Learning objectives
The objectives of the course are:
1) enable the student to know and understand the hazards present in food and the risks to human health deriving from their consumption.
2) enable the student to know and understand the principles of national and European legislation on food safety and control system.
At the end of the course the student:
• must demonstrate to be able to know the specific vocabulary related to hygiene and food inspection, the principles of national and European legislation on food safety and the bodies responsible for food controls.
• must demonstrate to be able to identify the problems of hygiene and health related to different food products and apply the knowledge and understanding acquired to recognize health and hygiene issues related to the consumption of food.
• will be able to assess the impact of operational decisions on food hygiene.
• will be able to widen its knowledge on food hygiene and inspection, through the independent consultation of specialized texts, scientific or widespread journals, even outside the topics dealt with strictly in class.
Prerequisites
None
Course unit content
Hazards arising from food consumption.
Biological, chemical and physical contaminations of food
Factors affecting the hazards of food
Main foodborne diseases
Preventive measures for contamination during food manufacturing, distribution and storage. Hygienic requirements of environments and processing facilities. Sanitation procedures. Personal hygiene.
The system of hygiene and sanitary controls
Official control and the system of own-checks. Prerequisites and HACCP system.
Control of biological contamination: food safety criteria and process hygiene criteria
Control of chemical contamination: the national residue plan (PNR), the control plan of plant protection products in food
Notes on voluntary certification systems. National and European legislation on food safety and control. Commercial and sanitary fraud. The Hygiene Package and the European regulations. The rapid alert system (RASFF)
Food for export: regulatory aspects in health matters.
Full programme
Hazards arising from food consumption.
Biological, chemical and physical contaminations of food
Factors affecting the hazards of food
Main foodborne diseases
Preventive measures for contamination during food manufacturing, distribution and storage. Hygienic requirements of environments and processing facilities. Sanitation procedures. Personal hygiene.
The system of hygiene and sanitary controls
Official control and the system of own-checks. Prerequisites and HACCP system.
Control of biological contamination: food safety criteria and process hygiene criteria
Control of chemical contamination: the national residue plan (PNR), the control plan of plant protection products in food
Notes on voluntary certification systems. National and European legislation on food safety and control. Commercial and sanitary fraud. The Hygiene Package and the European regulations. The rapid alert system (RASFF)
Food for export: regulatory aspects in health matters.
Bibliography
Teaching material will be provided by the teacher and consists of .pdf files of the presentations used during classroom lessons. The updated teaching material is made available by the teacher on the Elly platform (https://elly2023.sea.unipr.it – Igiene e Ispezione degli Alimenti) during the course and not all at the beginning of the course. For the purpose of preparing the exam it is recommended not to use the teaching material of previous years as the program may be changed and updated.
Further teaching material:
•European Regulations on food safety (Reg. (EC) 178/2002; 852/2004; 853/2004; 2073/2005; Reg. (EU) 2023/915) (Language: English)
•Guida alla legislazione alimentare di Daniele Pisanello (EPC Libri, III Edizione, 2022) (Language: Italian).
•Igiene e tecnologie degli alimenti di origine animale, a cura di Giampaolo Colavita (Point Veterinaire Italie, Edizione 2023 (Language: Italian).
Teaching methods
Lectures of the academic year 2023-24 will be performed face-to-face in the classroom. The course includes lectures and case-study discussions that will be carried out with the help of iconographic material collected in presentations. In the event of health emergency, the methods of teaching may be subject to changes that will be promptly communicated to Elly (at https://elly2023.sea.unipr.it – Igiene e Ispezione degli Alimenti) and/or in the course website. If necessary, due to health emergency, teaching will be provided by Teams (guide at http://selma.unipr.it/) and lectures will be recorded.
Assessment methods and criteria
The achievement of the objectives of the course will be verified by a written test. This latter will consist of questions designed to verify the acquired level of basic knowledge concerning food hygiene and inspection, and to evaluate the critical capacity of the student in dealing with issues related to the management of food safety and controls and to meat processing technologies. The written test will be performed face-to-face in the classroom by the Elly website. The time available for the written test will be 25 minutes. The enrolled student who intends to perform the exam will have to come to the classroom equipped with a notebook or tablet in order to connect to the Elly website and take the test. The written test will consist of 31 multiple choice questions (with only one correct answer). Each question will have 4 answer options, of which only one is correct. Each correct answer will be awarded 1 point; 0 points will be awarded for each wrong or not given answer. The exam is passed if the score acquired is equal to or greater than 18 (out of a maximum of 31). The sum of the points earned in the test will correspond to the exam grade. Score equal to 31 (out of a maximum of 31) will correspond to the grade 30/30 and honors. There will be no oral exam. In the event of health emergency, the methods of teaching may be subject to changes that will be promptly communicated to Elly (at https://elly2023.sea.unipr.it – Igiene e Ispezione degli Alimenti) and/or in the course website. If necessary, due to health emergency, exam will be performed by Teams (guide at http://selma.unipr.it/) by the same written test described above by the Elly website. Students with DSA, BSE, or disabilities may submit a request to take advantage of the envisaged compensatory and/or dispensatory measures during the examination by contacting the Centro Accoglienza e Inclusione (https://cai.unipr.it/en/).
Other information
In the event of a serious health emergency, the methods of teaching and exams may be subject to changes that will be promptly communicated to Elly (at https://elly2023.sea.unipr.it - Igiene e Ispezione degli Alimenti) and/or in the course website.
