Course description
Highlights
* There are many potential threats to the food supply:
food-borne illness from pathogens; bio-terrorism; diseases such as BSE (“mad cow”); and hazards not yet identified.
* Food safety is critical to maintaining public health and confidence in the food supply.
* Compliance with internationally-recognized food safety standards, such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), is essential to remaining competitive in global markets.
* This new program was designed in response to employers’ identified needs for expertise in science, food safety and environmental management.
Career Opportunities
The demand for food safety professionals is perpetual and increasing. Expertise is needed at all stages of production, from farm to fork. Graduates may work in agricultural production (supervising pre-processing storage and transport, water management); food processing (testing and analysis, quality control, plant sanitation, waste management, auditing and inspection); transportation (developing and overseeing protocols for safe distribution); manufacturing food safety equipment; government agencies (auditing, inspection, education and training); and consulting.
Program Description
The program delivers an integrated curriculum of science, safety and environmental management. Graduates will gain expertise in planning, implementing and verifying food safety enhancement programs, including Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Good Manufacturing Practices.
A common first year allows students to transfer to another bioscience program, or complete a placement to graduate with an Ontario College Certificate as a Chemical Laboratory Assistant. Continuing students progress to a specialized curriculum in the food sciences (microbiology and toxicology, food processing, food chemistry, data management and analysis). An integrated program of food safety principles and practices, research skills, risk assessment, environmental management, and business practices will prepare graduates with practical employment skills.
To prepare graduates for unpredicted and varying threats to food safety, learning will be applied to thinking creatively, framing questions, generating solutions and making decisions within new and unpredictable contexts. In their final year project, students will apply the breadth of their knowledge and expertise to the development of an industry-specific HACCP plan and master HACCP document, as part of a “HACCP team.”
BIOS 1000 Biology 1
This is an introductory course focusing on topics of cell structure and function, the flow of energy in cells, and the exchange of information in and between cells. Basic biological laboratory exercises augment theoretical material.
BIOS 1007 Foundation Skills in Science
This course is designed to: 1) raise awareness and interest regarding the place of science in everyday life, by exploring current local and global topics affecting life on Earth, and science's place in bringing these issues to our awareness; 2) develop sound critical thinking skills through exposure to the scientific method and experimental design; 3) apply transferable skills fundamental to scientific research and communication, and 4) learn of career opportunities in science through exposure to careers of current biosciences professors and local industry leaders.
CHEM 1000 General Chemistry 1
This introductory course focuses on the basic concepts associated with matter and energy. Topics include atomic structure; chemical bonds; states of matter; acids and bases; the nature of chemical reactions; charge-transfer reactions; chemical equilibria; measurements and scientific method in chemistry. Laboratory exercises supplement the course material to provide students with practical knowledge of general lab safety and standard laboratory procedures in chemistry.
CHEM 1001 Organic Chemistry 1
This course is designed as an introduction to organic chemistry. A special effort is made to illustrate the practical applications of organic chemistry to everyday life and biological processes.
COMM 1035 Communications 1
This course introduces students to essential language skills to communicate clearly, concisely and correctly in written, spoken and visual form that fulfills the purpose and meets the needs of the audiences. Students will reframe information, ideas and concepts using narrative, visual and symbolic representations which demonstrate understanding.
MATH 1003 Mathematics 1
Engineering and scientific applications involving the following areas: the SI system for dealing with exact and approximate numbers, exponents, solving equations, determinants and linear equations, curve sketching, graphing and trigonometry.
BIOS 1001 Introduction to Microbiology
This applied biology course provides an introduction to microbiological theory, specifically addressing the fundamentals of microbiology, bacterial morphology, growth, nutrition and control. The principal divisions of the field are discussed, and their economic or medical applications. Prerequistie: BIOS 1000
BIOS 1002 Biology 2
The relationship between structure and function is a fundamental principle of biology. This course in organismal biology emphasizes principles of anatomy and physiology of plants and animals within the context of problems that organisms must solve, including sensory perception and response to the environment, acquisition of oxygen and nutrients, excretion of wastes, movement, and reproduction. Prerequisite: BIOS 1000
CHEM 1002 Organic Chemistry 2
This course is designed as a continuation of introductory Organic Chemistry. Students learn nomenclature, structure, and physical and chemical properties of major groups of organic compounds, and differentiate among types of chemical reactions involving organic compounds. Emphasis is placed on the practical applications of organic chemistry to the biosciences and engineering. Lab exercises complement the theoretical components of the course. Pre-requisites CHEM 1001.
