58181 - Food Hygiene and Technologies

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course the student will (should) know the principles of surveillance systems on foodborne zoonoses. They will understand how control measures and good hygienic practices can be used to eliminate or mitigate the hazards. They need to know how quality controls in the food production chain are actuated, how information on the food supply chain are gathered (monitoring and surveillance plans) and how/why management options are actuated. Students should be able to collaborate in epidemiological investigations during outbreaks of foodborne illness and how communicate information and data that make it possible to recognize the origin and take action to limit its spread. Students have to know the diagnostic techniques that allow detection, characterization and quantification of microorganisms that cause food borne illness. Students will (should) understand what are the factors that influence the proliferation, survival and death of microorganisms in food. The should be able to assess the risk associated with the production of food of animal origin. Students must know how to apply the HACCP system in order to ensure the production of safe foods. They have to understand how the food business operators define process objectives and if they are appropriate to achieve the food security objectives established by National and European provisions. Students should be able to actuate sampling plan for food and interpret their results. They should be acquainted with the microbiological criteria laid out by the current EU regulations. They should be able to evaluate the compliance of production facilities with the requirements laid down by hygienic regulations on the production of food of animal origin and how to prepare an audit report. They shoul be able to use databases and useful software to estimate the risk and the shelf life of food. They must know the principles of food preservation and the causes of alteration of a biological nature and the possible toxic effects resulting from microbial spoilage.

Course contents

1. Microorganisms and food characteristics: basic principles of food processing and preservation(T 4 hours).

2. Use of predictive models to estimate the growth, survival and inactivation of microorganisms in the food processes. Combase software (2 hours P).

3. Food contamination monitoring and food-borne disease surveillance (2 hours T).

4. Etiologiocal, epidemiological and clinical aspects of salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis and infections by entheroemorragic Escherichia coli strains. Biosecurity and surveillance of salmonellosis at farm and slaughetrhouse (4 hours T).

5. Pathogenicity mechanisms of infectious diarrhea and extra-intestinal complications (1 hour T).

6. Analytical methods for detection and characterization of Salmonella, Campylobacter and VTEC in food (1 hour T).

7. Hygiene and technologies in the slaughterhouse (3 hours T)

8. Hygiene on the dairy farms and microbiological characteristics of raw milk (2 hours T)

9. The epidemiology and control of raw milk-associated foodborne disease (1 hour T)

10. Hygiene and technology of dairy products (3 hours T)

11. Heat treatments and physical sterilization of milk (pasteurization, UHT, microfiltration) and aseptic packaging methods (3 hours T).

12. Investigation of an outbreak of foodborne illness: methods for monitoring and recognition of a foodborne illness outbreak; investigations to develop hypotheses, analysis of data, calculating odds ratio with and without matching, tracking, control methods (4 hours P).

13. Food Botulism: pathogenesis, epidemiology and control methods. Hurdle theory, role of salt, additives and starter cultures in aged meat products (2 hour T)

14. Listeriosis: pathogenesis, epidemiology and control methods (2 hours T)

15. Cleaning, disinfection and pest control in the food industry (2 hour T)

16. Spoilage of food. Phenomena related to the activity of spoilage bacteria in meat, milk, dairy products, eggs and fish (1 hour T)

17. Hygiene and safety of fishery products and shellfish. Control of food-borne virus diseases, parasites and histamine intoxication (3 hours T)

18. Process controls: sampling and monitoring plans, HACCP and the audit procedures (4 hours T)

19. Food operations self-control and structural requirements in food industry (1hr P)

22. Quantitative risk analysis: microbiological criteria and performance objectives; risk management strategies, priority setting and cost-benefit analysis (2 hours T).

Readings/Bibliography

Educational materials consist of recommended text books and of keynotes and documents available to students in the appropriate https://iol.unibo.it website or via the website of the teacher of the course http://www. unibo.it / teachers / marcello.trevisani

To download the course material you need to subscribe to the list of Staff-student "marcello.trevisani.Igi_tecn_alim_2013."

The recommended text books are:

- Various Authors (by Giampaolo Colavita). Hygiene and technology of food of animal origin. Point Veterinaire Italie. 2012 

Teaching methods

The teaching consists of lectures (41 hours) and practical classes (7 x 4 hours)

a. Lectures

They provide an illustration of the production chains of food (meat, fish and dairy products) in order to make the students appreciate what aspects are most critical and how the implementation of good hygiene practices and controls process to guarantee food security in compliance with the rules. For the constraints of time and availability of facilities (slaughter faculty, stable and dairy) will be used also videos and pictures to facilitate the understanding of the different, important production chains.

b. Practical lessons

These are mainly carried out by dividing the students into two groups in shifts of 2 hours.

Case studies will be used to evaluate the control methods for the microbial hazards in food by adopting a predictive microbiology approach

An interactive software will be used to learn the investigation methods that are used to detect the origin of foodborne outbreaks and implement control measures.

At the faculty slaughterhouse the students will approach the hygiene auditing in beef slaughterhouse and the use of checklists for slaughterhouse structure.

Assessment methods

The examination at the end of the course aims to assess the achievement of the main learning objectives:
1) Ability to gather and interpret in an effective and comprehensive way the laboratory (microbiological) data and the reports of epidemic surveillance on major food borne illness;
2) Knowledge of food technology (used in processing of meat, milk and dairy products, fish products) hazard assessment (raw materials and processes) of control measures (CCP) and the principles of hygiene
3) Ability to appreciate the pathogenic mechanisms, the potential for growth and survival in foods of the main biological agents responsible for diseases with food and their ability to resist treatment of storage and preparation of food for consumption.

The final grade of the course "Safety and food hygiene" consists of the synthesis of the final evaluations of the different topics that are treated in the course. The marks obtained in the written test are valid for three years and are accounted for the final grade of the examination.

The evaluation of the students consists of a written test and an oral exam.

The oral exam is designed to test the acquisition of knowledge provided as detailed in the objectives of the course and will be deemed superseded by the correct answer three main questions related to topics covered during the course: food production technologies and HACCP (max 10 points), characterization of the most important biological hazards in food (max 10 points). The score will be inclusive of the ascertained suitability for the written test (max 10 points).

The purpose of the written test is to verify the proper learning methods for the epidemiological surveillance (clinical and laboratory) on food-borne diseases. This test will be assigned at beginning of each exam session. The students must comply with the assignment that will be updated at each exam session.

The evaluation of the candidate's knowledge may also have other questions designed to clarify their answer to the written test.

It 'very important that the candidate is familiar with the information derived from the previous years courses (prerequisites), with particular emphasis on microbiology and chemistry (organic and inorganic) and knows how to appreciate the pathogenetic mechanisms (general pathology).

In assessing the candidate's answers, the committee will give particular attention to evaluating the acquisition of a logical-deductive method of contents.

During the test is not allowed the use of support materials such as textbooks, notes, computer media.

Teaching tools

Keynotes of lectures and didacticdocuments used for the practical training are publishedin the UniBo AMS Campus server. Textbooks are available at the Department's library.

Office hours

See the website of Marcello Trevisani