Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
26 August 2025 | Story Martinette Brits | Photo Martinette Brits
From the left: Elisa Mosala (Dairy Assistant), Dr Analie Hattingh (Lecturer and Production Manager), Eline van der Velde (cheesemaking expert from the Netherlands), and Martha Kantoane (Dairy Assistant) on the UFS Experimental Farm.

Cheesemaking expertise from the Netherlands has given University of the Free State (UFS) students a unique taste of hands-on learning. From 10 to 22 August 2025, Eline van der Velde, a cheesemaking specialist and lecturer in food technology, spent two weeks at the UFS Paradys Experimental Farm teaching students, guiding dairy assistants, and working with staff to strengthen the university’s Dairy Processing Unit.

Supported by PUM – a Dutch volunteer organisation that connects international experts with local projects – her visit combined technical training with practical exposure, showing students the full process of transforming fresh milk into a range of cheeses.

 

Hands-on cheesemaking at the UFS

In interactive sessions, Van der Velde introduced students in the BSc Food Systems programme to the art and science of cheesemaking. They learned how to prepare paneer, halloumi, feta, mozzarella, and cottage cheese, while experimenting with flavoured varieties such as garlic-and-oregano and chilli cheese.

“I gave demonstrations on different types of coagulation and let the students try it out themselves. They asked great questions and enjoyed it so much that they wanted to come again for more practicals,” she said.

For many students, the opportunity was a first step into the practical realities behind food science. “It’s as if a whole world has opened up for our students,” said Dr Analie Hattingh, Lecturer and Production Manager at the Paradys Experimental Farm. “They don’t just hear about pH in theory – they can relate it to what they’ve seen and experienced here. That’s what prepares them for the workplace.”

“Due to food safety regulations all over the world, it is becoming increasingly difficult to take food science or food sustainability students into commercial factories. They don’t allow students or visitors anymore. At least with this facility here, our students can experience a real production environment and see how the industry works,” Dr Hattingh said. 

 

From farm girl to food technologist

Van der Velde’s passion for cheesemaking began on her uncle’s farm in the Netherlands, where she helped with milking and turning cheeses in storage. “Even though I grew up in the city, I think I’m more of a farm girl at heart,” she recalled.

Today, she teaches at an agricultural school and trains adults entering the food industry, while volunteering internationally through PUM. “I like to share knowledge – it’s not for me alone. That’s why I volunteer, to support projects across the world,” she explained.

 

Sustainability at the heart of the farm

The cheesemaking unit also forms part of the experimental farm’s commitment to sustainability. The cheeses are made from milk produced by Jersey cows on the farm, with careful attention to hygiene and quality. Byproducts are reused – whey is processed into ricotta, and the remainder is spread as fertiliser in the fields. “Nothing goes to waste,” Van der Velde noted.

Hattingh added that this integrated approach ensures that the farm serves as both an academic training ground and a model for sustainable food production. “We want to be self-sustaining and academically valuable, without competing with industry – to serve both the university and its students,” she said.

 

A shared learning journey

For dairy assistants Elisa Mosala and Martha Kantoane, working alongside Van der Velde and the students was equally rewarding. “It was nice, especially learning how to do different kinds of cheese,” said Kantoane.

Mosala agreed: “It was nice working with students and experiencing more every day. I learned new skills and got out of my comfort zone.”

Looking to the future, Van der Velde emphasised the value of involving students in the entire process – from milking to packaging and selling – so that they graduate with both knowledge and practical skills. She also believes in the potential of more international exchange: “These projects benefit both sides. Knowledge exchange in agriculture and food science is essential for building sustainable solutions worldwide.”

News Archive

Computer laboratory receives generous donation from the Dell Foundation
2008-05-12

The University of the Free State (UFS) recently received 200 computers to the value of R2 million from the Dell Foundation.

The computers will be used in the new computer laboratory, which is being built between the UFS Sasol Library and the Genmin Lectorium on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

The building will make ample provision for students who have to make use of a computer for study purposes.

Altogether 815 computers will be at students’ disposal in the new laboratory. On the ground level four rooms will be furnished with computers. Students will be able to have discussions in two of these rooms, while they can work in silence in the other two rooms.

Provision is also made for 18 group rooms, which will be furnished with a computer and big screen. These rooms can occupy seven persons and will be made available by means of a booking.

Lecture halls will be built on the second level, together with the group rooms. The largest of these will have 184 seats and can also be used as an examination hall.

Another hall with 170 seats and three with 40 seats will be available. Two lecture halls will be furnished with laptops on movable desks to enable students to work in groups.

Security cameras will be installed all over the building and strict security measures will be enforced.

The laboratory, with a total project cost of about R28 million, will be in use next year.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
12 May 2008

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept