Dr Maxine Jones is the first person to receive a PhD for research focusing exclusively on how to make good quality biltong. She is known as Dr Biltong!
Dr Maxine Jones was a student at Stellenbosch University, she graduated and received the highest qualification in her field, a PhD in Food science with a focus exclusively on her scientific research regarding making consistently great quality and delicious biltong.
Jones wrote her doctoral thesis on a research project that focused on different aspects of biltong processing, including how the drying procedures to dry the meat will create a market and production standard.
Jones (aka Dr Biltong) is the first person with a PhD that focuses on biltong, it is a uniquely South African qualification
“The biltong industry has become an economically important sector in the South African meat industry and has the potential for further growth‚ both nationally and internationally‚”
“There are currently no processing guidelines for biltong production in South Africa, and this leads to vast differences in the end product.”, “Quality and consistency is important to both the consumer and the biltong industry,”
Jones first stumbled on the idea of studying the preserved delicacy when she was working on a research project about adding Rooibos extracts to droëwors to help naturally prolong the shelf life. That was how the biltong studies became the main focus of her Food Science qualification.
“Biltong isn’t such a simple matter as we may think; there’s a science behind it, with the increased popularity of biltong the research opportunities are vast, and this research is just the beginning of things to come.”
These are exciting times especially as the popularity and demand of the meat grows in international waters and a unique exporting market can be built.
Its also great to see such a hard working scholar be rewarded for what they have done.
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