Dr. Hermann Zittmayr Award 2021 for BOKU scientist Johanna Burtscher

Dr. Johanna Burtscher, Senior Scientist at the Institute of Food Science, was awarded the Dr. Hermann Zittmayr Award 2021. The prestigious award recognizes outstanding merits in the field of dairy science.

Johanna Burtscher dedicates a major part of her research to the investigation of the microbial quality of dairy products. In the course of the project ADDA (Advancement of Dairying in Austria) and the K1-competence centre FFoQSI (Feed and Food Quality, Safety and Innovation), she developed an innovative method for a fast and selective enumeration of clostridial endospores in milk. This method was patented and has been successfully implemented in laboratories in 10 European countries. Other dairy-related projects include the detection and characterisation of propionic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria as well as the project Nutrisafe, a collaboration with the Institute of Production and Logistics at BOKU, investigating the resilience of Austrian food supply chains.

The board of trustees of the Dr. Hermann Zittmayr Foundation acknowledged the practical relevance for the dairy industry and the great international scientific impact of Johanna Burtscher's research.

21.06.2021