos, specialized milk powders and better quality yogurt, generating tens of millions of dollars for the dairy industry.

"By understanding the properties and behavior of milk we have found ways to make products more reliable, with improved texture, consistency and mouth feel," Dr Augustin says.

Dr. Augustin's most extensively used innovation is a technology that allows milk powder manufacturers to ensure that their product will be stable during subsequent processing. The technology has been adopted by a number of major Australian dairy companies.

Dr. Augustin's understanding of milk behavior has resulted in a range of other premium value dairy ingredients. These can be used in a variety of foods such as ice cream, yogurt, chocolate, sauces, soups and bakery products and include:

• powders for use in chocolate manufacture
• cream powders for use in several processed foods
• acidified milk ingredients with enhanced gelling properties for use in confectionery, bakery products and desserts
• milk ingredients with enhanced foaming, steam frothing and emulsifying properties for use in cappuccinos
• new yogurt bases with improved quality

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) is Australia's largest scientific research agency. Food Science Australia is Australia's largest food research organization, and is a joint venture between CSIRO and the Australian Food Industry Science Center (AFISC).