Dairy production technicians are responsible for the production of food products derived from the milk of domestic mammalian animals such as cows, sheep and goats. The production process of dairy products may or may not include fermentation. Non-fermented products include milk, milk powder (dried or steamed), butter and cream. Fermented products include yoghurt, cheese and kefir, depending on the bacteria that cause fermentation and the production process.

Traditionally, dairy production was carried out by shepherds using milk from their own herds, but it was a residual and self-consumption production to conserve surplus milk when there was excess production. However, the evolution of production techniques and the opening of new markets in the field of human nutrition has led in recent decades to the consolidation of the production of milk derivatives such as yoghurts, cheeses and butter.

The industries that produce dairy products are subject to technological and hygienic controls, given that raw milk has a particularly active microbial life and in some dairy products the cold chain must be preserved. Since the 1950s, the consumption of this type of product has experienced a considerable increase in demand, which has led to significant technological changes in the production of dairy products. In this sense, pasteurization, the generalisation of refrigeration techniques and the use of mechanical milking machines stand out.

• Apply techniques for the preparation of the work area and maintenance of equipment for the reception of different types of milk, avoiding contamination, complying with applicable labour risk prevention, environmental and food safety regulations.
• Carry out basic milk processing operations and apply physical and thermal treatments to liquid milk and similar products, achieving the required levels of conservation and quality.
• Prepare basic mixtures for cheeses and butters, recognising the different ingredients, the state in which they will be incorporated, their function and their dosage margins.
• Develop the different incubation methods relating them to the different types and varieties of cheeses: fresh, cured, semi-cured, hard and soft cheese.
• Prepare milk for filling-moulding, pressing and maturing.
• Incorporate the different types of bacteria, yeast and fungi cultures, mineral salts, rennet and other ingredients in the doses and moments of the fermentation process, discriminating those for the different types of cheeses.
• Supervise certification and standardisation in cheese production in order to gain access to designations of origin and/or other food quality verification systems.
• Apply basic physicochemical and microbiological analysis methods on milk and dairy products to obtain composition parameters.
• Prepare drinking milk, evaporated milk, powdered milk, butter, ice-cream and similar products, relating the necessary operations, input and output products and the means used.
• Carry out sampling in the dairy industry and handle the associated instruments.
• Manage systems for taking, marking, transferring and preserving dairy products.
  

Regulated training and graduates

• Certificat de Professionalitat de la Família Indústries alimentàries: Recepció, emmagatzematge i tractaments previs de la llet (Nivell 2)
• Certificat de Professionalitat de la Família Indústries alimentàries: Elaboració de formatges (Nivell 2)
• Certificat de Professionalitat de la Família Indústries alimentàries: Elaboració de llets, mantegues i gelats (Nivell 2)
• Certificat de Professionalitat de la Família Indústries alimentàries: Elaboració de postres làcties, iogurts i llets fermentades (Nivell 2)
• Certificat de Professionalitat de la Família Indústries alimentàries: Envasament i condicionament de productes lactis (Nivell 2)
• Certificat de Professionalitat de la Família Indústries alimentàries: Processos en la indústria de llets de consum i de productes lactis (Nivell 3)
• Certificat de Professionalitat de la Família Indústries alimentàries: Elaboració de llets de consum i de productes lactis. (Nivell 3)
• Certificat de Professionalitat de la Família Indústries alimentàries: Control analític i sensorial de llets de consum i de productes lactis (Nivell 3)
• Cicle(s) Formatiu(s) de la Família Professional Indústries alimentàries - Grau Mitjà: Elaboració de productes alimentaris
• Cicle(s) Formatiu(s) de la Família Professional Indústries alimentàries - Grau Superior: Processos i Qualitat en Indústries Alimentàries
  

• Professional Training Course (s) in the field of Food Industries - Intermediate Level: Production of food products
• Professional Training Course(s) in the professional family of Food Industries - Advanced Level: Process and quality in the food industry

Commitment to the organisation: Level 1

Orientation within reach: Level 2

Analytical thought: Level 2

Planning and organisation: Level 2

Concern for order and quality: Level 2

Mechanical handling

People related to the field of mechanical handling are interested in the assembly, maintenance, repair and use of machines, tools and installations. Some good examples of professional activities in the field of mechanical handling are adjusting and configuring machines, reviewing technical equipment to detect incidents in their operation, handling machinery in production processes and driving specialised vehicles.

Oils and fats production technician

Canned Fruits and Vegetables Technician

Meat process worker

Food plant operator

Fishmonger

• Work hours

  40 hours per week and is organised in rotating morning, afternoon and evening shifts.
  
  

• Salary

  At the time of starting production, the remuneration established in the sector's labour agreement is 15,550 euros gross per year. Subsequently, increases may occur as they take on more qualified tasks in the production process.
  
  

• Professional category

  Specialist staff

From the 1990s onwards, a generation of artisanal cheese makers was born who have made possible the wealth of varieties that can be found on the market today, including the recovery of old production methods, thanks to small livestock farmers who at that time were committed to innovation and the search of new alternative varieties to traditional cheese.

In recent years, entrepreneurial initiatives have been launched that produce cheeses and other products derived from milk made from local milk on farms that produce a limited but high-quality product, closely linked to the values of the territory. In this sense, starting a dairy business involves considering two aspects: production and marketing. Therefore, when starting a business, it is necessary to choose a location, suppliers, customers and make the necessary investment in machinery and equipment to start producing and selling, as well as obtaining official permits to ensure the quality and healthiness of the product produced.