18194 - Foodstuffs Protection

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student is able to: recognize and know the biology of the main pests of food and the causes and factors that determine damages in storage and processing environments. He has developed the independence of judgment that will be applied in the most appropriate monitoring and containment strategies and techniques of arthropods and diseases control. The student has knowledge of the attacks animal pest and pathological diseases on products and agricultural commodities. It is able to use diagnostic means using the techniques of integrated pest management on post.harvest products. At the end of the course, the student will acquire the ability to recognize the main animal pest and diseases in post-harvest plant products, to predict the incidence and the main techniques of integrated control methods.

Course contents

PART ONE

Parasites of food, types of damage, risks to human health. Ecology of pests in food chains. Prevention of infestations: design and plant cleaning, inspecting and monitoring of environments Pest (trail analysis, use of traps). Methods of analysis of food to detect the presence or traces of animals. Means and methods of control: physical (controlled atmosphere, low temperature, light radiation etc.). Biotechnical (pheromones); chemicals: acaricides, insecticides and rodenticides, characteristics of their main groups. Main types of commodities and food industries. Insects harmful to food: Blattodei (Blattidae: Blatta orientalis, Periplaneta americana; Blattellidae: Blattella germanica, Supella longipalpa); Psocoptera: L. decolor; Coleoptera (Dermestidae: Dermestes spp., Trogoderma spp. Bostrichidae: Rhyzopertha dominica; Anobiidae: Stegobium paniceum, Lasioderma serricorne; Tenebronidae: Tenebrio molitor, Tribolium spp. Bruchidae: Acanthoscelides obtectus; Curculionidae (Rhyncophoridae): Sitophilus granarius, S . oryzae, S. zeamais), Lepidoptera (Tineidi: Nemapogon granellus; Gelechiidae: Sitotroga cerealella; Pyralidae: Ephestia kuehniella, Plodia interpunctella), Dipterae (Piofilidi: Piophila casei; Muscidae: Musca domestica; Calliphoridae: Calliphora spp. Sarcophagidae: Sarcophaga spp.

PART TWO

Acari: systematics, morphology, anatomy and biology. harmful species to food:Acarus siro, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Glycyphagus domesticus, Lepidoglyphus destructor and  Carpoglyphus lactis. Damage to foodstuff, prevention of infestations and control methods. Muridae: general remarks, harmful species to food: Mus domesticus, Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus.Damage to foodstuff, prevention of infestations and control methods.

PART THREE

Importance of diseases (biotic and abiotic) in the post-harvest waste plant products. Estimate of the wastes depending on the technology used. Influence of the characteristics, physiological state, latent infections, wounds and plant products on susceptibility to disease, on post-harvest losses and on the quality characteristics of the products.

Damage by cooling; practical importance and limitations to the use of the cold chain, classification of fruit and vegetable species for susceptibility to damage by cooling, symptoms, alterations in physiological and cytological level, prevention. Projections of slides / photographs relating to certain symptoms that characterize the damage by cooling.

Protection of plant products

Integrated techniques of post-harvest protection during storage, transportation and distribution (chemical, physical and biological).

Physical methods

High temperatures: Implementing techniques (hot water and hot air), effect on the host (plant product), and effects on pathogens.

Low temperature (cooling): the importance of the cold chain storage and distribution of fresh vegetable products and semi-finished products, effects on host and pathoges.

Oxygen and carbon dioxide: importance of controlled atmosphere, the dynamic atmosphere and modified atmosphere storage and distribution of fresh vegetable products, effects on host and pathoges.

Ethylene use: influence of ethylene on the ripening-aging products, purification techniques, effects on host and pathoges.

Environmental humidity (RH): importance and management of the RH in the conservation of plant products, effects on host and pathoges.

Ultraviolet light at low doses: directions for use, effects on host and pathoges.

Ionizing radiation: sources, security of employment, limitations, effects on host and pathoges.

Chemical methods

Disinfectants: importance of disinfectants, types of disinfectants used on crops, methods of use, effectiveness and side effects.

Pesticides and food additives: classification, hazard classes, technical and hygienic limits, mode of action, type of formulation, treatment methods, notes on legislation relating to residues, the problem of residues in the context of the marketing of fresh and preserved products.

Biological methods biological control: natural substances (sources, activity, side effects, limits regarding applications), antagonistic microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts, fungi, mode of action, compatibility with other means, limits regarding applications). Induction of resistance.

Of each disease (biotic or abiotic) will be presented:

- Importance, distribution, extent and gravity of the losses qualitative and quantitative

- Symptoms

- Biological cycle and epidemiology (only biotic disease)

- Prevention of and control

Pomaceae: Neofabrea, Penicillium, Botrytis, Mucor, Alternaria, superficial scald, soft scald, vitrification, bitter pit. Stone fruit: Monilinia, Botrytis*, Rhizopus, Mucor*, sore radiant, stickiness, abnormalities of maturation. Actnidia: Botrytis*, Phialophora. Grapes: Botrytis*, Aspergillus*. Strawberry: Botrytis*, Colletotricum. Tomato: Alternaria*, Colletotricum*, Botrytis*  (quantification of fungi by Howard method), Pectobacterium, damage by cooling. Potato: Fusarium, Pectobacterium*, greening, sugar softening, sprout. Onion: Botrytis*, Aspergillus*, Colletotricum*, Fusarium*, Pectobacterium*, Pseudomonas, sprouting. Leafy vegetables: Sclerotinia, Botrytis*, Pectobacterium*, Pseudomonas*, rusty mottle, chlorosis, senescence.

*symptoms and control only

Teaching methods

1) desk front lectures: the teaching units are presented to the students in classroom and are teoric integrated by tables and schemes an with several pictures related to arthropods and diseases of postharvest products. During lectures several discussions and suggestions are exchanged with students. Case studies of important aspects  related to damages by arthropods and diseases are reported and discussed.

2) a visit to the CAAB (agro-alimentary centre of Bologna) is planned   

Assessment methods

The assessment is troughout a final oral test with 3-4 questions related to principal topics regarding animal pests and diseases.

Teaching tools

PC, videoprojector, material from insect collection, part of plant and products presenting damages due to diseases and other pest attacks.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Maini

See the website of Maria Luisa Dindo

See the website of Paolo Bertolini