Nagendra Shah Honored With William C. Haines Dairy Science Award
Davis, CA - The California Dairy Research Foundation (CDRF) presented Victoria University Professor Nagendra P. Shah with the William C. Haines Dairy Science Award on March 10th in recognition of his contribution to the field of dairy science at the 11th Cal Poly Dairy Ingredients Symposium in San Francisco. Dr. Shah gave a presentation on the liberation of bioactive peptides in dairy foods by probiotic cultures and the associated nutritional functionalities.
"Dr. Shah truly represents the diversity of dairy research and the global nature of the dairy industry. Over his 30-year career, his work has spanned three continents, four countries and five universities and has focused on topics such as the use of probiotic bacteria in foods, the functional properties of milk, fermented dairy products and the development of low-fat Mozzarella," said Dr. Joseph O'Donnell, Executive Director of the California Dairy Research Foundation. "He is a pioneer in the field of probiotics and has developed selective enumeration techniques for combinations of various strains including L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium, and L. casei that are being used by manufacturers, researchers and analytic labs today."
"I am honored to be recognized with the Haines award. Awards like this encourage scientists and academics to carry out innovative research in dairy science of commercial significance. My work on Mozzarella cheese, which uses a number of innovative approaches to reduce fat content while retaining similar functionalities as a full-fat Mozzarella is a good example," said Dr. Shah. "I am thankful to my family for their support and to my colleagues who presented me as a candidate."
As a renowned specialist in the use of probiotic bacteria in foods, Dr. Shah currently serves as professor of food science and technology at Victoria University in Melbourne. He has been recognized by the American Dairy Science Association, the Australian Institute of Food Science & Technology and the Dairy Industry Association of Australia. He serves as editor of the International Journal of Dairy Science and on the editorial boards of numerous journals. He was an editor for a special issue of the International Dairy Journal and co-edited a book on dairy products and quality control, published in July 2008. His interests in the functional properties of milk, fermented dairy products, low-fat Mozzarella cheese and exopolysaccharide-producing starter cultures have greatly benefited the dairy industry. Dr. Shah has contributed more than 167 papers in refereed journals, 18 book chapters, 16 papers in conference proceedings, 52 invited and keynote presentations and 136 conference abstracts.
SOURCE: The California Dairy Research Foundation