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Apprenticeship training course

Dairy technologist (level 5)

There are 8 training providers who offer this course. Check if a training provider can deliver this training in the apprentice's work location.

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Information about Dairy technologist (level 5)

Providing expert technical advice and support on a variety of aspects of dairy production and activities.

Knowledge, skills and behaviours
View knowledge, skills and behaviours

Knowledge

  • The dairy industry structure. Financial considerations. Ethical business practices.
  • Different teams and functions involved in dairy production. Dairy technologist role. Limits of scope of practice: when to seek input from others and when to escalate.
  • Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). Production and operational planning concepts.
  • Health and safety. Health and Safety at Work Act – responsibilities. Health and safety culture. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH). The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). Manual handling. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Types of hazards. Risk assessments, mitigation methods, and method statements (safe systems of work).
  • Principles of food and dairy safety. Allergenic control. Good Hygienic Practice (GHP). Microbiology and food borne illnesses. Biological, physical, allergenic (cross-contamination), and chemical contamination of dairy and related products. Food storage, temperature control and preservation of dairy products. Hygienic design, construction and maintenance of food premises and equipment, and their cleaning and disinfection. Pest control. Personal hygiene and training requirements. Food safety culture. Traceability.
  • Food safety legislation principles: Food Safety Act, Regulation (EC) 852/2004, The General Food Law Regulation (EC) 178/2002, The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations, The Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations, The Food Hygiene (Wales) Regulations, The Food Information to Consumers Regulations (EC)1169/2011, Food Information Regulations, Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on Microbiological criteria for foodstuffs, The Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations. Sources of information for legislation changes.
  • Food safety management control of dairy and related food systems: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Threat Analysis of Critical Control Points (TACCP), and Vulnerability Assessment of Critical Control Points (VACCP).
  • Principles of dairy chemistry. Chemical properties. Compositional milk and dairy product analysis. Quality testing of milk and dairy products.
  • Principles of dairy microbiology. Types of micro-organisms and their structure. Cultivation conditions and procedures. Aseptic conditions and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP): organisation and discipline within the laboratory. Hygiene monitoring and auditing. Laboratory analysis techniques. Indicator organisms. Interpretation of microbiological data as an indicator of risk.
  • Milk and dairy derivatives as raw materials. Primary production. Dairy farming practice. Composition of milk and dairy produce. Additives. Dairy products as an ingredient in other foods and associated allergenic issues. Dairy alternatives (non-milk based ingredients).
  • Function of quality assurance within the dairy industry. Quality assurance schemes and factors affecting the Quality Management Plan (QMP).
  • Cleaning, disinfection, and sterilisation. Different techniques: chemical, heat, steam technology and ultraviolet - when they should be used. Components of Clean In Place (CIP). New developments in cleaning technology. Environmental impact of cleaning. Cleaning validation, verification, and optimisation techniques.
  • Basic physical and hygienic design principles of dairy process engineering: mass and energy balances, modes of thermal transfer, principles of fluid flow, and rheology (deformation and flow of materials - solids and liquids).
  • Principles of food industry unit operations. Preservation operations. Dairy industry unit operations. Factory service operations.
  • Product development processes: recipe development, specifications, market gap identification, acceptance testing and process design, packaging requirements, and nutrition and organoleptic characteristics.
  • Milk processing: end-to-end. New concepts in milk processing. By-products.
  • Cheese and fermented product technology. Cheese and cheese related products. Yogurt and related products. Soured creams and crème fraiche.
  • Butter and milk fat technology. Butter manufacture. Yellow fat and dairy spread manufacture. Ice cream manufacture. Dairy dessert manufacture.
  • The chemistry of whey protein. Whey processing techniques and technology.
  • Leadership and management techniques: influencing, negotiation, and conflict management.
  • Change management principles and techniques.
  • Project management roles and techniques: planning, prioritising, organising, stakeholder management, and risk management.
  • Problem solving and fault finding: 5 whys, root cause analysis, Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA).
  • Continuous improvement principles and techniques: Plan-do-check-act (PDCA), Lean, 6 Sigma, and Statistical Process Control (SPC). Lean manufacturing tools. Process mapping.
  • Data analysis techniques. Data analysis and reporting systems.
  • Dairy supply chain: mapping and risk management. World dairy economic drivers. Milk and dairy product supply and demand factors. Food security.
  • Environmental Protection Act and environmental management systems.
  • Measuring environment impact and environmental audit requirements.
  • Dairy automation and process control. Control systems. Instrumentation. Control theory principles. Machine communications and networking. Integrated control and automation systems. Digital manufacturing. Dairy industry automated processes.
  • Information technology: Management Information Systems (MIS), spreadsheets, presentation, word processing, email, virtual communication and learning platforms. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Cyber security.
  • Communication techniques.
  • Report writing techniques.
  • Workplace training and development techniques: coaching and transfer of knowledge.
  • Equality, diversity, and inclusion. Unconscious bias.

Skills

  • Apply food safety management systems.
  • Apply food and dairy hygiene practice principles.
  • Comply with food safety regulations and procedures.
  • Comply with health and safety regulations, guidelines, and procedures.
  • Comply with environmental regulations, guidelines, and procedures.
  • Apply sustainable working practices. For example, efficient use of resources, waste minimisation.
  • Apply quality control processes.
  • Apply extended knowledge of underlying dairy concepts.
  • Identify, review and evaluate, and select scientific techniques, procedures, and methods in the context of new and different areas of work.
  • Apply scientific techniques, procedures, and methods to undertake tasks.
  • Apply engineering concepts and principles to analyse dairy performance.
  • Collect data. Analyse, interpret, and evaluate data, scientific and technology information, concepts, and ideas including use of statistical methods.
  • Apply changes to dairy processing unit operations.
  • Apply problem solving techniques, identifying issues. Propose solutions to problems.
  • Use continuous improvement techniques and make recommendations.
  • Apply project management techniques: planning and prioritising tasks, organising resources, managing stakeholders and risk management.
  • Conduct environmental impact assessments.
  • Develop technical written content. For example, operating procedures, working instructions, and reports.
  • Communicate with others for example, colleagues, customers, and stakeholders. Use industry terminology where appropriate.
  • Create and deliver presentations.
  • Negotiate with and influence colleagues or stakeholders; manage conflict.
  • Use information and digital technology.
  • Identify training needs. Coach individuals.

Behaviours

  • Take personal responsibility for and promote food safety and health and safety.
  • Take personal responsibility for and promote sustainable working practices.
  • Act in a professional manner.
  • Take responsibility for the quality of work and enable others to work to high standards. For example, decisive, self-reliant, and motivated.
  • Respond and adapt to work demands and situations.
  • Recognise limitations, seek input from others and escalate issues when required.
  • Collaborate with others for example, within teams, across disciplines, and external stakeholders, promoting inclusion.
  • Ambassador for the dairy industry.
  • Committed to maintaining and enhancing competence of self and others through Continued Professional Development (CPD).
Apprenticeship category (sector)
Health and science
Qualification level
5
Equal to higher national diploma (HND)
Course duration
36 months
Maximum funding
£27,000
Maximum government funding for
apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
Job titles include
  • Cheese specialist
  • Dairy process manager
  • Dairy quality analyst
  • Dairy quality assurance manager
  • Dairy quality control manager
  • Dairy quality leader or co-ordinator
  • Dairy research and development manager
  • Dairy specialist
  • Dairy technologist
  • Qesh (quality environment health and safety) co-ordinator
  • Quality manager
  • Technical manager

View more information about Dairy technologist (level 5) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.