'Cybertongue' technology promises to slash global milk waste

A groundbreaking technology developed by Canberra-based PPB Technology could significantly reduce the vast amount of milk wasted globally each year. Currently, about one-sixth of the world's milk, exceeding 150 million tonnes annually, goes to waste. The new innovation, dubbed 'Cybertongue,' allows dairy companies to test the quality of raw milk on-site in just three minutes, a dramatic improvement from the two to three days previously required for laboratory results.

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We can measure the quality of raw milk in terms of its protease, an enzyme that can spoil the finished products.

PPB Technology founder Stephen Trowell explained that the Cybertongue system uses engineered proteins, known as biosensors, to accurately measure specific qualities in milk. "We can measure the quality of raw milk in terms of its protease, an enzyme that can spoil the finished products," Trowell stated. He noted that products like long-life or UHT milk are particularly sensitive to protease levels, which affect their shelf life.

By quickly identifying milk with high protease levels, dairy companies can make informed decisions. This allows them to divert such milk to less sensitive products like cheese or yogurt, or to apply appropriate treatments to prevent spoilage. Trowell estimates that this enhanced awareness and control over enzyme levels, combined with efforts to address the causes of problematic enzymes in supply chains, could prevent more than 70 million tonnes of milk from being wasted each year. "We can probably save a third of the milk to a half of the milk that's going to waste at the moment," he said.

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The most sensitive product is long life or UHT milk.

Trowell's expertise stems from his 30-year career at CSIRO, where he led the Cybernose project. This earlier technology was initially developed for wine testing and detecting explosives. "The original idea was to couple biological receptors, sensing proteins, to a machine so that you could help winemakers objectively assess some of the parameters of wine," Trowell recalled. While the commercial demand for wine testing was limited, the need for explosive detection proved strategically important.

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We can probably save a third of the milk to a half of the milk that's going to waste at the moment.

Eventually, Trowell left CSIRO to found his own company, leading to the development of Cybertongue. Initially conceived for detecting explosive vapors, the technology's versatility became apparent. "And then we went, 'You know what? We can use it for a whole heap of other applications in food, in environmental testing, and also potentially medical'," Trowell said. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported world milk production at 979 million tonnes in 2024, highlighting the immense scale of potential savings.

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The original idea was to couple biological receptors, sensing proteins, to a machine so that you could help winemakers objectively assess some of the parameters of wine.