Learning objectives
D1 – KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Know Parmigiano Reggiano production system
2. Know the chemical, physico-chemical and processing characteristics of milk
3. Describe technologies used in Parmigiano Reggiano cheese making.
4. Describe the expertisation of Parmigiano Reggiano wheels and the different categories of this cheese.
D2 – APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Understand, microbial, enzymatic and physico-chemical mechanisms involved in milk processing to Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
D3 – MAKING JUDGEMENTS
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Evaluate the processing quality of Parmigiano Reggiano evaluating the marks imprinted on the wheel;
2. Express judgements during the description of process parameters in the transformation of milk to Parmigiano Reggiano.
D4 – COMMUNICATION SKILLS
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Express clearly and with appropriate terminology during description of concepts concerning the quality of milk and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
2. Properly describe Parmigiano Reggiano cheese making with correct technical language;
D5 – LEARNING SKILLS
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Learn concepts relative to the processing of milk to Parmigiano Reggiano cheese;
2. Understand the impact of the various technological phases on Parmigiano Reggiano cheese making.
Prerequisites
no
Course unit content
Historical, economic, regulatory aspects. The feeding of cattle for Parmigiano Reggiano. Milk for Parmigiano Reggiano. Casein micelles and coagulation, somatic cells. Technology of processing, in the detail. The ripening. Characteristics of Parmigiano Reggiano and cheese yield. Expertisation, classifications and main defects. The Italian and foreign competitors. Parmigiano Reggiano from only one breed. Dairy cow breeding.
Full programme
UNIT 1 - HISTORY AND PRODUCTION RULES: Elements of the history of Parmigiano Reggiano. The production area. Production Rules. Economic data and management aspects of dairies and ripeners. UNIT 1 bis - THE CATTLE FEEDING: The needs of the cow. Forages and concentrates. General principles of rationing (Disciplinary: third part). Concept of silage and spore cycle. UNIT 2 - MILK AND COAGULATION: Milk and its composition. Phisico-Chemical properties and Milk Quality Payment. Coagulation: the technological properties of milk. UNIT 3 - THE PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY - FIRST PART: Delivery of milk at the dairy and concept of "single collection". Milk natural creaming, pre-maturation, characteristics "low-fat milk". Whey starter and different methods of production. Rennet and coagulation. Curd cutting and granule size. Cooking and storage under whey. UNIT 4 - THE PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY - SECOND PART: Extraction, putting in wheels, acidification of the wheel and lactic acid bacteria. Salting: its main roles, brines and their types. The ripening: proteolysis and lipolysis, the care of the warehouses. UNIT 5 - THE YIELD, THE CHARACTERISTICS, THE DEFECTS, THE PAST: The yield in Parmigiano Reggiano cheese: calculation and forecast. Main defects of Parmigiano Reggiano. PR characteristics: nutritional properties and sensory properties. Highlights and characteristics of PR over time. UNIT 6 - THE CONSORTIUM AND THE CONTROL BODY: The Consortium and its constituents. The functions of the Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano. The Control Body and its functions. The analyses performed by the Consortium for the Supervision action. UNIT 6 bis - EXPERTISATION AND PRODUCT CATEGORIES: The experience carried out by the Consortium and its instruments. Origin marks and selection marks. Main product categories. Parmigiano Reggiano grated and portioned: brands and legislative aspects. UNIT 7 - PARMIGIANO REGGIANO MONOBREED: Parmigiano Reggiano of the Reggiana breed only. The Disolabruna. Modenese breed Parmigiano Reggiano. Organic and mountain Parmigiano Reggiano. Parmigiano Reggiano Kosher. UNIT 8 - ITALIAN AND FOREIGN COMPETITORS: Grana Padano. Main differences between Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano. The Trentingrana. Hard cheeses with cappatura or vegetable rennet (Verdiano). Other hard cheeses not PDO: Gran Moravia, Gran Biraghi. Traditional hard cheeses: Bagoss. The American competitors: Parmesan, Reggianito.
Bibliography
SLIDES SHOWN AT LESSON: Students can find the pdf files of lessons on the Elly platform.
Bittante G., Andrighetto I., Ramanzin M. “Tecniche di produzione animale” Liviana Editrice, Padova.
Monetti P.G.: Allevamento dei bovini e dei suini. Cristiano Giraldi Ed., Città di Castello (PG), 2001.
Alais C.: Scienza del latte - principi di tecnologia del latte e derivati. Ed. Tecniche Nuove, Milano, 1984.
Teaching methods
During the lectures in the classroom, with the use of audio-visual facilities, the regulatory, economic, technological characteristics of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, the breeding of dairy cows and the characteristics of milk will be presented. The course will be supported by a visit to a dairy, in order to make it clear to the student, through a direct experience in the field, the theoretical concepts discussed in the classroom.
Assessment methods and criteria
The assessment of expected learning results described in D1 and parts of those described in D2, D3, D4 and D5, is carried out by a written exam, followed by a brief oral exam.
The written exam consists of 6 open questions taken randomly from a list of about 80 questions that were previously provided to the students.
Answers will have to be exhaustive and not too schematic, but not out of the question.
Each question answered correctly will give 5 points, while each question that is answered incompletely or incorrectly from 1 to 4 points, depending on the degree of correctness and/or completeness.
Any missing or totally incorrect answer will be awarded 0 points.
After the correction of the written exam, the student who passed it with a vote of at least 18 or above, will support a small oral discussion (often just after the script, but, at the student's request, also on another date), which will focus mainly on the questions of the written exam, especially those he or she has responded incorrectly or did not respond completely correctly. After, there will be made a further question on topics from the eighty questions list. If this is answered correctly, the exam will be considered passed, otherwise some additional questions will be asked. In no case will the oral interview lower the vote, but the final vote will be greater than or equal to that of the written exam.
For students with DSA, appropriate compensatory and dispensatory measures will be implemented.
Other information
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