Dr. Carmen Licon, director at Cal Poly’s Dairy Products Technology Center, joins Dairy Foods for Episode 48 of the “Let’s Talk Dairy Podcast.”

Prior to her current role, Dr. Licon’s academic career began in October 2017 as an assistant professor for Food Processing and Engineering at Fresno State’s Department of Food Science and Nutrition. She holds a M.S. and Ph.D. in Agricultural Science and Engineering from the University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Food Engineering from Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico. She is also a Certified Cheese Professional by the American Cheese Society. 

Through her work, Dr. Licon actively champions innovation and empowers the artisanal cheese community. Her passion and leadership serve as a driving force, inspiring the next generation of cheese makers and dairy professionals.

During this podcast, Dr. Licon discusses the following:

• If the hot cottage cheese sales trends can continue.
• How cottage cheese plays into the current health and wellness trend we are seeing.
• Smearcase, which states it is the world’s first cottage cheese-based frozen dairy dessert, was named a winner of a California Milk Advisory Board Accelerator award. Dr. Licon explains why she calls it the “next Greek yogurt.”
• Why Dr. Licon is a proponent of the preservation of culturally diverse dairy products and supporting product development.
• Predictions for the future of the dairy industry, including a look at lactose-free and high-protein products.

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