Courses

Technology and Quality Control of Milk and Dairy Products

General

Course Contents

The course includes the following major units:

Unit 1. Milk: Chemical composition and physicochemical properties of milk, factors that affect chemical composition of milk, effect of heat treatment on the physicochemical properties and chemical composition of milk, microbiology of milk and dairy products, quality control of raw milk.

Titles of Laboratory Exercises

  • Determination of dry matter content and acidity of milk.
  • Fat content and specific gravity determination of milk-Milk adulteration.

Unit 2. Thermal processing of milk-Different types of milk: Effect of heat treatment on the physicochemical properties and chemical composition of milk, pasteurization, sterilization, condensed milk, milk powder, quality control of heat-treated milk.

Titles of Laboratory Exercises

  • Phosphatase, albumin and stability tests.

Unit 3. Fermented milk products: Yoghurt and kefir-technology and quality control, other fermented milks.

Titles of Laboratory Exercises

  • Manufacture of yoghurt and kefir.
  • Quality control of fermented milks.

Unit 4. Cheese: Rennet induced gel formation, factors that affect the gel formation, technology and quality control of different kinds of cheeses (rennet coagulated, acid coagulated, heat/acid coagulated cheeses), processed cheeses-technology and quality control, cheese ripening.

Titles of Laboratory Exercises

  • Manufacture of white brined and pasta-filata cheeses.
  • Manufacture of whey cheeses.
  • Quality control of cheeses.

Unit 5. Other dairy products: Cream, butter and ice-cream-Technology and quality control.

Unit 6. Innovative methods in dairy technology: Membrane filtration, ultrasound application, high pressure processing, carbon dioxide processing, modified atmosphere packaging, active packaging, functional foods.

Educational Goals

The course provides the necessary information and methodology to: understand the physicochemistry and technology of milk and milk products; understand the mechanisms that undergo the different phenomena that take place at dairy technology; be able to access the quality control of the products; understand the impact of rheological and textural properties of dairy products to their quality; interpretation and evaluation of the results of an analysis regarding the safety and quality; acquiring experience in applying the above knowledge and analytical skills to industrial-type processes.

General Skills

  • Analyzing and interpreting empirical data obtained from experimental measurements.
  • Searching and analyzing information using information and communication technologies.
  • Promotion of analytical, productive and inductive thinking.
  • Working in an interdisciplinary environment.
  • Autonomous work.
  • Teamwork.
  • Decision making.

Teaching Methods

Face to face:

  • Lectures in the classroom.
  • Laboratory exercises.

Use of ICT means

  • Lectures with PowerPoint slides using PC and projector.
  • Notes in electronic format.
  • Posting course material and communicating with students on the Moodle online platform.

Teaching Organization

ActivitySemester workload
Lectures112.5
Laboratory Exercises75
Total187.5

Students Evaluation

Evaluation methods:

  • Compulsory attendance at (at least) 80% of the laboratory exercises.
  • Written final exams in the theoretical part of the course with short development and multiple choice questions (60% of the final grade).
  • Written final exams in the laboratory part of the course with short development and problem-solving questions (40% of the final grade).
  • Optional written assignments in the laboratory exercises (20% of the grade of the laboratory part of the course if submitted).
  • Optional written work in the theoretical part of the course on a topic of the students’ choice, which will be presented during the semester (30% of the grade of the theoretical part of the course if submitted).

The evaluation criteria are presented and analyzed to the students at the beginning of the semester.

Recommended Bibliography

  1. Fox P. F., McSweeney P. L. H., Dairy Chemistry & Biochemistry: Blackie Academic & Professional, Weinheim, 1998.
  2. Fox P. F., Guinee T. P., Cogan T. M., McSweeney P. L. H. Fundamentals of Cheese Science: Aspen Publishers, Inc., Gaithersburg, 2000.
  3. Goff H.D., Hartel R.W. Ice cream, 7nd edition: Springer Science & Business Media, New York, 2013.
  4. Tamime A.Y., Robinson R.K., Tamime and Robinson’s Yogurt, Science and Technology: Pergamon Press, Boca Raton, Boston, New York, Washington, DC, 2007.
  5. Walstra P., Jennes R.: Dairy Chemistry and Physics: Wiley, New York, Chichester, Brisdane, Toronto, Singapore, 1984.
  6. Walstra, P., Wouters, J. T. M., & Geurts, T. J. (2006). Dairy Science and Technology, 2nd Taylor & Francis, CRC Press: Boca Raton.

Related Research Journals

  1. International Dairy Journal.
  2. International Journal of Dairy Technology.
  3. Journal of Dairy Research.
  4. Journal of Dairy Science.