Learning objectives
The aim of the course is to provide knowledge on the main unit operations used in the food industry for the elimination or reduction of microbiological, chemical and physical hazards.
At the end of the course, the student must be able to set up and control a food process with particular reference to product safety, according to international and European guidelines.
Thanks to the information provided, the student will be able to critically evaluate the approaches to be adopted to ensure food safety, extending the concepts to other food processes and other product categories, regardless of the specific case studies covered during the course.
The student will learn the specific vocabulary related to food equipments and processing, as well as on food safety.
Student will be able to deepen his knowledge in the field of food processing by independently examining specialized texts, international journals or magazines.
Prerequisites
There are no compulsory prerequisites, but students are advised to attend the courses of Food Microbiology (Mod. II) and Biological hazards in food.
Course unit content
The first part of the course deals with the main unitary operations of the food industry aimed to the removal or reduction of biological, chemical and physical hazards.
The second part of the course will provide examples of food industry processes, functional to the prevention and elimination/reduction of the hazards, in different product categories.
Full programme
Food safety and hygienic requirements. Contamination, spoilage and food quality. Sanitation of raw materials and equipments.
Microbial stability. Heat treatments for microbial inactivation. Retorting. Hot filling and aseptic processing. Drying and freeze-drying. Cooling and freezing. Membrane filtration and separation. Non thermal processing and novel technologies. Case studies of food processes, functional to safety, on different product categories.
Bibliography
• P. J. Fellows “Food Processing Technology: Principles and Practice” http://www.webpal.org/SAFE/aaarecovery/2_food_storage/Food%20Processing%20Technology.pdf
• R. L. Earle “Unit Operations in Food Processing” https://nzifst.org.nz/resources/unitoperations/index.htm
• J.G. Brennan “Food Processing Handbook” http://www.kelm.ftn.uns.ac.rs/literatura/pdms/FoodProcessingHandbook.pdf
•Didactic material used during classes
Teaching methods
Classes will be organized face-to-face with the possibility to follow the lessons also remotely in synchronous (steaming via Teams) and asynchronous mode (uploaded on the Elly page of the course). Teaching will be carried out through lectures in the classroom with the help of slides that will represent teaching material. The recommended texts are in support and integration of the slides. The slides will be available online on the website https://elly.saf.unipr.it/2020/ in pdf format for students. The slides will be uploaded to Elly before each class and not all together at the beginning of the course.
Assessment methods and criteria
The learning assessment of the Food Technology module will be carried out through a single PARTIAL TEST through a written exam. Registration for the PARTIAL TEST will be done online through the ESSE3 SYSTEM.
The verification method consists of a written test with 5 open questions, each having the same weight (maximum 6 points). The time available for the test is a maximum of 2 hours. The grade is expressed out of thirty; honors will be awarded, at the discretion of the instructor, if an excellent level of learning of the expected results is verified.
The appropriateness of the technical-scientific language, the concepts learned and the ability to connect different topics will be evaluated.
If taking the written exam in the classroom is impossible, due to due to rules imposed by the University, the exam will be carried out remotely through an interview through Teams.
Other information
During classes, the correct use of technical language will be illustrated and the connections between the various parts of the course will be underlined. These aspects are essential for a complete understanding of the subject. For this reason, the attendance of the course, even if not mandatory, is strongly recommended.
