In the year 1977 a four year degree programme namely B. Sc (Dairy Technology) was started in the Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya under the Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences with four teaching departments.

• Department of Dairy Chemistry
• Department of Dairy Technology
• Department of Dairy Bacteriology
• Department of Dairy Engineering

 After a decade of development and growth of institutional facilities, Post Graduate courses including Ph.D. programme were started in the Department of Dairy Bacteriology with the approval of the ICAR in the year 1988. The Dairy Technology unit with the four departments was upgraded to the level of a separate faculty “The Faculty of Dairy Technology” under the West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences in the year of 1995 while the nomenclature of the department was changed to Dairy Microbiology. The Department of Dairy Microbiology is now functioning as a constituent department of the Faculty of Dairy Technology of West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, Mohanpur Campus. The Department is engaged in teaching, research, training in specialized field of Dairy Microbiology. The Department is responsible for teaching courses related to Dairy Microbiology at Undergraduate and Post Graduate levels. It also conducts research in the subject as per the demand of the industry and policy of the University and also participates in various extension activities. The research work covers the area related to starter cultures and fermented milk products; micobiological analysis of indigenous dairy products, probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics; quality assurance and safety of milk and milk products.

The department offers the following academic programmes:

• Tech in Dairy Microbiology
• Ph.D. in Dairy Microbiology

Objectives/ Mandate of the Department:

• To develop manpower with adequate knowledge of microbiology of milk and milk products, their shelf-life, quality assurance and safety aspects, sanitation and hygiene in dairy plant.
• To conduct research in the area related to starter cultures and fermented milk products; microbiological profiles of indigenous dairy products, probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics; quality assurance and safety of milk and milk products.
• To impart training in the area of microbiological analysis of milk and milk products, starter cultures and fermented dairy products.

Facilities available to conduct regular practical for various Dairy Microbiology courses and also hands-on-training for teaching, research and various training programme related to dairy processing.

• Hands-on-experience on preparation of media, chemicals etc, sterilization of microbiological media, chemicals, glassware’s, plastic wares etc used in regular practical and research work.
• Regular activation, propagation and maintenance of microbial cultures used in practical and research.
• Microscopic observation of microbes: preparation of stained slide of microbial cultures, examination of morphological and staining characteristics.
• Enumeration of composite micro-flora in milk and milk products – sampling, sample preparation, plating and observation and calculation.
• Differentiation of microbes based on morphology, physiology and biochemical profiles.
• Isolation and characterization of microbes from milk and milk products.
• Quality analysis of milk products, dairy equipments, personnel and environmental hygiene.