Learning objectives
The course “principles of food microbiology”provides
the elements of the general microbiology needed to
understand the meaning and role of microorganisms
in food production.
During the teaching the student must be able to
understand the microbial potential, the meaning of
the microbial
presence in foods, the concept of microbial
contamination and the effect
of microbial development in a food, be it negative, in
terms of
transmission of food-borne diseases and in terms of
alteration of food,
which is positive in terms of positive food
processing.
Through the lectures and the comparison with the
teacher, the student
will acquire the specific vocabulary related to the
food microbiology
sector. The expected learning outcomes are
independent judgment,
communication and learning skills, in accordance
with what is defined in
the specific objectives of the Degree Course.
Students who have attended the course must be
able to deepen their
knowledge on the microbiology of the food industry
through the
independent consultation of specialized texts. At the
end of the course,
the student must be able to transmit the main
contents of the course. The course "Analysis for the Valorization of Agri-food Products" aims to give the student the tools to
better understand how the main categories of food
are produced, starting from the characteristics of the
raw materials up to the finished product, considering
the qualitative aspects and the physical and
chemical modifications undergone during the
production processes and of conservation. Other
training objectives include: Independent judgment:
thanks to the information received, the course aims
to provide the student with the tools to critically
discuss the quality and stability of foods.
Communication skills: the course aims to enable the
student to acquire an adequate technical-scientific
language for communicating the knowledge learned
to specialist and non-specialist interlocutors. Ability
to learn: the course aims to enable the student to
acquire the learning skills necessary to undertake
subsequent studies with a high degree of autonomy.
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
The course “principles of food microbiology” will
cover microorganisms, their natural environments,
and their impact on human life quality, with a
specific focus on food microorganisms. In particular,
the following topics will be addressed:
i) Structure and functions of microbial cells:
prokaryotes and eukaryotes, cell parts and their
roles. ii) Transport of nutrients necessary for
microbial cells and metabolism. iii) Microbial growth
and kinetics: cell division, microbial growth curve,
growth parameters, and microbial classification. iv)
Microorganisms in foods: sources of contamination
and roles. v) From contamination to growth: factors
influencing growth in food, measures for microbial
growth control, evaluation of microbial
presence/absence. vi) Spoilage microorganisms,
pathogenic microorganisms, probiotic
microorganisms. vii) Microorganisms in various
foods: milk, meat, fish, eggs, vegetables.
The course “Analysis for the Valorization of Agri-food Products” will cover the main
categories of food products, including raw materials
and finished products, and their related quality
aspects. It will also discuss major food preservation
techniques used in the food industry, with illustrative
and practical references to specific food products,
and the effects of these techniques on food quality.
Full programme
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Bibliography
MICROBIOLOGIA ALIMENTARE APPLICATA,
Cocolin, Gobbetti, Neviani Casa editrice
Ambrosiana (Zanichelli) 2022
Cabras & Martelli, Food chemistry, Piccin-Nuova
libraria, 2004.
Slides of course in Elly Platform
Teaching methods
The course of principle of food microbiology will be
conducted through face-to-face lectures.
During the course, however, there will be space for
active learning
activities (group work-project work) to enhance
critical and reflective
thinking, argumentation skills, and problem-solving
abilities. The teaching
will be supported by slides that will serve as
teaching material. The slides
will be available online on the Elly website in PDF
format for students.
During the lectures, the basics of general
microbiology and the
applications of microorganisms in food will be
discussed. The appropriate
use of technical language will be reiterated, and the
connections between
various parts of the course will be emphasized. For
this reason, students'
attendance and active participation are strongly
encouraged. Specifically,
during the course, cycles of experiential learning will
be activated where
students, on a voluntary basis, can decide to apply
theory to an empirical
research project (project work), with a case study
that will be assigned to
them and which must be developed according to the
methodological
criteria illustrated in the lectures and in the
bibliographic and teaching
materials.
The course of Analysis for the Valorization of Agri-food Products will includes
frontal lectures and interactive activities among
students and seminars delivered by experts
Assessment methods and criteria
The exam of the course principle of food
microbiology can be taken in two ways: a) oral
presentation of the project
work + written exam with 20 closed questions OR b)
oral exam.
a) PROJECT WORK and written exam: The project
work, which will be
presented by the group in class, will correspond to
an overall score on a
scale of 0-20. Additionally, a written exam will be
conducted on the Elly
platform with 10 closed questions (max 10 points).
The duration of the
test will be 10 minutes. The final grade will be the
sum of both scores
(project work plus written exam). In case of a
maximum grade (30/30),
honors can be awarded. Honors are given to those
students who
demonstrate a systematic understanding of the
topic, an excellent ability
to apply the acquired knowledge, autonomy in
judgment, and particular
attention in the presentation of the project work.
b) oral exam: For students who choose NOT to do
the project work, the
final exam will consist of an oral test where the
student must
demonstrate the ability to correctly express, using
the scientific language
specific to microbiology, the acquired competence.
The oral exam will be
graded on a scale of thirty. The exam of the course
analysis for the valorization of agrifood products includes a written test based on
31 multiple choice questions and one open-ended
question. The final test score is calculated as the
sum of the closed-ended and open-ended
questions. The maximum score expected for this
test is 30 and the test is passed if a score of at least
18 points is achieved. Honors are awarded if the
maximum score is achieved plus mastery of the
disciplinary vocabulary.
As an alternative to the final written test, the student
can decide to present at least three work group
carried out in class during the course (further info
related to the methods and timing indicated by the
teacher).
Students who choose this method will be able to
access the written exam, which will consist of an
open question which aims to verify the skills
acquired during group work.
The final exam grade is derived from the average of
the grades obtained in the two aforementioned
courses.
Other information
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2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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