Processing of Agri-Food Products

MILK - Milk chemistry and microbiology - Factors affecting milk production and composition. Physical properties (acid-base equilibria, density, viscosity, freezing point). Functionality and structure of the most important components of milk (lactose, fat, caseins, whey proteins, enzymes and minerals) and their roles in dairy products. The effects of processing on the structure and functionality of milk
constituents. Important micro-organisms in milk and dairy products and factors affecting their reproduction and survival. Control of spoilage and pathogenic micro-organisms during production and storage of dairy products. Dairy technology Consumption milk - Destruction of micro-organisms by heat treatment: thermisation, pasteurisation and sterilisation processes. Removal of micro-organisms by means of membrane filtration technologies. Cultured milk - Manufacture technology
of yogurt and cultured milks. Probiotic properties of lactic acid bacteria. Cultured milk as functional foods.Butter - Chemical and microbiological characteristics of the different types of cream. Industrial buttermaking processes. Technologies for production of anhydrous milk fat. Milk powders - Technologies for manufacture of milk powders. Powder agglomeration. Types and quality characteristics of milk powder. Cheese - Analysis of the cheesemaking steps including type of
milk, rennet, cheese starters, processing within the vat and processing post-vat. Technologies for manufacture of different Italian cheeses and processed cheese. Physical and biochemical phenomena occurring during ripening.Quality control of dairy products including quality standards provided by
either EU specifications or government regulations. WINE - Composition of grapes; changes of main grape components during maturation and the importance thereof for the fermentation process and wine quality. Criteria for determining harvest readiness. Grape and exogenous enzymes. Glycosidasic
enzymes. Phenolic substances: anthocyans, flavanols, procyanidines, tannins. Polimerization and stabilization of colour. Oxidative pathway in must. The harvesting and handling of grapes, must
and skins before, during and after fermentation. Taxonomy and ecology of grape and wine yeasts. Yeast oenological characteristics and condition for yeasts development. Biochemistry of alcoholic fermentation and metabolic pathways of wine yeasts. Microbial spoilage of wines and applied
aspects of moulds and lactic acid bacteria during winemaking. Malolactic fermentation. Use of sulphur dioxide in must and wine treatment. Products and methods complementing the effect of sulphur dioxide. Principles of winemaking including schemes of grape processing and special demands in individual technological practices: white, red, rose and sparkling wines, special wines and wines of special quality. Fining agents use optimization. Protein, tartrate, oxidative, colour and metal stability Principles and techniques for physicochemical and microbiological stabilization of wine. Enzymes in
winemaking. Bottling. Wood barrel ageing.