Technical Centre "Animal Food Technology

The technological potential of animal-based raw materials, such as milk and meat, is investigated experimentally in the "Animal Food Technology" technical centre. The theoretical teaching content of producing food on the basis of scientific knowledge is supplemented by practical exercises and the corresponding techniques are practised. In general, the aim is to impart technological understanding and to optimally adapt products to the production process with machines. How should the cheese milk be optimally treated before curdling? How do the pH value and temperature control influence the efficiency of the cheese-making process? How does curd processing influence the variety of cheese assortments? What is the consistency or texture of a liver sausage? Similar questions are investigated in the "Animal Food Technology" laboratory for many areas.

Professional production processes can be demonstrated in the laboratory. The students work out processes on the basis of the scientific and material fundamentals (mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, bioprocess engineering, mechanical process engineering, thermal process engineering as well as applied statistics etc.) and familiarise themselves with the machines. The focus is on product development and product design. For this purpose, the laboratory offers a variety of possibilities for exemplary investigations. First, hand samples are created on a laboratory scale and marketing-relevant questions are clarified. This is followed by a scale-up to a technological scale. Here, of course, the process parameters must always be adjusted. In addition to the practical courses on the technological topics that the students complete in the "Animal Food Technology" laboratory, project work also takes place there in the form of open project development.

In the practical courses, the students investigate the influences of temperature and process control on the properties of milk and meat protein using concrete products as examples. For example, in the third semester, the students make soft cheese (Camembert) with different cultures and boiled sausage. The technological understanding of what happens when one ingredient is omitted is vividly conveyed in experiments with boiled sausage.

In the fourth semester, the technology of acid thickening of milk (yoghurt process) and the cooked sausage process are tested on a practical scale using yoghurt and liver sausage as examples. The aim here is to learn about the different influencing factors, such as temperature (cooked sausage process) or the addition of different microorganisms in the design of yoghurt products, to assess them and to transfer them to other production processes.

For the mozzarella process, processed cheese process and warm meat process, in-depth basic technological knowledge in the area of process engineering and product design is required. Therefore, these practical courses are carried out in the second semester of the Master's programme "Food Processing".

In the fifth semester, the students of the degree programmes Industrial Engineer*in Innovation Management Food (WIL) and Food Technology (LT) complete the practical course of product development in the laboratory "Animal Food Technology". Here, the principles of product development - from idea generation to marketing to market launch - are systematically tested using the example of concrete development projects. The product development internship requires competencies in both management and technology and provides important know-how for anyone with an interest in business, technology and science.

Research focuses on the design of food for a sustainable, environmentally conscious and healthy diet:

• the functionalisation of meat and dairy ingredients
• the reduction of salt, sugar and fats in food products
• the texturisation of meat and dairy products by hot extrusion
• the development of sustainable and innovative food products

The focal points are being researched within the framework of various projects such as bachelor's and master's theses as well as doctoral dissertations.

A current product development project, which came about through the Regional Innovation Centre for Health and Quality of Life Fulda (RIGL-Fulda) in cooperation with the association "Rhöner Charme", aims to increase the added value of the meat raw material, using as many parts of a beef as possible, in the region. The first step is to develop product prototypes on a laboratory scale for marketing. Students are also involved in such projects. In addition to the technological production, they learn here that, for example, the basic principles of marketing must also be considered for the marketing of the new products.

Another current regional project deals with the production of a "Hollandaise sauce". This is a joint development project with the Association of Hessian Direct Marketers. The aim is to develop a classic but regional Hollandaise sauce. As always with product development, the challenge here is to develop a Hollandaise sauce with regional ingredients and a typical flavour as a unique selling point, starting with the generation of ideas through marketing to scale-up or market launch. The prototype development was directly integrated in the study module "Product Development" and successfully carried out by students with the inclusion of their own creation.

• Combination unit for smoking, maturing, cooking, grilling, drying
• Combi steamer for various heating processes
• Large meat mincer for mincing
• Cooking kettle:

• heated in a water bath
• Also for autoclaving (up to 121 degrees)
• Temperature can be controlled
• Sensor for measuring core temperature and individual areas
  

• Cheese maker (double-walled, heated over water)
• Universal machines for heating and chopping
• Ice maker (flake ice)
• Twin-screw extruder for cooking, moulding and printing
• Vacuum machine for wrapping
• Blastfreezer ( - 38 degrees)
• Measuring equipment
• Climatic test cabinet (e.g. for cheese ripening)