Editorial
Death of Professor P. F fox
The Editor and colleagues were saddened to learn of the passing of Professor P. F. Fox. The obituary by Michael Hickey in this issue of the journal expresses the high regard the global dairy science community had for one of the foremost dairy scientists of his generation and extends sympathy to his wife and family.
EDITOR'S CHOICE ARTICLE FOR ISSUE 78.1
The ‘Challenges in developing a Process Analytical Technology (PAT)-based verification of UV-C treatment of milk" is the Editor's Choice Article for Issue 78.1 of the International Journal of Dairy Technology. The article was authored by Kallis Souroullas and Photis Papademas from the Department of Agricultural Sciences at the Cyprus University of Technology.Ultraviolet radiation (UV-C) is an effective commercial non-thermal processing method for inactivating spoilage bacteria, particularly thermoduric bacteria. The efficacy of milk pasteurization is monitored by determining the residual activity of alkaline phosphatase.Since no equivalent method is available for UV-C treatment, regulatory agencies currently require this method to be combined with pasteurization to ensure phosphatase inactivation and guarantee a safe process.To fully realize the benefits of UV-C treatment, a verification method analogous to the phosphatase test is essential. This review discusses the authors' work on developing a process PAT sensor, which analyses photooxidation-induced spectral changes in milk proteins. This work may enable the development of a method to certify the UV dose and potentially gain approval for UV-C as a standalone, low-energy alternative to pasteurization.
THE DAIRY ACADEMY 2024—A ‘EUROPEAN EXCELLENCE IN DAIRY LEARNING’ EVENT
This issue features a Conference Report by Norbert Raak on The Dairy Academy 2024, an event organised as part of the EU Erasmus+ project ‘European Excellence in Dairy Learning’ (AEDIL Dairy CoVE). The report aims to summarise the summer school and symposium content, promoting the upcoming Dairy Academies and inspiring future learning events and conferences.
