Learning objectives
The course explores the industrial use of microorganisms through the technology of industrial fermentation processes. During lessons the student will improve his knowledge studying and discussing practical and theoretical "study cases" concerning the main topics of the lessons
The final goal of this course is to give students intellectual tools in order to judge and comprehend the main topics of food industrial microbiology.
Through the lectures held during the course, the student will acquire the methods and knowledge necessary to describe the industrial fermentation systems of the food industry. The student will learn the structure of the principles of industrial and food microbiology, in terms of organization and management of the industrial process, from raw material to product.
Through the practical exercises on some topics of the program, students will learn how to apply the acquired knowledge in a context that simulates the industrial reality through discussion of specific cases. The student will apply the acquired knowledge to the understanding and management of a production process, starting from the understanding of the microbiological elements characteristic of the process. The final goals will be able to evaluate, also through feasibility studies, the roles of the microorganisms involved in food industries also in term of their “technological” performance, in order to obtain safety, quality and profitability of the production process.
Students must be able to understand and critically evaluate the meaning, the technological role and the potential innovative applications of the microorganisms characteristic of food processes and of the industrial microbiology applications. Using the acquired knowledge in microbiology, the student will be able to analyze existing processes and plants, evaluating their performance, adequacy and possible improvements both in terms of performance and safety and quality.
Through the lectures and the discussion with the teacher, the student will acquire the specific vocabulary related to the food and industrial microbiology sector. It is expected that, at the end of the course, the student is able to transmit, in oral and written form (also with the help of informatics systems), the main contents of the course.
The student who has attended the course must be able to deepen their knowledge of microbiology of the food industry and industrial microbiology through the independent consultation of specialized texts.