Learning objectives
The Milk Processing Technologies - Cheese course aims to raise awareness and understand the theoretical and practical aspects of the unit operations involved in the transformation of the different types of dairy products.
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND
At the end of the course, students must be able to understand and to perform the main technological operations involved during the cheese-making processes, as well as the reasons for the technological choices made in the dairy, and the repercussions that these have on physical, chemical, biochemical and microbiological phenomena involved during the dairy processing.
ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Students must therefore be able to demonstrate that they know how to reason and recognize what effects different technological choices can have on the characteristics of the product and be able to manage in the dairy the main process parameters depending on the product to be obtained.
INDEPENDENCE OF JUDGMENT
Students will have to demonstrate the ability to identify the potentially positive and negative aspects associated with the different technological choices made in the dairy, in relation to the quality of the product, and to economic and management evaluations.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Students must be able to present and describe the main technological processes for the production of dairy products, as well as the characteristics of these products, using discipline-specific language and correct terminology.
LEARNING ABILITY
At the end of the course, students must be able to master the tools to be able to deepen and update their knowledge by consulting scientific articles and texts.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of dairy chemistry and microbiology
Course unit content
The Milk Transformation Technologies - Cheese course aims to address from a theoretical and practical point of view the main technological operations involved in dairy transformations, with exemplary references to the case of the production processes of some particular types of cheese.
Full programme
dairy products: classification and types;
cheese production technology: general part;
hard cheese production technologies;
soft cheese production technologies;
production technologies for active rind and bloomed cheeses;
pasta-filata production technologies;
acid clot cheese production technologies;
thermal coagulation cheese production technologies;
processed cheeses;
cheese analogs;
portioned and grated cheeses;
use of unconventional raw materials in cheesemaking;
hygiene and sanitation of dairy production plants;
ripening, maturing processes and biochemical and physical aspects of cheeses;
quality control and online measurements of dairy production;
Bibliography
- Notes and slides of the module
- Microbiologia e tecnologia lattiero casearia, Qualità e sicurezza Mucchetti G., Neviani E. (2006) Ed Tecniche Nuove (Milano)
- Mucchetti, G., Neviani E. (2022). Tecnologia casearia, dall'empirismo all'industria. Casa editrice Ambrosiana.
- Fox, P. F., McSweeney, P. L., Cogan, T. M., & Guinee, T. P. (Eds.). (2004). Cheese: Chemistry, physics and microbiology. Elsevier.
- Gobbetti, M., Neviani, E., & Fox, P. (2018). The cheeses of Italy: Science and technology. Springer.
Teaching methods
Teaching is carried out through frontal lessons and practical activities in the dairy, possibly integrated with group activities and the study of articles and video material useful for understanding and deepening the topics covered.
The lesson slides, which constitute an integral part of the teaching material, as well as all the supplementary teaching material, will be uploaded weekly to the Elly platform.
Assessment methods and criteria
The final learning assessment will be carried out through oral exams (one for the theoretical lessons module, one for the laboratory activities).
The questions will be aimed at verifying the understanding of the salient aspects of the module, the autonomy of judgment and the ability to connect the topics studied, the appropriateness in the use of technical-scientific language.
The grading scale for both exams will be out of 30. The passing threshold will be reached if the score obtained is equal to or higher than eighteen out of thirty. The average mark of the two exams (rounded up) will constitute the overall evaluation of the integrated course. For students diagnosed with specific learning disabilities (DSA), certified pursuant to law 170/2010, specific support methods are provided. (https://sea.unipr.it/it/servizi/le-eli-che-supporto-studenti-con-disabilita-dsa-bes).
Other information
