SLEK10172U Chemical Food Safety

Volume 2015/2016
Education

MSc Programme in Food Science and Technology
MSc Programme in Animal Derived Foods
MSc Programme in Agricultural Development 
MSc Programme in Sustainable Development in Agriculture (Agris Mundus)

Content

The course takes-up the following major topics and issues: 
- the uptake and fate of xenobiotics by higher organisms (kinetics and dynamics)
- specific mechanisms for toxicity
- the use of laboratory animals, organs and cell cultures in toxicity testing(in-vivo and in-vitro)
- the most relevant groups of chemical compounds, origin, structure and toxicity 
- general principles behind and knowledge about the effect of processing on toxicity of foods
- national- og international legislation as well as control procedures etc.

Chemical substances and products include:
heavy metals such as lead and mercury, persistant organic polutants such as dioxins, agricultural chemical such as pesticides, mycotoxins as eg. aflatoksin, toxic constituents in plants and algae (eg solanin and caffein) food additives such colorants, sweeteners and flavouring materials in addition to hormone like substances and polymer additives.

Learning Outcome

The main objective of the course is to provide a theoretical introduction into subject areas within general and special toxicology with emphasis on the oral route of administration. Furthermore to introduce in vivo and in vitro assays for toxicity and the subsequent overall risk assessment procedures that form the basis of the existing and future legislative regulation of chemical food safety issues worldwide.

After completing the course the student should be able to:

Knowledge: 
-Describe the uptake and fate of xenobiotics by higher organisms (kinetics and dynamics)
-Describe specific mechanisms for toxicity
-Display an overview the use of laboratory animals, organs and cell cultures in toxicity testing 
-Display an overview of the most relevant groups of chemical compounds for food safety: origin, structure and toxicity (heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants such as dioxins, agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, mycotoxins, toxic constituents in plants and algae (e.g. solanin), food additives such as colorants, sweeteners and flavouring materials in addition to homone like substances and polymer additives 
-Display an overview of the effects of processing on toxicity of foods
-Display an overview of the most important national and international organisations/bodies with respect to food risk assessment, regulation and legislation

Skills:
-Find most of the existing knowledge about a certain compound – specifically knowledge of relevance for its influence on the chemical safety of food products 
-Analyse, on the basis of existing knowledge, whether there is a food safety problem that should be addressed
-Arrive at a general diagnosis about the way forward concerning further measures to be taken
-Make presentations of the diagnosis and the basis for this 

Competences:
-Work independently with the first (problem clarifying) steps of analysing/solving a chemical food safety issue 
- Make basic ethic considerations concerning assaying for toxicity using animals
-Make basic ethic considerations concerning chemical food safety issues of different nature 

The course literature will consist of a course book as supplemented by research and review articles. 
The course book is:

Leon Brimer (2011). Chemical Food Safety. CAB International, Wallingford, UK. (ISBN: 978 1 84593 676 1

The course takes into use several different teaching forms and methods. Thus lectures will be supplemented with cases solved and presented by student groups with opponence from colleague students. Reading groups and individual writing of credit papers under supervision. During the course visits to enterprises and/or state laboratories will also be made.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 4
  • Excursions
  • 6
  • Guidance
  • 1
  • Preparation
  • 51
  • Project work
  • 120
  • Theory exercises
  • 16
  • Theory exercises
  • 8
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment under invigilation
Portfolio
The student chooses a subject within chemical food safety, normally a substance or a substance group. Under supervision he writes a credit paper based on international scientific literature.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
passed/not passed
Censorship form
No external censorship
More than one internal examiner
Criteria for exam assesment

See learning outcome