Dairy Process Technology

Innovative technologies

In collaboration with students, lecturers, project engineers and business companies we focus on the development and implementation of innovative technologies in the field of sustainable dairy chain production. Examples include separation technology, which strives to maximize the use of raw materials, and ‘mild’ processes, which are aimed at the optimization of nutritional values of products.

These technologies are important for the development of more eco-efficient processes in dairy companies, while maintaining optimal product quality and low production costs, while having a minimal impact on the environment at the same time.

About the professor

Peter de Jong started his career in 1986 at Campina Melkunie in Woerden. Not long after, he started working for NIZO food research in Ede. In the '90s De Jong did a PhD at the TU Delft, where he wrote his thesis about the 'Modelling and optimization of thermal processes in the dairy industry'.

He has helped improve production processes of many different dairy companies all over the world, by increasing their capacity, securing the quality and preservability of dairy products and by developing new technologies, among other things. Predictive simulation software has played an important role in these processes.

In 2012 NIZO food research appointed Peter as head of the research programme 'Mild Separation for Food Applications' at the Institute for Sustainable Process Technology in Amersfoort, for one and a half days a week. Here he leads the industrial research programme that is concerned with waste valorisation. Peter's work has been published in more than 150 articles in scientific and technological journals.

Mission

We want to further increase expertise in the field of dairy technology in Dutch educational and research institutes, by performing applied research and by developing educational modules that are aimed at improving the quality and efficiency in the dairy industry, by using sustainable methods.

Objective

Together with our students and lecturers we perform applied (scientific) research, mainly on behalf of established Dutch dairy companies. At an international level, we also collaborate with universities and other knowledge institutions, and especially with other applied research groups. Our research provides information that is passed on through our education programmes, and it helps us update the dairy modules. Our dairy institute aspires to be the leading educational institute internationally, in the field of applied dairy research and education.

Projects

Preserving raw milk
The effects of farm management on the flavour and composition of milk
Optimizing the management of dairy farms
The evaluation of sustainable dairy processes and ingredients
Predictive software for glycation of milk powder
Data analysis in dairy factories
Integral process en product optimization with computer software (gProms)
New methods of membrane separation
Optimisation of evaporators and dryers
Optimisation of dairy factories and chains in the Balkans
Valorisation of (sour) whey
Efficient CIP/cleaning
Realisation of pilot plant with in-line model simulation (DigiCooker – FACT)

Knowledge centre

The knowledge centre is a group of experts who initiate and work on projects together (and with students) in the field of dairy process technology. These projects also link up with educational institutes, as both experts as well as lecturers are part of the group. The applied research group Dairy Process Technology works in close collaboration with the following research groups:

Food, Health & Safety: who study the effect of process development of nutritional values of dairy products
Sustainable and Smart Dairy Farming: who study the integration of the primary chain of the production of sustainably produced dairy products.
Water technology: who study how water technology is implemented in dairy technology (like separation technology and atomisation, for instance) in research projects

Members

Dr. Peter de Jong
Dr.ir. Maykel Verschueren (NIZO food research)
Jan Heijenga (MSc, researcher)
Jan Brouwer (MSc, engineer)
Erwin Dijk (MSc, expert in chemistry)
Piet Grin (MSc, expert processing)
Jappie de Jong (MSc, expert in fermentation)
Fons Michielsen (MSc, expert in dairy technology)
Wieneke Rietman (MSc, expert in computer modelling)
Koos de Vries (MSc, expert in safety)

Contact

Professor Peter de Jong
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel.: +31 (0)6 53 33 94 59