Dairy Innovation Australia Limited (DIAL) is a dairy manufacturing research centre based at Werribee, Victoria. It commenced operation in January 2007 and combines five previous specialist dairy centres, one of which was the The Dairy industry Centre for UHT Processing (UHT Centre) in the School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences at the University of Queensland. The UHT Centre was established in 1996 to undertake research, consultancies and training in UHT (Ultra High Temperature) and ESL (Extended Shelf Life) technology. It is now a Division of the new centre, DIAL. The work is funded by the dairy industry and is a source of specialist knowledge and expertise in UHT/ESL technology for the Australian dairy industry.

The UHT Division at UQ performs basic research related to UHT and ESL processing. Project areas include age gelation, plasmin and bacterial proteases, heat-resistant sporeformers, UHT milk flavour, optimisation of UHT processing conditions, heat exchanger fouling during UHT processing, and ESL milk production and quality. The UHT Division also evaluates new technologies and equipment that show potential for the treatment of milk for long term preservation; current projects include work on high pressure homogenisation and ultrasonication. It also investigates problems with UHT processing and products encountered by individual companies.

Staff include: Associate Professor Hilton Deeth, the Division's leader, Sapna Kamath and Cleber Da Roza, postdoctoral fellows, together with several postgraduate research and coursework students undertaking projects on UHT/ESL topics.

Further information on the Dairy Innovation Australia, UHT Divison, can be obtained by contacting Associate Professor Hilton Deeth on telephone +61 7 3346 9191 or email h.deeth@uq.edu.au