Johnson is the assistant director for the Center for Dairy Research. His research interests include developing manufacturing and ripening protocols for unique cheeses, the study of cheese characteristics and cheese defects.
Biogenic amines (BA) are small compounds that can accumulate in cheese and have toxicological affects, off-flavors, and undesirable gas formation. Currently there are no federally established toxicological limits for BA in dairy products. The Wisconsin dairy industry needs to be prepared to reduce levels of BA in their products due to potential changes in FDA guidelines. This study will propose new strategies during manufacturing to reduce incidence of BA in cheese. Rodrigo Alfaro Ibanez is collaborating on this research. This project aligns to Dairy Task Force 2.0 Recommendation #27 (‘Regulatory changes needed to FDA product standards of identity’).