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.

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