Students in Department of Food Science and Technology courses have the opportunity to work in the Food Industries Center’s Dairy Processing Pilot Plant as part of their coursework. Areas of specialization include fluid milk processing, butter, ice cream, beverage and fermented products.

Industry clients use the Parker Hall facility for research and product development trials. It also features a Clean-in-Place system for internal sanitation of production equipment without dismantling them. Another recent addition is a HTST Pasteurizer Skid and Homogenizer which allows for processing of dairy and non-dairy products, including fluid milk, frozen dessert mixes, non-dairy milks (such as almond and soy), yogurt mixes and juices.