New Milk Preservation Technology Expands Opportunities

A new product from a student startup has the potential to revolutionize the dairy industry in developing countries.

Milkshield is a small insert that is immersed in milk to inhibit the activity of microorganisms, effectively preserving milk against spoilage without refrigeration. It also has the potential to extend the shelf life of pasteurized milk and could allow the dairy industry to cut refrigeration costs by transporting and storing milk at relatively higher temperatures. A low-cost material that acts through contact, Milkshield is an affordable technology for small subsistence farmers in developing countries.
   
Zeba Parkar developed Milkshield while working on her PhD in materials science. At the same time, she partnered with her husband, Nihal Parkar, to launch SilverScreen Inc. to commercialize her idea.

“When my dad (Dr. Abdul Samad, a veterinary researcher) was visiting me from India, we were discussing the water purification research we do in our research group,” Zeba Parkar said. “We came to the conclusion that some of the antimicrobial materials could be modified for the preservation of milk.”

A doctoral student in Professor Jim Economy’s group, Parkar tapped Economy and her father to serve as advisors for SilverScreen. In addition, two business majors helped with SilverScreen’s business and financial planning. She also found guidance and support on aspects ranging from grants to patents on campus. SilverScreen is housed in the EnterpriseWorks incubator at the University of Illinois Research Park.

Parkar completed her degree last summer and joined 3M’s Corporate Research Lab in Minnesota. She anticipates it will take about two more years to scale up manufacturing and meet regulatory requirements before Milkshield can be commercially released.

“This has been a great learning experience,” she said.