Learning objectives
The course of Food Microbiology aims to know the effect of the presence and development of pathogenic, spoilage and virtuous microorganisms in food. In particular, it should be developed knowledge about the major diseases originating from microorganisms through the consumption of food and alterations of microbial origin of food. Students must know the intrinsic, extrinsic and implicit factors that influence the development and survival of microorganisms in food. The knowledge of these aspects will provide the essential elements for understanding the role of microorganisms in food production and their impact on food quality. The use of this knowledge will also allow to understand the principles of the control of microorganisms using physical, chemical and biological or their combinations. The course aims to put the student in a position to draw conclusions about the effect of the presence and development of different microorganisms in food as defined in agreement with the specific objectives of the Master of Science in Food Science and Technology and in agreement with the area of food microbiology.
The student should be able to appropriately utilize the scientific language and the specific lexicon of food microbiology, showing the ability to describe and transfer the acquired concepts.
Prerequisites
knowledge of general microbiology
Course unit content
The first lessons are about topics of general interest related to microbial food contamination.
The second part of the course are about the effect of the development of pathogenic, alterative and virtuous microorganisms in different foods
The third part of the course focuses on the factors that influence the growth of microorganisms in foods and the modalities of their control in order to prevent or reduce the development of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms and promote the growth of microorganisms virtuous
Full programme
Microbiology and foods: basic concept of microbial contamination and microbial development in food
Food microbial quality: Microorganisms as indicators of process and contamination
Microbial contamination and food
Microbial growth phases and factors conditioning their development in foods: i) intrinsic (water activity, pH, Red-ox, nutrient, antimicrobial compounds), ii) extrinsic (temperature, humidity, atmosphere packaging, preservatives, treatments) and implicit (microbial interaction)
Spoilage of microbial origin: spoilage microorganisms and different type of food spoilage
Food borne microorganisms. Microbial food safety risk assessment of most important foodborne pathogens.
control of microorganisms in food. Safety, sterility and stability. Effect of some food control strategies: thermal treatment, water activity reduction, pH decrease, others
Main microbial aspects of: water and non alcoholic beverage, milk, meat, fish, fruit and vegetable, eggs, honey, preserved food
Bibliography
Giovanni Antonio Farris, Marco Gobbetti, Erasmo Neviani, Massimo Vincenzini “Microbiologia dei prodotti alimentari” (2012) Casa Editrice Ambrosiana ISBN: 978-88-08-18246
Slides used during frontal lesson
Teaching methods
The teaching will be carried out through frontal lessons using slides that represent teaching material made also available online in pdf format for students. The course will also be joined by lessons about methods of laboratory analysis regarding the protocol most commonly used for counting of microorganisms. Exercise lessons evaluation will be considered as a part of the final evaluation
Assessment methods and criteria
At the end of the course, the level of learning of all the contents offered during the lessons, including the lessons of exercises, will be verified. The test of learning will be carried out through a single partial test through a written examination. The written exam consists of three parts.
1. The first part consists of 10 closed-ended questions. The complete correctness of the answers to this first part is binding for the second and third part correction.
2. The second part consists of a series of closed-ended questions that will be evaluated in thirtieth. The achievement of the threshold of sufficiency (18/30) of this second part is binding for the correction of the third part. The vote won in this second part will weigh 70% on the voting of the I academic module
3. The third part consists of an open-ended question where the student must demonstrate that he knows how to correctly understand the acquired concepts with the specific scientific language of the food microbiology. The answer will be evaluated in thirtieth. The vote in this third party will weigh 30% on the voting of the I module.
Sufficient completion of this first module of the integrated course is necessary to support the second module learning verification. The rating obtained in each of the two modules will weigh for 50% on the final grade of the integrated course
Other information
Lessons frequency is strongly encouraged.
