This is a plight Canberra business PPB Technology says is largely avoidable with a technology it has developed and manufactured right here in Australia.

PPB Technology founder Stephen Trowell says the business’ technology was initially developed to address the rare, but catastrophic, problem of mass spoilage of UHT milk, but they’ve since adapted their test to address a much more common problem.

“The more subtle and insidious problem for dairy producers is the erosion of shelf life,” Stephen says.

“In some cases, overseas producers are struggling to get two months’ shelf life for their UHT milk and the product is going off before it even hits the shelves.

“The reason for this is the presence of something called biofilms – where bacteria bind to surfaces of equipment in the milk supply chain and become resistant to normal methods of cleaning.

“When biofilms are present in the supply chain they erode the shelf life of milk in a way that will not show up using traditional methods of testing.

“Our new AprX test reveals the presence of biofilms, enabling producers to rectify the problem at the source, avoiding wastage and saving money.”

The test enables producers to conduct testing themselves on-site, and produce laboratory quality results within minutes.

An Agrifood Hub member since 2019, PPB Technology had a breakthrough year in 2024 with its first sale of its CYBERTONGUE device into Europe, winning an ACT Chief Minister’s Promising Exporter Award, increasing the size of its team and expanding its customer base in Australia, New Zealand and globally.

Despite emerging overseas success, Stephen says the heart of the business is firmly in Canberra.

“Thanks to the Canberra Innovation Network, and the ACT Government’s clear, explicit and ongoing commitment to innovation in the city, Canberra’s innovation community is very strong. For a city of its size, it’s magnificent," he says.

“Being a member of the Agrifood Hub is fantastic. The Hub is a great place to meet with potential customers. It provides facilities and benefits which are not readily available to an organisation of our size, including access to high-quality ANU students.

“And with part of our team based at CSIRO, we’re within walking distance to them and to the lab infrastructure we need. It’s the perfect spot for us to be right now.”

The Agrifood Hub provides businesses with a unique opportunity to base themselves at the University with access to its world-leading infrastructure and expertise. Hub members play an active role in the university community, including by supporting student interns and as guest lecturers into various courses. Their presence supports the development of an entrepreneurial culture and showcases the opportunity for non-traditional pathways to a career in agriculture.