Individuals involved with dairy manufacturing have the opportunity to sharpen their skills, or, if new to the industry, receive some hands-on training at the week-long Dairy Technology Workshop conducted by Randolph Associates Inc., Birmingham, Ala. This in-depth training program is targeted to those responsible for processing, sanitation and quality assurance in dairy operations. The objective is to provide the individual with basic knowledge regarding the properties of milk and principles of sanitation and quality assurance. The material is presented in practical terms so that the participants gain a better understanding of the basics of producing quality products efficiently.

Topics covered include the basics of dairy technology, regulatory compliance, dairy microbiology, food safety, quality assurance concepts/applications, good manufacturing practices, sensory evaluation, dairy plant sanitation, problem solving, shrinkage/weight-fill control, pasteurization and HACCP.

"Randolph Associates' approach to training is based on the philosophy to present basic/technical information in an easy to understand manner that participants can relate to their jobs," says Henry Randolph, pres. "This is accomplished by utilizing a training staff with years of plant and management experience and by keeping the agenda fluid enough to address the individual concerns of the attendees while maintaining a rigid enough schedule to cover all pertinent topics. In addition to classroom instruction, attendees participate in practical problem solving scenarios and are often offered the opportunity to visit an area dairy plant. It is the balance of these activities that fill the week with information that can be applied to every operations."

A previous attendee says, "I was prepared to wade through a ton of marginally relevant material to extract a few pearls of applicability. I was pleasantly surprised to find most days not only filled with material that could be applied to our every day operations, but was also presented in a fashion that kept it interesting."

The Randolph Associates Dairy Technology Workshop is conducted twice annually. For more information, call 205/595-6455, or visit www.randolphconsulting.com.