Learning objectives
<br />This course familiarizes students with concepts, techniques and issues related to cheesemaking technologies and legal regulations. <br />It provides students an understanding of main phenomena occurring during cheese production.<br />It allows students to focus on the problems and solutions necessary to enhance the safety and the quality of cheeses.<br />It provides a multi-sectorial approach (chemistry, microbiology, main technological steps) for an effective understanding of Italian cheesemaking technology<br /> <br />
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
<br />Brief notes on milk chemical composition<br />The fundamental steps of cheesemaking:<br /><br /><br />Storage of milk at the farm and/or at the dairy: chemical and microbiological events<br /><br />The rest of milk for creaming or biological maturation. Biological and chemical modifications <br /><br />Milk heat treatment: objectives of pasteurization and thermization. Technological alternatives to heat treatment: microfiltration, bactofugation, innovative technologies<br /><br />Standardization of milk composition for optimizing its cheesemaking properties: fat, protein, casein, pH and mineral content regulation<br /><br />Microbial cultures: some characteristics, importance and use. Natural and industrial cultures. <br /><br />Milk coagulation: coagulanting enzymes (animal rennets, microbial coagulants); instrumental methods to evaluate renneting; acid coagulation.<br /><br />Whey separation from the curd: syneresis, permeability, effects due to cheesemaker choices (curd breaking, scalding, pressing, piercing). Relations between whey draining off and curd mineral content <br /><br />The cooking of the curd: inactivation of pathogenic bacteria and selection of thermopilic lactic acid bacteria<br /><br />The moulding of the curd and the acidification process <br /><br />The stretching of the demineralized curd: the pasta filata cheeses group<br /><br />The salting of cheese: milk or curd direct salting, dry salting, brining. Salt and Aw and microbial activity. Methods to regenerate brine<br /><br />The ripening of the cheese. Sugar and lactate metabolism, proteolysis and lipolysis. Techniques to accelerate ripening<br />Information on the production of milk and cheeses in Italy<br />The PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) of Italian cheeses<br /><br /> <br />
Full programme
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Bibliography
<br />Bylund G. (1995): Dairy Processing Handbook. TetraPack Publisher, Lund Sweden <br />Notes and slides
Teaching methods
<br />Frontal lesson with projection of didactic material, copy of which is supplied to the student<br /> <br />The appraisal is based on an oral examination, starting with the exposure of an argument chosen by the student, on which the teacher places the other questions on analogous topics and others parts of the course
Assessment methods and criteria
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Other information
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