Food Science
Undergraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 10
- Teaching semesters
- Spring
- Course code
- NUTR150
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- English
- Resources
- Schedule
Course description
Objectives and Content
The course provides a thorough understanding of food products and their use in households, commercial kitchens, and the food industry, including the assessment of food quality. It explores how processing affects the chemical, biochemical, and nutritional properties of food. This will give students insight into how treatment and processing alter the composition and quality of food. Students will gain a deeper understanding of key food components, such as water, lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates, as well as various food groups like meat, poultry, eggs, fish, milk and dairy products, fruits, and vegetables. Throughout the course, students will learn about the production, composition, and uses of these foods. Additionally, they will be trained to use the calculation tool "Kostholdsplanleggeren," which they will actively apply in project work. The course also includes instruction in hygiene, toxicology, microbiology, and food safety, with an emphasis on recent research and technological advancements in food science. Legislation regulating food production and marketing, including labeling and declaration requirements, will also be covered, providing students with a comprehensive view of the food sector.
Learning Outcomes
After finishing the course, the students will have the following learning outcomes, defined as knowledge, skills, and general competence:
Knowledge: The student:
- Has knowledge of the chemical and nutritional properties of water, lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates in various foods
- Has broad knowledge of food groups and their nutrient composition, as well as how different foods are affected by processes such as preservation, pasteurization, and freezing
- Is familiar with the main processes related to food production and the treatment of various foods
- Has knowledge of food quality and how it is evaluated in terms of nutritional content, sensory properties, shelf life, and safety
- Has knowledge of food biotechnology, food microbiology, and microbiological hazards
- Has knowledge of food safety, risk analysis, and national and international risk assessment bodies
- Is familiar with the main laws and regulations governing food production and food safety, including rules for additives, genetically modified foods, and food labeling
Skills: The student:
- Can apply evidence-based knowledge to practical and theoretical issues in food science and make well-founded decisions based on recent research results in the field
- Can use scientific knowledge to investigate the effects of various food processing technologies and evaluate how these affect the nutritional content and quality of different foods
- Can master scientific tools and communication forms such as Excel and PowerPoint, scientific report writing, presentations, and discussions
- Can proficiently use the calculation-based application "Kostholdsplanleggeren" to calculate nutritional content and assess nutritional needs
- Can find, evaluate, and reference information and academic material, and present it in a way that illuminates selected topics in food science
General competence:The student:
- Has insight into the professional and ethical challenges related to food production, food quality, and food safety, and can reflect on how these affect public health
- Can plan and carry out tasks and project work, including planning, testing, and reporting results, either individually or in groups, in accordance with ethical requirements and guidelines
- Can communicate key subject matter related to food quality, food safety, food microbiology, and food technology both in writing and orally
- Is familiar with common practices and daily activities in selected food production companies in the local area
- Is aware of innovation and creative processes within the field of food science
ECTS Credits
10 ECTS
Level of Study
Bachelor
Semester of Instruction
Spring
Required Previous Knowledge
Completion of the three first semesters of Bachelor programme in nutrition.
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
None
Access to the Course
Admission to the Bachelor programme in Nutrition
Teaching and learning methods
Lectures, interactive use of MittUiB, assignments (dietary registration), discussions, group work, and team-based learning activities (TBL)
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
To be eligible to take the final written exam (60% of the grade), the following mandatory course activities must be approved:
- Planning, execution, presentation, and discussion of special diets. This includes (i) practical work (planning and implementing a special diet over a specific period) and (ii) presentation and discussion of all student reports in the special diet group with the cohort
- Attendance at company visits to local food production companies
- Team-based learning activities (TBL)
Forms of Assessment
- Written report (40% of the grade)
- Written school exam, 2.5 hours (60% of the grade)
If you do not pass one or both parts of the assessment, you must retake the part(s) you did not pass.
When retaking the exam (to improve your result), you can choose to retake one or both parts of the assessment in the teaching semester.
The exam can be answered in either English or Norwegian.
Grading Scale
Grading scale A-F
Assessment Semester
Spring
Reading List
The reading list will be published by 01.12 for the Spring semester.
Course Evaluation
The Department strives at continually improving their study programmes and welcome the feedback of students in the form of organized student evaluations. The evaluation results will be used to revise the study programmes, curriculum and teaching methods.
Examination Support Material
Simple, bilingual dictionary, that must be reviewable, meaning that one of the languages must be English, or a Scandinavian language.
Programme Committee
Programme Committee for Nutrition
Course Administrator
Department of Clinical Medicine
Department
Department of Clinical Medicine