Introduction to food production chains

• Analyse a food production chain (from raw material to consumer) and identify safety, quality and planning issues, and the interactions between these and process operations.
• Define the degree of innovation in relation to the theoretically developed product.
• Apply strategic tools for product management
• Apply mass and energy balance related to the unit operations.
• Identify raw material properties of importance to the final product.
• Describe the major parameters that influence the quality of food.
• Evaluate where in the value chain optimisation in relation to quality can be addressed.
• Validate solutions to practical problems using quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Make concise executive summary and oral presentation of a technical matter.
• Give constructive feedback to contribution from other course participants.
• Write (as team-work) a technical report suitable for decision making in a company.

The course aims to teach the student how to understand and analyse the basic interactions along food production chains. The interactions concern quality, processes and product management all of which must be considered as integral in order to make proper production planning and design. Theoretical production of food products from raw material to consumer will be analysed and solutions suggested by teams. Team work is central in the course, and the teams are introduced to diversity and communication within team work. The teams will study cases that exemplify a wide range of common issues in various steps associated to food production. Furthermore, separate elements are included such as process technology, mass and energy balances, bottlenecks and challenges for the food industry as well as innovation and sustainability. Generic competences such as reporting, presentation techniques and constructive feedback among students is also elements of this master introduction course. Guest lectures are invited as part of the course. If possible, excursions will be arranged to relevant actors in the food sector.
The course format is a combination of learning through lectures (acqusition), search and evaluate literature (inquiry), discussions among students and teacher, collaboration and production through team work aiming for a shared output (report), developing and prensenting results, concepts and practise.

23711/23511, or similar level in Food Science & Technology (including food microbiology)

Lectures, seminars, group work and home assignments

The course is compulsory for the MSc in Food Technology