Fortified milk looks like regular milk and maintains acceptable flavour, texture and shelf life

Healthier milk enriched with calcium and minerals

CSIRO has developed extra-high calcium milk that contains around 70 per cent more calcium than regular milk.

• 2 November 2007 | Updated 14 October 2011

• The achievement
• Scientists involved
• Collaborators

Extra-high calcium milk developed by scientists at CSIRO, could have a major impact on preventing bone diseases such as osteoporosis and improving the general health of children, growing adolescents, adults and the elderly.

The achievement

CSIRO's researchers have developed and patented a new, low-cost technology for manufacturing calcium-fortified dairy products containing around 70 per cent more calcium than regular fresh milk.

The technology can lift calcium levels in white milk to around 200 mg/100 mL. This enables adults to achieve their recommended daily calcium intake by consuming less than two glasses of fortified milk.

CSIRO's scientists capitalised on milk’s natural calcium-carrying ability, altering the interaction between calcium and other components to stabilise the milk proteins.

This technology can also be adapted to increase the levels of other minerals, boosting the health and nutritional benefits of the milk.

The technology is applicable to both fresh and recombined (reconstituted from powder) dairy products, which may be calcium-fortified to high levels whilst maintaining acceptable flavour, texture and shelf life.

Scientists involved

The project involved:

• Dr Roderick Williams
• Professor Mary Ann Augustin.

Dr Roderick Williams is a Research Scientist at CSIRO. He obtained a Bachelor of Science with Honours in 1985 from Monash University in Melbourne, Victoria. He obtained his doctorate in 1988 from the same university, studying the physical biochemistry of complex macromolecules.

Dr Williams specialises in the physical properties of foods and the molecular basis of food functionality.

Professor Mary Ann Augustin holds a Bachelor of Science with first class honours and a doctorate in chemistry from Monash University.

She was appointed Professor in Chemistry at the School of Chemistry at Monash University to lead its expanding Food Chemistry Group.

Professor Augustin’s appointment is part of a special collaboration between CSIRO and Monash University, which recognises a need to grow Australia’s national capabilities in food chemistry, including dairy chemistry.

Collaborators

This research was jointly funded by:

• Dairy Australia
• CSIRO Food and Nutritional Sciences.

Find out more about CSIRO Food & Nutritional Sciences.