Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, students will know all the main risk sources in food production and the associated procedures and strategies for risk mitigation and management.
Applying knowledge and understanding
Based on the knowledge acquired, students will be able to: identify the risks associated to any food business, define appropriate risk management plan, and select appropriate software to optimize risk containment and communication inside the food business and to all the pertinent stakeholders.
Making judgements
At the end of the course, the student will be able to identify specific risks associated to food production and list them according to priority needs.
Communication skills
At the end of the course, the student will be able to appropriately utilize the scientific language and the specific lexicon of risk assessment and management according to international standard.
Learning skills
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1.Increase his/her knowledge on Risk assessment in food production, by self-consultation of specialized texts, scientific and educational journals, also beyond the topics discussed during the lessons
2. Understand the impact of implementation of an appropriate risk assessment and management system on food quality and safety and on the overall business of a food company.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of basic food hygiene management procedures in the food industry.
Course unit content
The overall aim of this course is to provide knowledge for a structured approach to develop a comprehensive risk management system in a food company, with a focus on food production. Students will be introduced to risk assessment and exploitation of the assessment results for definition and implementation of proper risk mitigation strategies, from food process, plant design and internationally recognised food standards for certification, to process operation and control, selection and use of packaging materials and final product distribution; role of predictive microbiology in the mitigation of the microbiological risk.
Full programme
1. Introduction to the course with overview on the ISO 31000 standards relating to risk management and on the evolution of the food safety management approach in the world. 2 The importance of hygienic design in food factory infrastructure and processing equipment. Hygiene practices in food processing, cleaning and disinfection practices. 3. Predictive microbiology for microbiological risk prediction and prevention. 4. Risks associated to packaging materials and their mitigation.
5. Mitigation risk and food standards for industry (ISO 22000 Food safety management systems- Requirements, BRC, IFS, ISO 22000 FSSC). Overview on HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points), VACCP (Vulnerability Assessment Critical Control Points), TACCP (Threat Assessment Critical Control Points), HARPC (Hazard Analysis & Risk-Based Preventive Controls) and their interconnections. 6. Tutorials: seminars with company testimonials and EFSA experts on food risk evaluation and management. Assignment of group work on course topics.
Bibliography
Costa R., Predictive modeling and risk assessment - series: integrating food science and engineering knowledge into the food chain, Springer, 2009
Motarjemi Y., Lelieveld H., Food safety management, 1st edition, a practical guide for the food industry, Academic Press, 2013
Lelieveld H.L. M., Domagoj Gabric J. H., Handbook of hygiene control in the food industry, 2nd edition, Woodhead Publishing, 2016
Lecturer's notes.
Aids related to specific topics will be provided during the course.
Teaching methods
1. Theoretical frontal and dialogue-based lectures aimed at presenting the key concepts of the subject.
2. Assignment of working groups for the resolution of specific case-studies related to the course topics.
3. Classroom seminars with company testimonials.
4. A possible educational visit to a food company
Assessment methods and criteria
There will be a final written exam followed by possible oral discussion. Students will be indicatively given up to 2 hours to answer open-ended theoretical questions. On average, students will be given 4 open-ended questions and the teacher will also assess the student's appropriate use of the specific technical terminology used during the course. At the beginning of the course, it will be indicated if group work will be carried out during the year, with an illustration of the topics and aims of the work, and the requirements of the final report (such as a PowerPoint presentation). Normally, the group work involves a literature research on specific topics covered in the course or resolution of assigned case-studies. The work groups may consist indicatively of a maximum of 5 students, and the contribution and role of each individual member must be explicitly indicated in the final report. The final report will be assessed with a mark out of 30. In the case of group work, the final mark will be taken as a weighted arithmetic mean of the mark obtained in the written test (with a 2/3 weight) and that obtained in the group work assessment (with a 1/3 weight). In the case of working students or students unable to participate in the group work, this must be communicated to the lecturer at the beginning of the course, who will then be able to provide appropriate alternative ways to cover this part of the programme.
Other information
Lesson frequency is not mandatory, but strongly encouraged.
The teachers are available for the students after the lectures. In addition, they are available to receive students following specific appointment or through remote meetings. In any case, it is suggested to write an e-mail (giorgia.spigno@unicatt.it; scansanialessandra@libero.it) in order to agree on the day and time of reception.
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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