Ryan ChartrandGot dairy products? Cal Poly’s Dairy Products Technology Center and Creamery will be featured on the History Channel’s program “Modern Marvels.”
The episode premiered on the History Channel on Monday and will have its last scheduled showing at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Titled “Modern Marvels: Milk,” the episode will discuss the process of milk production from the dairy to the marketplace.
“The show is going to show the history and value of pasteurizing, why and how it came to be and who invented the process,” said Phillip Tong, director of the Cal Poly Dairy Products Technology Center.
Filmed in the Cal Poly facilities in early October 2007, the episode features Cal Poly cows, research labs, professors and students in various segments.
“The show used Cal Poly as technological and scientific experts and used its facility to talk about nutrition and health,” Tong said.
The Dairy Products Technology Center is part of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. The center conducts dairy research involving nutrition, new food products and applied science, which support the dairy industry.
The creamery is operated by the dairy science department and has been making and selling products to the Central Coast since 1903. The milk is produced by a herd of Jersey cows owned by Cal Poly.
The college hired a full-time manager to oversee the daily creamery operations as well as student production of cheese and ice cream. This is made possible through support from the Oreggia Family Foundation.
“The creamery serves as a practical lab for students to learn how to run a commercial entity,” Tong said.
Students are involved in all aspects of dairy production, including managing the herd of cows and creating, packaging and marketing dairy products such as milk, cheese and ice cream.
According to Tong, students are able to gain practical “hands-on experience” with foods that will be purchased and consumed. He said they learn the scientific aspect of production as well as how to make technological business decisions.
The episode is going to showcase the size and scope of Cal Poly facilities and highlight the university’s production capabilities.
“Students who watch the show can learn about the history of milk and how it evolved for consumption,” Tong said.