March 21, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Laurie Jacobson
(805) 756-6101

Cal Poly, UC Davis Short Course Teaches the Art and Science of Producing Cheese

SAN LUIS OBISPO - The science behind the art of cheese making is the topic of the 17th Annual Cal Poly-UC Davis Cheese Short Course this week at Cal Poly.

Faculty from Cal Poly's Dairy Products Technology Center, UC Davis and key individuals from industry will be teaching the sold-out short course March 22-25. The short course outlines the whys and hows of safely, efficiently and consistently producing high-quality cheese.

The annual course attracts participants from large-scale mechanized cheese-making operations, small farmstead cheese manufacturers and entrepreneurs, marketers, engineers, investors and others interested in the cheese business.

"We have attendees representing plants who make a million pounds of cheese a day sitting next to dairy producers who are deciding what equipment to use and what cheese to produce in a farmstead operation," said Cal Poly Professor Phil Tong, the course leader. "The diverse backgrounds provide a unique opportunity to share a wide range of valuable perspectives and interests."

The course outlines basic aspects of cheese science and technology common to cheesemaking on any production scale, Tong emphasized. Attendees also gain practical experience by evaluating cheeses, making cheeses in Cal Poly's pilot plant and completing team assignments involving real-world problems facing all cheese makers.

"It's a fun week for all and we all learn from each other," Tong said.

The Annual Cheese Short Course is one of many outreach programs supported by the California Dairy Research Foundation and the Cheese Research and Education Fund.

For details on the short course or more information about upcoming programs, see http://www.calpoly.edu/~dptc/short.html, or contact Laurie Jacobson
(805) 756-6097.

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The Dairy Products Technology Center (DPTC), established in 1986, is a program within the College of Agriculture at Cal Poly State University that conducts education, research, and outreach activities to provide solutions to help manage risk, facilitate innovation, and defend equity in the dairy foods industry and related business sectors. For further information visit our website at www.calpoly.edu/~dptc .