NFOK20001U Foods based on Plants, Algae, and Fungi

Volume 2020/2021
Education

MSc Programme in Food Innovation and Health

Content

This course will address the rising need and demand for more sustainable foods. The focus will be on technologies and processes to obtain foods and ingredients from plants, algae, and fungi to be used in traditional products as well as in innovative, novel products. The biochemistry and biophysics of plant, algal and fungal food sources relevant for functionality in processing technologies will also be covered. Technology areas covered will be extraction and separation of the main food constituents (protein, carbohydrate, lipids, and other minor fractions) using processing (physical/chemical) or bioprocessing (microbial/enzymatic) and texturization. Important issues like nutritional-composition and value, anti-nutrients, flavours and off-flavours will likewise be covered/included.   

The course will engage students in a challenge consisting of the development of a new plant-, algal- or fungal based product applying the knowledge and skills obtained in the course, as students will work with various aspects of composition and production of selected foods.

Learning Outcome

The overall aim is to provide the students with basic knowledge on plant, algal and fungal as sources foods and ingredients, and how these sources are composed with respect to major and minor food constituents as well as nutritional and anti-nutritional values. A major aspect will be processing using established and novel technologies, and how this addresses the needs for sustainable, healthy and tasty plant based foods.

  • Students will be able to apply their basic knowledge of food source composition and nutritional quality for development of new foods and ingredients based on a variety of plant, algal and fungal sources.
  • Able to develop innovative foods focusing on healthiness and sustainability.
  • Able to apply the processes of extraction, processing (chemical/​physical/​biological), extrusion, fermentation and high pressure on the production of plant-based foods.

 

• Work independently and make intelligent use of scientific literature to make use of plant, algal and fungal sources in food.
• Able to timely respond to societal trends referring to food innovation and needs for plant based foods.
• Able to contribute with scientific evidence towards public recommendations and policy.
• Able to collaborate and contribute effectively in teamwork.
The core teaching is comprised of lectures delivered by a wide range of teachers, including invited international guest lecturers. These are supplemented by journal clubs and practical’s in the form of demonstrations and laboratory exercises. The demonstrations and laboratory exercises will form the basis for group projects resulting in group reports. The project reports will have to be submitted and approved as exam registration requirement.
• Describe the importance of foods derived from plants, algae, and fungi for a well-balanced human diet and for environmental sustainability relative to other food sources.
• Identify the composition of plants, algal, and fungal biomass relevant for food and food technologies.
• Demonstrate ability to apply biochemical and biophysical understanding to properties relevant for extraction, processing of plant, algal and fungal sources in food technology.
• Understand and explain the processes that foods of plant, algal and fungal-origin undergo:
o Understanding of fractionation and separation.
o Understand processing: chemical/​physical/​microbial/​enzymatic.
o Identify and explain the processes of extrusion, fermentation and high pressure, and their effects on functionality, taste and nutritional quality.
• Explain circular economy in the context of environmental sustainability.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 39
  • Preparation
  • 125
  • Theory exercises
  • 21
  • Practical exercises
  • 20
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Total
  • 206
Written
Oral
Individual
Collective
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination
The oral exam is individual. The exam tests the student’s ability to discuss the scientific underpinning composition, processing and functionalization of foods and ingredients from plant, algal and fungal sources. An exam question comprises two main parts: 1) A thematic question typically inspired by one of the lectures; and 2) One of the curriculum papers. Approximately half the time will be spent on discussing the thematic question and the other half discussing the scientific paper typically with a focus on data interpretation or experimental design.

Exam registration requirements: Participants will do group wise projects. It is a requirement that the project reports have been submitted and approved.
Aid
Without aids
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Re-exam

Same as ordinary. If the requirements are not met the reports have to be handed in individually 2 weeks before re-exam and must be approved.

 

Criteria for exam assesment

See Learning Outcome