Leadership chair in cheese technology education

Targeted research priorities

Technological properties of dairy matrices

Efficient processing

Project summary

The cheese industry is facing a growing shortage of skilled workers, both at industrial and artisanal levels, which limits its potential for innovation and competitiveness.

The creation of a teaching leadership chair (CLE) in cheese technology aims to meet this need for highly qualified personnel by developing a university program and research program dedicated to cheese-making. The program includes new courses in cheese technology at Université Laval, as well as continuing education for industry professionals. Research will focus on improving manufacturing processes, reducing cheese variability, and applying sustainable development concepts to cheese production.

Graduates of this Chair will be better prepared to respond to industry challenges, supporting innovation and improving manufacturing processes. Research will aim to better control cheese variability and improve process efficiency, thereby strengthening the competitiveness of the Quebec industry on the international scene.

Expected results

The expected results of this CLE are to strengthen the competitiveness of the cheese industry through multidisciplinary training and the development of new knowledge. A university training program in cheese-making, combining courses and in-company internships, will prepare graduates to meet industrial requirements and performance management. The first graduates of this program will be on the job market by 2025. At the same time, a Spring School will provide ongoing training for players in the cheese-making industry.

The CLE research program aims to reduce the variability of cheeses, in particular by better characterizing milk to standardize its quality. It will also improve plant efficiency by comparing lower-impact technological itineraries and making better use of under-utilized dairy constituents, such as lactose.

Main achievements

• Start of work on the Chair in 2020
• First results presented at the Novalait 2023 Forum Techno
• Writing scientific articles
• Lectures and poster presentations at national and international conferences
• Writing popular articles to publicize the Chair and its activities

Available resources

• From waste to building material: How whey ultrafiltration permeate can increase wood stability
• Protecting lumber with a cheese by-product
• CLE in cheese technology 
• UL’s first processed cheese training course was a success!
• The great whey challenge