NFOK16006U Dairy Product Technology 2

Volume 2026/2027
Education

MSc Programme in Food Science and Technology

Content

The course deals with the following areas:

Cheese and fermented milk technology: milk treatment, characterisation of cheese and fermented milk varieties, gross composition of cheese and fermented milks and their relation to dairy technology. 

Cheese and fermented milk production: Acidification and glycolysis, lipolysis and esterolysis, proteolysis, peptidolysis, amino acid release, amino acid catabolism and flavour formation, roles of starter, adjunct and non-starter bacteria, ripening enzymes. Chemical methods to evaluate cheese proteolysis and aroma and flavour formation.

Fermented milk products: Casein micelle changes, structure formation, exopolysaccharide producing dairy cultures. 

Cheese structure: Milk coagulation, syneresis and formation of cheese structure and cheese rheology.

 

 

 

 

Learning Outcome

The aim of the course is to give students a detailed knowledge of both theoretical and practical aspects of cheese and fermented milk production, characterisation, technology and biochemistry. 


Knowledge

  • Understand chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, physics and technology in the production of cheese and fermented milks.
  • Understand the characteristics of, and basic differences between, cheese groups and varieties.
  • Understand the use and application of dairy enzymes in cheese and fermented milks. 


Skills

  • Apply critical analysis of cheese and fermented milk quality and characteristics.

 

Competences

  • Ability to use and evaluate scientific information and knowledge concerning cheese and fermented milks, incl. all steps of production and ripening.
  • Ability to comprehend the technology behind different cheese varieties and fermented milk types.
  • Capacity to critically evaluate laboratory results and pilot plant trials with regard to the possible development of innovative cheese and fermented milks and/or processes.

See Absalon for a list of course literature.

Qualifications corresponding to Dairy Internship and within the field of milk processing is recommended.

Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
The course involves lectures and laboratory practicals, workshops and oral presentations, literature studies and report writing. The student must obtain their own laboratory results and evaluate them in relation to theory given at lectures and found in literature, including critical use of electronic data bases and internet. Results from all students' practicals and literature studies will be merged during oral presentations and discussions in workshops.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 30
  • Preparation
  • 121
  • Practical exercises
  • 50
  • Seminar
  • 4
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Total
  • 206
Written
Oral
Individual
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 20 min
Type of assessment details
3 weeks before the examination, all examination questions (covering the essential issues dealt with in the course) will be published on Absalon. The students are expected to use all of these questions to be fully prepared for the subsequent oral exam. At the oral exam itself, one of the questions will be drawn by the student, and the examination immediately proceeds. The last 5 minutes of the exam will be used for questions in relation to the laboratory practicals and it is recommended to bring the report from these to the exam.
Examination prerequisites

Attendance at all laboratory practicals is compulsory. All laboratory reports must have been approved.

Aid
All aids allowed

 

 

 

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Several internal examiners
Re-exam

Same as ordinary exam.

Non-approved reports must be handed in three weeks prior to the re-exam and approved 2 weeks prior to the re-exam. If the laboratory practicals have not been completed, an agreement has to be made with the course responsible regarding alternative completion of this prerequisite.

Criteria for exam assesment

See Learning Outcome