SDFRC Overview

Welcome to the SDFRC

The Southeast Dairy Foods Research Center (SDFRC) has been in operation since 1988. North Carolina State University is the lead institution, joined by Mississippi State University. It is one of six National Centers funded and managed by Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), a non-profit management organization formed in 1995 by the National Dairy Board (NDB) and the United Dairy Industry Association. One of DMI's main investment areas is basic and applied research relating to dairy products and nutrition. DMI, through its competitive and directed research programs, develops a National Research Plan and implements projects in cheese, butter, milkfat and fluid milk. Relevant research issues are identified by consulting industry, university dairy researchers, and the Dairy Foods Research Centers.

The SDFRC is comprised of a collection of experienced and accomplished scientists working in research areas prioritized nationally by industrial surveys. These areas include milk and whey ingredient functionality, thermal and biological processing, sensory properties of cheese and dairy ingredients, dairy food safety, and microbial technologies for starter cultures and probiotics. DMI maximizes dairy producer promotion checkoff funds by conducting integrated programs in marketing communications, promotion, education and research for U.S. produced dairy products on behalf of America's dairy farmers.

SDFRC Mission

The SDFRC will conduct research to develop and apply new technologies for value-added processing of fluid milk and its components into dairy products and ingredients with improved safety, quality, or expanded functionalities.

SDFRC areas of research emphasis are in:

Flavor adjuncts

Functional foods, probiotics

Ingredient functionaliity, whey proteins

Microbial safety

Quality

Starter cultures

SDFRC Organization

The Operational Advisory Committee (OAC) advises the Center on overall policies and program goals for the SDFRC and develops research objectives. They ensure that approved projects will meet the research directives of the SDFRC and fit within the National Dairy Center Program. The OAC consists of industry representatives, university advisers, DMI staff, center directors, and faculty members from the institutions. The OAC evaluates the technical and scientific merit of research proposals submitted to the SDFRC and advises the director in matters concerning research directions, priorities and opportunities.

Dairy Management, Inc. (DMI)

DMI is dedicated to the success of the dairy industry. The mission of the organization is to increase demand for dairy products through the development and execution of an industry-wide, market-driven business plan that invests resources in a strategic manner and provides the best possible economic advantage to dairy farmers.

DMI Research Mission

Create knowledge and information which enhances the competitiveness of the U.S. Dairy Industry.

Develop knowledge today to support tomorrow's dairy industry.

Nutrition and product research

Coordinate the six Dairy Foods Research Centers (DFRC's)

National research planning is coordinated by the six dairy center directors, DMI staff, industry representatives and cooperatives (local promotion). The six DFRC's are closely partnered with industries manufacturing and using dairy products and ingredients. The 1998 National Research Plan's Theory of Business states that "research performed with industrial partners is a needed part of generic promotion and service which can result in new technologies and advancements, marketing claims and benefits, education of policy makers, education of students who will be tomorrow's employees, and education of companies current employees."

In 1998, the product research and technology transfer activities were prioritized in the areas of:

Cheese: flavor, functionality, performance, processing, understanding imitation
Whey and milk powders: functionality, consistency, expanded/new uses, export, utilization of lactose and whey permeate
Fluid milk: improved sensory properties, new milk-based beverages, probiotic development
Milkfat: improved butter and spreads, milkfat ingredients, and non-food uses for milkfat
Overall safety and quality

Center and non-center project submissions are written against DMI's National Research Plan in the areas of fluid milk, cheese and whey, milkfat and functional foods. They are reviewed locally for technical merit and forwarded to DMI for national review and consideration of funding.

Objectives of the National Dairy Center Program

To conduct research to develop new and improved dairy products; and increase use and demand for current dairy products.

To develop, coordinate, and seek funding support for muliidisciplinary research programs and projects and disseminate the results of the research to the dairy industry.

To develop and maintain information on dairy research being conducted in the U.S. and to disseminate this informationto the dairy industry and dairy researchers.

To strive to attract visiting scholars from other public and private universities, governmental research agencies, and from private business and industries.

To coordinate activities with other U.S. dairy centers to ensure that activities conducted by the dairy center are efficient, cost effective, and coordinated within the overall national program.

August '07