SLEK10217U Thematic Course: Microbiological and Chemical Food Safety

Volume 2015/2016
Education

MSc Programme in Food Science and Technology

Content

The course will be divided in microbial and chemical food safety topics and these topics will be addressed both at a theoretical and a practical level. In the practical part of the course the students will be introduced to basic and advanced methods in detecting microorganisms and compounds of relevance to food safety. A relevant food safety theme will be selected and in association with this theme visits will be made to relevant farms, slaughterhouses and food processing industries. Subsequently the students will choose and implement novel analytical methods for adressing a specific food safety problem that is relevant to the theme of the course. The work is completed by a course report.

The topics covered in the course are 
- Zoonotic diseases and importance in animal production with a focus on reservoir, transmission, clinical manifestations as well as prevalence and development/acquisition of antimicrobial resistance.
- Food spoilage organisms and their reservoir, transmission and physiology.
- Detection and tracing of food borne pathogens. A practical knowledge of traditional and molecular methods for detection and typing of microorganisms.
- Toxins and the methods used for evaluating the chemical food safety. Analytical work will provide insight in the methods used for tracing the source of pollution of food and feed as well as the fate of the compounds in the food chain.
The theoretical and practical subjects will vary in extent and content to reflect timely food safety issues.

Learning Outcome

The purpose of the course is to provide an understanding of microbial and chemical food safety in the entire production chain and to provide tools to identify and solve problems pertinent to food safety. Furthermore the course will provide basic knowledge of selected animal production systems and will allow students to assess risks at various steps in these systems.

Knowledge:
- Mention common infectious agents and toxins of relevance to food safety in the primary animal production with focus on their habitat, route of transmission, survival and enrichment in animal production as well as the risk they pose for human and animal health.
- Describe tools and methods for identifying and solving problems in relation to food safety. 
- Show an understanding of food safety in the entire animal production chain.

Skills:
- Use principles and methods for identifying and solving problems of importance to food safety.
- Work in the laboratory with selected experimental techniques that are applied in food safety.
- Communicate knowledge on issues within the food safety area

Competences:
- React on food safety issues including recommendations for correcting actions and communication of these recommendations to decision makers at each step in the animal production chain.
- Evaluate the extent to which existing and novel control strategies are fulfilling current legislation.
- Cooperate with technical staff and fellow students on setting up, performing and evaluating laboratory experiments to address food safety issues.

Qualifications similar to SLEA10274U Fødevaremikrobiologi
SBIF10141U Mikrobiologi
SLEF10172U Chemical Food Safety
The course will be a combination of lectures, colloquia, theoretical/practical experiments and e-learning activities. Part of the time will be devoted to project work and in association with this work visits will be made to relevant farms, slaughterhouses or food processing plants.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Colloquia
  • 20
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Excursions
  • 16
  • Guidance
  • 20
  • Lectures
  • 24
  • Practical exercises
  • 60
  • Preparation
  • 111
  • Project work
  • 100
  • Theory exercises
  • 60
  • Total
  • 412
Credit
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 30 min
Oral examination in written report and pensum.
Weight: 100 % oral examination.
Exam registration requirements

Written report

Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Criteria for exam assesment

See learning outcome