About the Program
The Cornell Dairy Foods Extension certificate program offers dairy food processors training — large or small — in topic areas including dairy science, food safety systems, pasteurization, and processing courses. We offer certificates in five subject areas:
- The Science of Yogurt and Cultured Dairy Products (Basic and Advanced)
- Artisan Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts
- Fluid Milk Processing for Quality and Safety
- Membrane, Evaporation and Drying Technology
- The Science of Cheese Making (Basic and Advanced)
Core Courses
Dairy Science and Sanitation, one Food Safety course, and one Pasteurizer Course required
Explore the basic principles of dairy science and dairy regulations in this semiannual course tailored to dairy processing personnel.
Certificate CEU
Subject Area
Dairy Science and SanitationSubject areas include:
- Dairy Microbiology
- Good Manufacturing Practices
- Cleaning and sanitation
This workshop is designed to provide comprehensive instruction on the development of HACCP based food safety programs for dairy operations that should apply to juice and other foods as well.
Certificate CEU
Subject Area
Accredited HACCPSubject areas include:
- Hazards associated with dairy foods processing
- Prerequisite programs
- Good Manufacturing Practices
Obtain an overview of the design, operation, cleaning and maintenance of High Temperature Short Time (HTST) systems in this workshop designed for those involved with milk pasteurization and offered three times each year.
Certificate CEU
Subject Area
High Temperature Short Time PasteurizerSubject areas include:
- HTST Operation Components
- Regulatory requirements for HTST Operation
- Cleaning & Sanitizing HTST Programs
- Requirement as part of NYS Broken Seal Program
This multi-day course fulfills the FDA Requirements for FSMA Qualified Individual Training through the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance and AFDO.
Certificate CEU
Subject Area
FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food Qualified IndividualSubect areas include:
- Hazards
- Preventive Controls
- Food Safety Plan Development
This workshop is designed for small-scale dairy processors and covers the key areas related to vat pasteurization.
Certificate CEU
Subject Area
Vat PasteurizerSubject areas include:
- Components of vat pasteurization
- Thermometer requirements
- Pasteurizer maintenance
Specialized Courses
Choose one specialized course per certificate
This workshop is designed for those involved and interested in fluid milk processing and testing with the intent of providing the tools to support and improve on quality assurance/control and food safety programs for bottled milks.
Certificate CEU
Subject Area
Fluid Milk Processing for Quality and SafetySubject areas include:
- Basic Microbiology in relation to Milk Quality and Safety
- Influence of Raw Milk Quality on Pasteurized Milk Quality & Shelf-Life
- Fluid Milk Processing Parameters
- Tools for Assessing Milk Quality and Shelf-Life
This workshop is designed for cheese manufacturers or others interested in the basic concepts of cheese making including processes and methodology.
Certificate CEU
Subject Area
The Science of Cheese (Basic Level)Subject areas include:
- Milk quality which impacts cheese making
- Cheese culture and chemistry and microbiology
- Cheese-making unit operations and techniques and hands-on cheese making
- Cheese marketing
This workshop is designed for yogurt and fermented dairy product manufacturers with a focus on cultures, processing, and food safety.
Certificate CEU
Subject Area
The Science of Yogurt (Basic Level)Subject areas include:
- Milk quality and impact on cultured dairy products
- Culture microbiology and hands-on cultured dairy making
- Unit operations and sanitation in cultured dairy production
This workshop is designed for the artisan ice cream manufacturer and will focus on types of frozen desserts, composition and physical properties, equipment, ingredients, sensory, food safety, and frozen dessert manufacture.
Certificate CEU
Subject Area
Introduction to Artisan Ice Cream and Frozen DessertsSubject areas include:
- Ice cream-making equipment
- Frozen dessert food safety
- Flavor composition
- Ice cream sensory
- Ice cream production
This workshop is designed for those involved and interested in the fractionation, separation, concentration and drying of dairy products and ingredients.
Certificate CEU
Subject Area
Membrane Filtration, Evaporation, and Drying TechnologySubject areas include:
- Quality and food safety effects of operations on value-added dairy ingredients
- Current research topics in value-added dairy ingredients
- Unit operations in filtration, evaporation, and drying for dairy products
Advanced Core Courses
Three Courses Required
This course presents the process of writing and maintaining Standard Operating Procedures for both regulatory compliance and everyday employee usage.
Certificate CEU
Subject Area
SOP and Technical WritingSubject area include:
- Document Systems
- Tense and word choice
- Writing effective documents
- Review and Revision
- Compliance
Obtain an understanding of the SQF Code and how to implement these requirements in a food processing plant to achieve or maintain SQF Certification.
CEU
Master critical communication and leadership skills to effectively manage employees, establish priorities and delegate responsibilities while building awareness of team dynamics and how to engage employees through group problem-solving and decision making.
Certificate CEU
Subject Area
Leadership Skills for Success: Dairy & Food Processing Plant Front Line Superv…Subject areas include:
- Team Dynamics
- Problem-solving strategies
- Relationship Management
- Workplace Communications
This course will prepare participants to develop and implement an effective Pathogen Environmental Monitoring program that will achieve greater product safety and quality.
Certificate CEU
Subject Area
Pathogen Environmental MonitoringSubject areas include:
- Pathogens of concern
- Importance of environmental sampling programs
- Mitigation steps and corrective actions
Advanced Courses
Choose one advanced specialized course per certificate
This workshop is designed for advanced level cheese manufacturers or others interested in the advanced concepts of cheesemaking including advanced chemistry and processing.
Certificate CEU
Subject Area
The Science of Cheese (Advanced Level)Subject areas include:
- Milk components and advanced chemistry of cheese-making
- Cheese styles and standards of identity
- Cheese defects during process and affinage
This workshop will provide attendees with information in key areas related to advanced microbiology, chemistry in fermented milk and dairy product production, along with advanced sensory product evaluation, safety and quality assurance.
Certificate CEU
Subject Area
The Science of Yogurt (Advanced Level)Subject areas include:
- Milk components and advanced chemistry of cultured-dairy making
- Innovations in cultured dairy production
- Advanced sensory characteristics