Learning objectives
The Integrated Course of Hygiene and Inspection of Food of Animal Origin is aimed at enabling the student to know and understand the hygiene principles of foods, the operational protocols for verifying hygiene requirements, the foodborne diseases, and the microbiological criteria of foods; knowledge of the safety requirements of food production and hazards associated with food; knowledge of the regulatory instruments, types of control and the bodies responsible for controls relating to hygienic-sanitary quality of food.
The expected learning outcomes are:
D1 - KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: knowledge of the hygiene requirements of foods and protocols to assess hygiene requirements; knowledge of foodborne diseases; knowledge of the microbiological criteria of foods; knowledge of the safety requirements of food production and hazards associated with food; knowledge of the regulatory instruments, types of control and the bodies responsible for controls relating to hygienic-sanitary quality of food.
D2 - APPLICATION SKILLS: evaluate the hygienic-sanitary quality of food; application of strategies aimed at the identification, prevention, elimination and reduction to an acceptable level of hazards in food; evaluate the hygienic-sanitary quality of food; application of strategies aimed at the identification, prevention, elimination and reduction to an acceptable level of hazards in food.
D3 - INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT: ability to interpret case-studies concerning the hygienic-sanitary quality of food within the correct regulatory context and evaluating the appropriate corrective measures.
D4 - COMMUNICATION SKILLS: written and oral communication through the scientifically correct vocabulary relating to food; ability to present, transmit and disseminate information on topics related to food inspection (from production to consumption); ability to communicate with experts or non-experts in the food production sector, and when started to work to superiors and/or customers; ability to communicate and collaborate in working group in the food sector.
D5 - ABILITY TO LEARN: ability to consult bibliographic material and databases relating to regulatory systems of food; ability to critically consult websites relating to the hygienic-sanitary aspects of food; ability to profitably participate in seminars and workshops; ability to autonomously expand one's scientific-cultural background and keep updating on the most recent scientific and technological developments connected to food; ability to successfully carry out the Master's Degree courses of the LM70 class and in particular the Master's Degree course in Food Science and Technology.
Prerequisites
None
Course unit content
HYGIENE COURSE
Hazards in food. Foodborne diseases. Foodborne diseases of bacterial, viral and parasitic origin. Main sources of contamination and procedures for preventing and/or reducing hazards to an acceptable level. Methods for evaluating microbial contamination. Microbiological criteria and sampling plans. The Regulation (EC 2073/2005. Sanitization procedures in the food industry.
INSPECTION OF FOOD COURSE
Sanitary control of food. European and national legislation on food safety and control. Chemical contamination of food: national control plans. Safety aspects, hygiene rules and control systems for meat, fishery products, egg products and honey. Food labeling.
Full programme
HYGIENE COURSE
Hazards in food. Focus on biological hazards. Foodborne diseases. Infections and intoxications. Site of action, symptoms, human defense mechanisms. Epidemiology and surveillance systems of foodborne disease. Main foodborne diseases of bacterial, viral and parasitic origin. Main sources of biological contamination and procedures for preventing and/or reducing hazards to an acceptable level in foods. Methods to evaluate microbial contamination. Microbiological criteria and sampling plans. The Regulation (EC 2073/2005. Sanitization procedures in the food industry.
INSPECTION OF FOOD COURSE
Sanitary control of food. Management and members of the official control system.
The system of own-checks. Prerequisite programs and HACCP system: some examples. National legislation on food safety and control. Fraud. The protection of public health as part of the Criminal Code. The Italian Law 283/62 on food and beverage hygiene. Principles and general requirements of the European food law. European regulations laying down procedures in matters of food safety. The rapid alert system for food and feed (RASFF). National official control plans regarding food safety. Monitoring plans for chemical residues in food. Technical, hygiene and sanitary aspects of farm animal slaughter, cutting plants and meat manufacturing establishments. Animal by-products: sanitary aspects. Sanitary issues and control system of fishery products, egg products, and honey. General requirements of food labeling.
Bibliography
Teaching material provided by the teacher consisting of .pdf files extrapolated from the presentations used during classroom lessons. The updated teaching material is made available by the teacher on the Elly website (https://elly2024.saf.unipr.it) 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 undergo changes and updates from one academic year to another.
For information on specific topics covered in class, consulting the following documents is recommended:
European Regulations on food safety (Reg. (EC) 178/2002; 852/2004; 853/2004; 2073/2005; Reg. (EU) 2017/625; 2023/915).
Igiene e tecnologie degli alimenti di origine animale, a cura di Giampaolo Colavita (Point Veterinaire Italie, Edizione 2023, language: Italian).
Ispezione e controllo. By Beniamino Cenci Goga. Ed. PVI (Point Veterinaire Italie), Milan, Italy, First Edition: June 2018, Language: Italian.
• Guida alla legislazione alimentare by Daniele Pisanello (EPC Libri, III Edizione, 2022) Language: Italian.
Teaching methods
Lectures will be performed face-to-face in the classroom, according to the teaching calendar. The integrated 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 at Elly website 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 D1- KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING, D2 – APPLICATION SKILLS and D3 – INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT. Some of the expected learning outcomes described by the indicators D4-COMMUNICATION SKILLS and D5-LEARNING SKILLS are not directly assessed, but parts of the classroom lessons are structured in such a way as to propose to students real situation and problems, with respect to which the students themselves must carry out an analysis, evaluation and discussion.
The written test will consist of questions aimed at verifying a) the degree of knowledge of the hygiene and safety requirements of food production and of the hazards associated to food products, the hygienic requirements, the microbiological criteria of foods, regulatory instruments, types of control and bodies responsible for control of food; b) the ability to assess the sanitary and hygiene quality of food; c) the ability to apply strategies aimed at identifying, preventing, eliminating and reducing hazards in food to an acceptable level; d) main foodborne diseases. The written test will be performed in person in the classroom through the Elly platform. If necessary (for example, unavailability of the computer room), the enrolled student who intends to take the exam will be informed and have to go to the classroom equipped with a notebook or tablet to connect to the Elly website and take the test. The exam is single (HYGIENE and INSPECTION OF FOOD OF ANIMAL ORIGIN courses combined). It is not possible to take the examination of the individual courses separately. There is no oral exam.
Passing the joint written test allows the final mark of the exam of the Integrated Course of Hygiene and Inspection of Food of Animal Origin (12 CFU) to be recorded.
The written test will consist of multiple-choice questions. Each question will have 4 answer options, of which only one is correct. The test will be organized in two phases, one following the other to be taken in the same exam session.
PHASE 1: 10 questions; move on to PHASE 2 only if a minimum of 9 out of 10 answers are correct; otherwise, the test is considered finished, the exam is considered NOT passed and the student will have to perform the test in a subsequent exam session. No points will be awarded at this stage.
PHASE 2: 61 questions; each correct answer will be awarded 0.5 points; each wrong answer will be assigned a penalty of -0.5 points; each answer not given will be assigned a penalty of -0.8 points. The time available to carry out the test will be 30 minutes.
The exam is considered passed if the score acquired is equal to or higher than 18 (out of a maximum of 30.5). The sum of the points obtained in PHASE 2 will correspond to the exam grade. A score of 30.5 will correspond to a grade of 30/30 cum laude. The sum of the points obtained will be rounded up to define the exam grade.
In case the written exam in person cannot be carried out due to the health emergency, the exam will be performed online by Teams platform through a written test (the same described above) through 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 website and/or in the course website.
