Research Plant of process Milk and dairy product
The Dairy Process Research Laboratory started its activities in 1976 with the support of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization-FAO, the Danish Cooperation Agency-DANIDA and officials of Universidad Austral.
It was planned as a Pilot Dairy Plant with an installed capacity to process 1250 liters/hour of pasteurized milk, 150 kg of cheese/day and 360 liters of fermented milk/day, as well as a specialized laboratory for milk and dairy products analysis. The project was focused on carrying out training-production processes on an intermediate scale. Thus, ICTA's Milk Pilot Plant promoted the development of many small, medium and large companies in the country and even in several Latin American countries. Several generations of students from different professions such as zootechnics, veterinary medicine, chemical engineering, mechanical and mechatronics engineering, chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, among others, were also trained.
Support projects were carried out for milk producer groups such as the Boyacá Multi-Active Cooperative, addressing issues of primary production and milk processing, milk producers from Santiago de la Selva in the department of Caquetá, and dairy producers from the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá.
With the support of the Board of the Cartagena Agreement (JUNAC), the research project "Technological Inventory of Peasant Dairy Products" was carried out to determine the quality of raw materials, facilities and equipment, processes, and quality management available in Colombian dairy product factories.
With the Pan American Dairy Federation, courses were conducted on various milk and milk processing topics, aimed at professionals and technicians from Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
As time went by, more emphasis was given to research activities than to university extension activities, which is why the Milk Pilot Plant was transformed into the "Dairy Process Research Laboratory". Its facilities were reduced in capacity and the analysis capacity was expanded focusing on research and teaching.
Currently there are two professors, one with a doctorate and the other with a master's degree, an operating technician trained as a food engineer, and a qualified operator.
Research projects have continued to be carried out, such as:
- Development of functional dairy beverages (yogurt and kumis) with emphasis on conjugated linoleic acid.
- Contribution to technological innovation in the production processes of handmade dairy products and soy-based substitutes in the Sabana de Bogotá.
- Design of equipment to improve the productivity of small and medium-sized dairy factories.
- Evaluation of traditional Colombian cheeses (shelf life) by electronic nose.
- The project "Dietary and animal factors that influence the concentration of ionic calcium and thermal stability of milk", a joint project with COLANTA, is currently being completed.
With respect to teaching activities, the dairy process research laboratory supports the Master's degree programs in Food Science and Technology and the Specialization in Food Science and Technology with the subjects Milk Science and Technology of Dairy Products and By-products. The Agroindustry of Dairy Products course is also offered at the undergraduate level.
For more information: planpileche_bog@unal.edu.co
Research plant web in Hermes