Milk Academy 2023 Held

Milk Academy 2023 Held Turkey, the world's 8th largest milk producer, has significant potential to become a major player in the global dairy products market thanks to its strong production infrastructure, human resources, and geographical advantages. Realizing this potential requires a new perspective and focus on high-value-added products. At Milk Academy 2023, organized by Karma Grup on 2-3 March for professionals from the dairy industry, the process of transforming innovative technologies into high-value-added products that improve consumers' quality of life was discussed with expert speakers. Milk Academy, with its training program renewed according to industry trends and current developments, makes important contributions to the development of milk and dairy products production in our country. The Milk Academy 2023 training program, created by Karma Grup in cooperation with Ankara University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Dairy Technology, was held on 2-3 March 2023 at Mercure Hotel Altunizade Istanbul. The Academy, which serves as a bridge between academia and industry, received strong interest from sector professionals this year as well. Numerous participants with important roles in the dairy industry—from production to R&D, from quality to finance—had the opportunity over two days to gain valuable knowledge from expert speakers from Turkey and abroad. Among the speakers at Milk Academy 2023, which was held under the titles "Membrane Technologies and Cost Economics in Dairy Plants," were Dr. Mattia Boiani from Koch Separation Solutions, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Küçükçetin, lecturer in the Department of Food Engineering at Mediterranean University's Engineering Faculty and dairy technology specialist, Prof. Dr. Barbaros Özer, lecturer at the Department of Dairy Technology in Ankara University's Faculty of Agriculture, Benoit Duculot from Realco, and sector professionals Murat Hocalar and Umut Günyeli. On the first day of the Milk Academy training, where experts and participants exchanged views in an interactive environment, the focus was on how high-value-added products can be produced through membrane techniques and innovative technologies. Membrane technologies offer dairy-producing companies significant advantages in areas such as developing new functional products, reducing costs, and increasing efficiency. Through membrane techniques for separating milk, it is possible to obtain entirely new high-value-added products. On the other hand, the increase in consumer demand for healthy lifestyle and nutrition-focused products that came with the pandemic is putting products that meet these expectations one step ahead. Membrane techniques provide manufacturers with the opportunity to develop innovative solutions in the development of functional products. On the second day of the program, cost economics in dairy plants and cost-reduction measures were addressed. New applications that increase efficiency in the sector also mean that consumers have access to milk and dairy products at more affordable prices. The Milk Academy, supported by the Association of Packaged Milk and Dairy Products Manufacturers (ASÜD) and Turkey's Union of Milk, Meat and Food Manufacturers and Producers (SETBİR), received sponsorship support from Akafor-Membrane Systems, Koch Separation Solutions, and Realco. At the end of the program, all participants were presented with Milk Academy Participation certificates. Sinem Bahçekapılı, Sales and Marketing Coordinator at Karma Grup, noted that they were pleased with the strong interest participants showed in the Milk Academy training and thanked everyone who contributed. Bahçekapılı stated that the next Milk Academy 2023 program would be held in Istanbul in June during World Milk Day week to inform about national and international regulations related to milk and dairy products. Prof. Dr. Barbaros Özer, lecturer at the Department of Dairy Technology at Ankara University's Faculty of Agriculture and Education Coordinator of Milk Academy, stated that Milk Academy responds to an important sector need with its continuously evolving and updated program, and said: "Just as in many areas in the world and Turkey, significant changes are occurring in the dairy industry. In this process, consumer expectations and needs are being reshaped as well. Turkey ranks 8th in milk production in the world and among the top three in Europe, and as an industry is ahead of many European countries. Anatolia holds a special position where dairy culture has matured and this culture extends to Europe. If we can use our advantages well and bring them together with innovative technologies, we will have no difficulty reaching our rightful place in world markets. The dairy industry has reached an important point in R&D. One of the important objectives of Milk Academy training is to provide the sector with new perspectives and vision in R&D work and pave the way for high-value-added products." Emphasizing that membrane techniques offer many different applications in terms of producing high-value-added products, Prof. Dr. Barbaros Özer said: "In our Academy training on milk and dairy products production, we shared with our participants through examples how valuable by-products can be obtained alongside main products. This makes it possible both to produce new and functional products and to supply inputs to different sectors such as pharmaceuticals. For example, on one hand, through membrane techniques we can separate lactose from milk and dairy products and respond to consumers' needs with specialty products, while on the other hand we can produce lactose needed by the pharmaceutical and pharmacy sector. New and specialty products will continue to enter our lives in many areas such as infant and baby nutrition, sports nutrition, and nutrition for the elderly," he said.