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Mary Ann Augustin (born 16 April 1954, Kedah, Malaysia) is an Australian food chemist and dairy scientist who leads the Food Science Research Program at CSIRO. Much of her work has focused on understanding the changes that occur during dairy milk processing and the effect these changes exhibit on the proteins and minerals of milk, which are collectively referred to as "milk functionality". [1] [2]
Augustin researches emerging food processing technologies and approaches to food processing for dairy and milk products, fish oils and probiotics. [3] She leads the research on CSIRO's patented microencapsulation system, a high-tech ingredient-delivery technology. Her research on the chemistry of milk modifications has led to the development of specialised milk powders that improve the performance of liquid milk products as food ingredients. The most extensively used of Augustin's innovations is a technology that allows milk powder manufacturers to guarantee that their product will be stable during subsequent processing in the manufacture of recombined products. [4] Notably, she was also the driving force behind the research that produced calcium-enriched milk, enabling adults to ingest their recommended daily calcium intake from fewer than two glasses of the fortified milk. [5] [6] [7]
Augustin graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree with First Class Honours from Monash University, where she was also awarded her PhD. She began her career with CSIRO laboratories in 1988 and as of 2019, she was the Chief Research Scientist for its Agriculture and Food department. [1] She was appointed as a Professional Fellow in the School of Chemistry at Monash University in 2005 as part of a special collaboration between CSIRO and Monash University. [8]
In addition to her extensive career with the CSIRO, Augustin has also contributed to other food science organisations: