Dairy Products Technology Center R&D Facilities and Equipment

Equipment

• HTST — 270 to 600 gallons per hour for ice cream mix, milk, etc., and associated cold milk separator, batch tanks (1×80 gallons, 2×100 gallons, 1×200 & 1×300 gallons with heating and cooling, 1×400 gallons with heating, 2×500 gallons), pasteurized surge tanks, CIP systems, etc. (HTST is a legally sealed unit by the state of California)
• 1/2 to 1 gallon plastic federal rotary filler
• Scholle filler for 3- to 6-gallon bags
• Microthermics UHT (direct and indirect heating) with clean-fill hood and aseptic homo (25 L/hr)
• Continuous ice cream freezer (Hoyer Frigus SF 600) (50 to 150 gallons/hr)
• Ingredient feeder (Hoyer Addus FF 2000 C2) (10 to 200 L/hr)
• Sawvel cup filler—pint to 3.5 oz.; 35 cups/minute (pint)
• Emery Thompson batch ice cream freezer (40 qts.)
• Egli continuous pilot-scale butter churn (1 to 2 lbs/min)
• PMS 30-gallons/hr HTST with two-stage homogenizer
• Technogel 100 L/hr continuous ice cream freezer
• Marriott Walker rising film evaporator (100 lbs/hr evaporative capacity)
• Open-water jacketed cheese vats (Stoelting one 500 gallons, Stoelting three 50 gallons, Kusel two 175 gallons with drain tables)
• Two Universal 50-gallon specialty cheese vats
• Blentech process cheese cooker (50 to 100 lbs.)
• Stefan process cheese cooker (5 lbs.)
• Suprema pasta filata system (mixer/molder and cooker/stretcher)
• Koch vacuum packaging system (1- to 40-lb. block)
• Miscellaneous tanks and pumps – High-shear Silverson mixer
• 4 Groen process steam kettles (40 to 60 gallons)
• 2 APV conical bottom swept-surface processors (100 gallons)
• Legal batch pasteurizer system (200 gallons)
• 4-booth sensory evaluation area with test/preparation kitchen and Compusense software system
• Controlled atmosphere cold storage (approx. 3,000 sq. ft.) with variable temperature control and humidity
• Frozen storage (-15°F) (approx. 200 sq. ft.)
• Niro Pilot R-12 MF/UF/RO diafiltration system (60 to 90 gal. feed/hour)
• Niro Filterlab spray dryer FLG-60 (60 lb/hr. water evaporation rate, capable of drying milk, whey and agglomeration)
• Modified atmosphere packaging

 

Supporting Analytical Equipment

Equipment	Purpose of Equipment
Fast-performance liquid chromatography	Separation analysis and isolation of proteins from milk, whey and dairy products
Pulsed field gel electrophoresis	DNA-based differentiation of probiotic lactic acid bacteria
Gel electrophoresis acrylamide	Analysis of proteins and peptides: native, denaturing, urea, gradient and two-dimensional
Preparative isoelectric focusing	Isolation and characterization of proteins
Gel densitometer	Individual protein concentration determination
Polymerase chain reaction thermal cycler	DNA characterization, bacteria identification and determination, gene manipulation, etc.
ELISA plate reader	Multiple antibody and enzymatic assays for milk product component analysis or microbiological safety
Membrane transfer platform	Northern, southern and western blots of RNA, DNA, and protein analysis and identification
Dot blot instrument	Antibody and enzyme quantification and titration
Ultracentrifuge	Sedimentation of milk and cellular components
Phase contrast microscope	Microbiological analysis of spores
Digital imager	Quantification and record-keeping of dairy product sample structure and composition
Pilot plant scale affinity chromatography column	Large scale-up of laboratory affinity chromatography procedures
Gas pycnometer, tap density, powder flowability	Characterization of bulk density, particle density and angle of repose
Gas chromatography / mass spectrometry (GC / MS)	Flavor and other compound characterization and identification
High-pressure liquid chromatograph (HPLC)	Protein and peptide analysis of dairy foods
Laser diffraction particle size analyzer	Particle size and particle size distribution of dry dairy powders, emulsions and colloidal dispersions
Texture analyzer	Texture profile analysis, firmness, etc.
Hunter colorimeter	Whiteness, color intensity and hue, appearance of dairy foods and ingredients
Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC)	Thermal properties of milk components
Block digestion and distillation system	Nitrogen/protein analysis
Auto-titration system	Determination of buffering capacity
High-throughput nitrogen analyzer	Quantification of total milk protein, casein and whey protein content of foods
Fourier transform infrared analysis	Milk component analysis
Water activity meter	Water activity measurement
Countertop food dehydrator	Food dehydration

NOTE 1: In addition to the specialized equipment available, the Dairy Products Technology Center routinely carries out chemical (fat, protein, ash, total solids, pH), physical (viscosity, color) and microbiological (APC, yeasts, molds, coliform, lactobacilli) analyses and related research, plus the development of dairy foods and ingredients.

NOTE 2: In addition, Cal Poly works with several departments on campus (Materials Engineering, Biological Science, and Food Science & Nutrition) for more specialized expertise, instrumentation, and processing equipment.