Ultrasound gives good vibrations

A WORLD leading Australian research discovery promises major advances for the dairy manufacturing industry by helping to create new healthpromoting dairy ingredients through sound.
The researchers have discovered that highfrequency sound waves can change the size and shape of molecules in milk and are about to investigate whether the same technology will also change milk proteins.
According to Dairy Australia’s Dairy Chain Innovation Program manager, Dr Phillip Marzella, this finding is significant as it could earn the Australian dairy industry millions of dollars annually.
“The Australian dairy industry is at an advanced stage, ready to capitalise on new technologies such as this,” he said.
“Ultrasound technology could lead to new, highvalue products made cheaply.
“Acoustically generated reactions in the milk could help manufacturers modify dairy proteins.
“It would give Australia a leading position in creating heatstable and uniquely functional ingredients,” Dr Marzella said.
The research is supported by Dairy Australia and dairy companies through the Dairy Ingredients Group of Australia.
It is being conducted by Food Science Australia at Werribee, Victoria, and the University of Melbourne’s Particulate Fluids Processing Centre (funded by the Australian Research Council) research team led by Dr Muthupandian Ashokkumar, Prof Franz Grieser and Dr Sandra Kentish.
The process works because as ultrasound passes through a liquid it generates chemical and physical interactions, starting with microbubbles that swell, burst and leave localised areas of heat.
It also generates reactions among the liquid’s atoms and molecules.
Dr Ashokkumar said: “The process has great potential for manipulating the structures of molecules and the chemical interactions that occur in liquids.
“By harnessing this technology to modulate the heat stability of dairy proteins, we hope to significantly reduce costs for dairy processors.
“The findings could also be used on a range of liquids and could be used for the medical and cosmetics industries,” he said.
The work is a collaborative effort through the Australian Research Council Linkage Scheme.