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Greenbank limed to Receive Borden Award for W»rk in Chemistry of Milk J. WENTY-SEVEN years of research de voted almost exclusively to the chemistry of milk is the record of George Richard Greenbank, Bureau of Dairy Industry, who was last week named winner of the 1949 Borden Award in the Chemistry of Milk. The announcement was made at the 115th national meeting of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL
SOCIETY in San Francisco.
While most of Dr. Greenback's contribu tions are based on fundamental studies in volving the chemistry of milk and the ap plication of these studies to the solution of problems of the dairy industry, he was particularly cited for his work in the chemistry of milk fat as related to the keeping quality of dried whole milk and the flavor of milk. His research has been marked by an originality of thought and approach that has often led him into conflict with es tablished concepts, but his work has gen erally proved itself since i t was based on solid fundamentals and careful experimen tation. For example, improvements in the quality of dried milk 'worked out by Dr. Greenbank and his colLeagues enabled it to compete with other forms of milk. More than 700 million pounds of milk powder are now used aanually in this country. He was the first worker to observe that heating milk to higher tfcian pasteuriza tion temperatures for 3 0 minutes in creased the -water binding capacity of the protein. Finding that t h e variations in baking quality of dried milk were caused by the variation in water binding capacity, he demonstrated that t h e proper heat treatment of the milk before drying not only removed the deleterious effect of unheated milk but improved the quality and size of the bread loaf. In this connection, Dr. Greenbank and his associates showed that the proper heat treatment of milk increased the keeping quality of dried whole milk, a problem which still occupies much of his time and effort. In the near future he expects to publish data on methods to improve the keeping quality of dried milk based on an application of his theories of the mecha nism of antioxygenic action. While un orthodox, the method has proved of value in improving the keeping quality of milk powder. At the time he began tiis studies on the oxidized flavor of milk, it was generally believed that the flavor "was t h e result of an enzymic oxidation. H e observed three flaws in the published arguments for en zymic oxidation: (1) sin exceptionally large decrease in the iodine value of the 984
fat within a short time at low storage temperatures, (2) an increase in the in tensity of the flavor when storage tem peratures were lowered, and (3) failure of the flavor to develop after prolonged stirring. The latter led him t o believe that the flavor was an intermediate in a chemical oxidation which may be repre sented by the following reaction: R
>> RO
> ROj
Oxidized Flavor
Normal Flavor
Normal Flavor
He then showed that heating milk re duced the oxidation-reduction potential to a point where the oxidation did not occur instead of killing the enzyme as was commonly believed, and further, 'that milks which developed the flavor normally would not do so if strong reducing agents or oxidizing agents were added in sufficient concentration. Variations in individual samples were shown to be caused by dif ferences in resistance to oxidation. A large portion of Dr. Greenbank's time has been devoted to the study of the chemi cal changes occurring in the butterfat of dairy products. In cooperation with others, he developed the induction period method of determining the keeping qual ity of butterfat as such and of the fat in food products. In an attempt to use oxi dation-reduction indicators in fat to de termine its keeping quality he discovered that methylene blue in fat was reduced by light and that the keeping quality was pro portional to the time of reduction. His studies have also resulted in more accurate and sensitive methods of determining per oxides in fats and oils. In the field of antioxidants he was one of the first to show that the structure
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U. 8 . RATENT Ο Ρ Γ Ι Ο Ε )
A gentleman is a man who makes it a cinch for a woman to remain a lady,
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There's no better way to get ahead than by using the one you've got. Research: First law—pick men of genius and industry. Second law— give them what they need. Third law—leave them on their own. A. BATTISTA (ALL. R I G H T S R E S E R V E D )
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of phenolic antioxidants affects their activity. Later he pointed out that the fundamental cause of their antioxygenic activity was the difference in structural and electronic properties and critical oxidation potential. The least active were shown to have the highest critical oxidation potential. Using this theory, he has been able to select active antioxi dants in the aliphatic group of compounds that compare well with aromatic anti oxidants.
Graduate of Ohio State Born in Woodsfield, Ohio, in 1892, it was not apparent in his early years that he would enter on a career in chemistry, in fact, he appeared headed for a great future in physics if we are to believe his high school yearbook, which in 1912 stated: During his last year in school he ap plied his whole energy and talent to the study of physics. He took great interest in the laboratory work. In fact he was a part of the laboratory—usually carrying an induction coil or an electric battery in his pocket. We look forward with gladness to the time when he well be ranked with the great physicists, Frank lin, Volta, or Faraday. He entered Ohio State University with the thought of studying electrical engi neering but soon switched to chemistry It was at Ohio State that he met Zoda Jane Kelly,, a home economics student who was later to become Mrs. Green bank. Following graduation from Ohio State University in 1917, he worked in the chem ical engineering department of the Good year Tire & Rubber Co. until the post war depression of 1920 forced deep cuts in personnel. He then spent two years with the Chemical Warfare Service, leav ing to come to Washington and join the staff of the Bureau of Dairy Industry of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. In 1930 he received a Ph.D. from American University. A large part of the credit for any success he has enjoyed he attributes to the instruction of C. E. Boorde and William McPherson of Ohio State, W. K. Lewis of Massachusetts Institute of Tech nology, and to the cooperation of his associates in the Bureau of Dairy Industry. Dr. Greenbank is the father of two sons, both veterans. Richard K. is studying at the Medical College of Virginia where he is specializing in psychiatry while the younger son, Thomas K., is a student at American University where he is majoring in art. Next to his boys and Mrs. Green bank, his first love is gardening. He has also been active in Boy Scout work. In August he will deliver a paper on the "Oxidative Deterioration of Dairy Prod ucts" before the twelfth International Dairy Congress in Stockholm. Follow ing this, he will return to the U. S. to re ceive the Borden Award and make the medal address at the Atlantic City meeting of the Society in the fall. AND
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