17704 - Hygiene and Technologies of Fishery Products

Learning outcomes

The course is intended to develop in the students the knowledge, skills and attitudes required i) to evaluate rules and procedures for good manufacturing practice in marine food production and trade, with particular care to the biological hazard; ii) to perform laboratory procedures for the microbiological analysis of foods, focused on bacteria as indicators of contamination and the pathogens or potentially ones. The students will acquire basic knowledge on seafood production and trade,  particularly in respect to tracking and tracing, HACCP, and quality assurance.
They will acquire basic knowledge on the risk factors due to the consumption of marine food products and related zoonosis, and how to manage marine food processing and technology to overcome the risk of contamination. Moreover they will acquire basic knowledge on the laboratory activity intended for isolation and characterization of bacteria of sanitary and hygienic  importance, possibly associated with marine food products.    

Course contents

1. Marine microorganisms. Microorganisms associated to marine food products.

2. Laboratory techniques for isolation, enumeration and characterization of bacteria most commonly involved in the contamination of marine food products.

3. Spoilage of the marine food products.

4. Marine food products processing and storage technology. Microbiology of iced fresh, and frozen-thawed fish. 

5. Main foodborne diseases due to the consumption of marine food products.

6. Seafood chain, from production to retail.

7. Control of the seafood chain and legislation in force.

8. Tracking and tracing in the seafood chain.

9. Food safety management systems:  GHP, GMP, HACCP.

10. Quality management  and quality assurance (ISO).   

Readings/Bibliography

COMPENDIUM OF METHODS FOR THE MICROBIOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF FOODS. ED. 2000 Autore: F. Pouch Downes  e K. Ito. Editore: A.P.H.A. ISBN 0 87553 175 X
EMERGING FOODBORNE PATHOGENS. 2006. Yasmine Motarjiemi and Martin Adams. CRC, NY. 

Teaching methods

The frontal lessons, regarding each topics of the course,  are implemented as general discussion on the main problems related to the production, processing and storage of marine food products. Some visits to the local fish market, will be done.
Some lessons are dedicated to the laboratory techniques for isolation, enumeration and characterization of bacteria  most commonly involved in the contamination of marine food products, prior to begin the laboratory activity.
The laboratory activity is intended to ensure a basic knowledge of the most common procedure for isolation, enumeration and characterization of bacteria  most commonly involved in the contamination of marine food products.

We encourage students with special needs (disabilities or DSA) to contact by email the teacher to illustrate and better organize teaching and examinations.

Please, note that to participate to the laboratory practical lessons involving the handling of bacterial cultures, it is required to take classes 1-5, not less than 80%. This provision is intended to ensure that the students have received enough information to discern properly the laboratory activities.

Assessment methods

To assess students' achievements during the course, 2 written tests are performed in the form of multiple choice questions. Each test consists of 30 questions. Students gain points for correct answers (+1 point for each) and loose points for incorrect answers (-1 for each). In any case an oral examination is performed, particularly on the wrong answers of the tests. The final mark is linked to the result of the oral examination. It is also possible to support the oral examination only.

Teaching tools

The teaching tools are: 1) a personal computer with video projector for frontal lessons. 2) laboratory devices for practical activities in the Didactic Laboratory of the Mansion forehead sea and in the ichthyological conservatory.

Office hours

See the website of Patrizia Serratore