Dairy Microbiology

The aim of the course is to give the students a thorough knowledge of raw milk microflora, and microflora in sweet milk products as well as on microflora in starter cultures. Focus will be on primary and secondary starter cultures for dairy products, including the adventious microflora associated with cheese.

Through lectures and laboratory exercies the course will also give the students additional knowledge on microbiological analysis on organisms relevant for dairy products. Knowledge of the most important spoilage and patogens in dairy products has also been obtained.
After completing the course the student should be able to:
 

Knowledge

• Describe the composition of starter cultures and their use in dairy products
• Describe the secondary, adjunct and adventious microflora found in cheese and their biochemical role in cheese ripening
• Comprehend the role of physiology of starter, secondary starter, adjunct cultures and non-starter bacteria in fermented dairy products
• Comprehend the principles for starter production
• Comprehend how bacteriophages influence fermented dairy product quality and how to detect them
• Display knowledge on culture dependent and culture independent techniqes for quantification of microorganisms from dairy products
   

Skills

• Apply principles for species and strain identification of dairy organisms
• Analyse dairy product for relevant microorganisms using classical and molecular biology based methods and evaluate the putative source of them
• Compare literature information with own obtained data
   

Competences

• Find, use and evaluate dairy microbiology literature in relation to dairy fermentation processes
• Cooperate with fellow students about literature and practical laboratory work
• Communicate and evaluate own data in relation to literature in writing and orally