450.773.8521 #8619
Faculté de médecine vétérinaire
3200 rue Sicotte.
Saint-Hyacinthe (Qc) J2S 2M2
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Research on milk quality,
a continuum from the farm to the dairy factory
Op+lait
Created in 2015, Op+lait is an interuniversity and intercollegiate strategic cluster that brings together 68 researchers, more than 100 master's and doctoral students, as well as postdoctoral fellows, affiliated with more than 6 Quebec educational institutions. Its members also include researchers from the Canadian and Quebec government sectors, the industrial sector, and international scientists. Its interdisciplinary team brings together diverse expertise that converges on optimizing milk quality and is a driving force for innovation in the dairy industry.
Milk, a universal commodity, is a staple food for Quebecers who consume it in all its forms. Its safety and quality are a source of pride for the entire agricultural sector. Indeed, this industry—bringing together producers and processors—spares no effort in providing consumers with a healthy and nutritious product in a market that is constantly evolving, with increasingly rigorous standards.
OUR MISSION
Op+lait’s mission is to ensure the sustainable production of high-quality milk by offering strategies for modulating and controlling milk quality. Our cluster is specifically dedicated to helping the Quebec dairy industry optimize milk quality from the farm to the dairy factory through research and innovation, training a highly skilled workforce, and transferring technology and knowledge to producers, industry workers, and stakeholders. By focusing specifically on the continuum between the farm and the factory, Op+lait takes an innovative and unique approach to studying the determinants and impacts of milk quality.
We rely on a holistic and interdisciplinary approach, combining a variety of expertise in milk production and processing, from basic to applied sciences. Op+lait's research program, which encompasses farm management practices, environmental factors, and the socio-economic context of dairy production, clearly stands out from the competition both nationally and internationally. Our group is already globally recognized for its contribution to advancing knowledge in the agri-food sector.
Op+lait in the journal Producteur de lait québécois
OUR FUNDING PARTNERS
The funds awarded to the Op+lait cluster by the FRQ, totaling $3 million over six years (2024–2030), will support the sharing of research resources, the development of collaborative research activities and technological platforms, the training of highly qualified personnel through student scholarships, the organization of training workshops, and the implementation of a knowledge-transfer strategy for users, stakeholders, and the general public.
In addition to this grant, financial support from Dairy Producers of Quebec amounts to $90,000. This contribution is mainly dedicated to outreach and knowledge transfer activities during this period. Partner higher education institutions support the Op+lait cluster by providing assistance to master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral students.
*funding obtained over a six-year period: from 2024 to 2030
