The latest happenings in

Dairy Products Technology 

Jennifer received her undergraduate degree in Microbiology at Cal Poly and continued on to receive her master's working under Dr. Phil Tong, which she completed in 1989. She has been a teacher in the Napa Valley School district for the past 18 years and currently serves as the Science Department Chair and Chemistry and AP Chemistry teacher for Vintage High School in Napa Valley.

"Working with the DPTC on my master's thesis was a great experience.  I learned a lot of practical laboratory techniques that I pass on to my high school students, and learned a lot about the dairy industry that I would not have known if it had not been for the DPTC," stated Castelzo. "I've used my experiences in making cheeses with my current classes, and I always do a lesson on the chemistry behind milk."

In 2011 Jennifer was awarded "Teacher of the Year" for the Napa Valley Unified School district. This recognition is for those educators in the Napa Valley Unified School District who do an outstanding job of enriching and enhancing regular classroom and school-wide curriculum.   In 2012 she was awarded "Teacher of the Year" for the County of Napa. The award was started by the California Department of Education in 1972, to honor exemplary teachers throughout California, and to recognize the positive accomplishments of the state's teachers and students. In addition to teaching, Castelazo has coached soccer and tennis, mentored other teachers and served as an adviser to numerous student organizations. 

Her advice for current students at Cal Poly is, "Never take for granted your education and the learning experiences that you have gone through while in college.  There are so many current bright young high school students that, for a variety of reasons, aren't able to go to a fabulous college such as Cal Poly and are itching just to be in your shoes."

24th Annual Cal Poly/UCD Cheese Short Course Attendees and Instructors held March 20-23, 2012 at Cal Poly Dairy Products Technology Center

Cal Poly's Dairy Products Technology Center (DPTC) played host to a sold-out Cheese Short Course I last month, educating industry members from throughout the United States on the basic scientific information and practical skills needed to understand and manufacture cheese.

The annual cheese short course, in it's 24th year, continues to be one of the center's most popular courses. Typically cheese plant supervisors and operators attend, but increasingly plant maintenance personnel, business unit managers, quality control managers and others who seek better understanding of the cheese making process are enrolling in this course. 

Participants enjoyed classroom lectures and a day of hands-on cheese-making experience in the university's renowned dairy processing plant and research area."Our entire team at the DPTC really enjoys working with our attendees at these programs," said Phil Tong, DPTC Director and organizer of Cal Poly's Outreach Program. "It is extremely rewarding for us to know that the class attendees will use the information from this course when they go back to their respective companies to advance the cheese industry.

In addition to the Cheese Short Course I, Cal Poly also offers the annual Dairy Science and Technology Basics for the Farmstead/Artisan Cheesemaker Short Course held each fall. These cheese courses and other outreach activities of the Cal Poly Dairy Products Technology Center are made possible in part through the financial support provided by California Dairy Research Foundation and the Dairy Research Institute. For more information on future outreach programs, please visit our website at: www.dptc.calpoly.edu. 

We are currently working on three new whey protein ingredient applications: a strawberry protein chew, whey protein noodle, and a tofu alternative. These are being developed to showcase the versatility and range of product applications for whey protein ingredients.         

The strawberry protein chew could appeal to consumers of all ages. It is a unique snack that will add some protein to your diet and it will also satisfy a sweet tooth, without the guilt! This protein chew can be packed in lunch boxes and easily eaten on the go. It is a convenient healthy snack that has more nutritional value than a typical fruit snack or fruit roll up. The chew has a slightly soft and chewy texture due to whey protein's gelling properties.          

We are also working on whey protein noodle, which is similar to egg noodle but without the egg. We are focusing on the textural properties of the noodle while increasing the protein level above a typical egg noodle.      

A tofu alternative is another prototype we have been working on in the lab, and has a wide variety of applications. The tofu alternative can add an extra kick of protein to a dish without the addition of a soy-based product or beany flavor profile. It can also be added to a meat or poultry dish to add a source of protein and an additional texture profile to the dish. The mild flavor and unique texture makes the prototype highly versatile. This prototype provides a great source of protein that can be incorporated into a variety of dishes. Once finalized, these prototypes will be posted to our website and distributed through other communications.       

In addition to this bench top work, the DPTC applications team has worked with several companies on pilot plant projects related to development of new cultured dairy product innovations and also responds to various email and phone queries on dairy ingredient applications.

Awards, Presentations, and Student Research Competitions

Measuring Textural Properties of Dairy Foods- funded by Southern California IFT Educational Research Grant, P.I.- Dr. Amy Lammert Project dates: May 15, 2012- May 15, 2013.  

Improving SMP/NFDM processing, microbiological quality and functionality through process and ingredient technologies that change mineral composition and activity- funded by Dairy Research Institute (Dairy Management, Inc.), P.I. - Dr. Phil Tong, Project dates:  1/1/2012- 12/30/2013.