CHEM 1003 General Chemistry 2
This course gives an introduction to chemical kinetics, equilibrium, acid-base titration, electro and solution chemistry. Relevant lab work and techniques are emphasized. Prerequisite: CHEM 1000
FOOD 1004 Issues and Trends in Food Safe
This course familiarizes students with the scope of safety issues facing the food industry along the many paths from producer to consumer. Contemporary topics and food safety concerns will form the basis of the course, with emphasis placed on real-life food safety issues, crisis and solutions. Students will be introduced to the array of technical, economic, social and scientific factors influencing food safety management, public awareness of food safety, scientific frameworks for setting public policy on food safety, and trends in the food industry.
MATH 1004 Mathematics 2/Computer Applications
Engineering and scientific applications involving properties of exponents, logarithms and special graphing techniques. Microsoft Excel will be used. Prerequisites: COMM 1001 & MATH 1003
BIOS 2000 Microbiology
This applied biology course provides an introduction to microbiological theory and skills: specifically addressing microscopy, staining methods, cultivation of microorganisms, control of microbial growth, enumeration, water sanitary analysis and industrial application. Prerequisite: BIOS 1000
CHEM 2000 Analytical Chemistry 1
An introductory course dealing with the general methods of quantitative and qualitative chemical analysis. Laboratory work supplements the theory. Prerequisite: CHEM 1003
CHEM 2001 Instrumentation 1 Theory
This course stresses the basic concepts and techniques of chromatography (thin layer, column, paper, liquid and ion) and spectrophotometry (IR, UV, visible) and atomic absorption.. In addition, sample preparation is discussed. Prerequisite: CHEM 1003
CHEM 2006 Instrumentation 1 Lab
The labs performed in this course support the theory studied in CHEM 2001, Chemical Instrumentation 1. Prerequisite: CHEM 1003
FOOD 2005 Intro to HACCP
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is an internationally recognized system for the maintenance of safety, sanitation, and product integrity of foods. This course focuses on the principles of HACCP, and introduces students to prerequisite programs, instruction in HACCP development and implementation of a HACCP program following Canadian federal guidelines (Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Food Safety Enhancement Program).
MATH 2002 Data Analysis 1
Topics covered: measures of central tendency, measures of variation, frequency distributions, linear regression and the normal distribution. Microsoft Excel is used to generate statistical reports and graphs. Prerequisite: MATH 1003
BIOS 2001 Fermentation
This course covers the fundamentals of fermentation technology and bioprocessing. Subject material includes batch and continuous fermentation, production of biomass, bioconversions, the use of immobilized cells and recovery of byproducts. Prerequisite: BIOS 2000
BIOS 2005 Introduction to Nutrition
This course covers the fundamentals of nutrition: where nutrients occur, how they are absorbed and metabolized, dietary requirements in relation to the growth, health, reproductive success and longevity of humans. Prerequisite: BIOS 1000
BIOS 3004 Good Manufacturing Practices
This course combines Health Canada's Guidelines for Good Manufacturing Practices: Food and Drug Regulations, (as referred to Division 2, Part C of the Food and Drug Regulations) with the World Health Organization's (WHO) Basic Training Modules on GMP. The scope of this course includes all GMP activities relating to fabricating, packaging/labelling, testing, distributing, importing and wholesaling of drugs for human or veterinary use. Division 2 applies to drugs listed is Schedules C and D to the Act. The course runs over a one-semester period as an online course using the WebCT format. A facilitator will monitor participants and provide expert feedback and support.
CHEM 2002 Instrumentation 2
This course deals with a wide range of instrumental parameters and techniques of analysis and includes advanced gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, flame photometry, polarimetry, refractometry, UV, IR, and visible spectrophotometry. Prerequisite: CHEM 2001& CHEM 2006
ENVR 2006 Water/Wastewater
This course covers basic water treatment, primary and secondary waste water treatment. Laboratory exercises involving the appropriate analytical process control test are performed. Plant tours are incorporated at the end of each section. Prerequisites: MATH 1004 & CHEM 2000
FOOD 2006 Plant Sanitation
This course familiarizes students with the fundamental principles of food plant sanitation, and their applications to a variety of industrial settings. Basic sanitation practices include prevention of biological, chemical and physical contamination of food; effective clean-up procedures; proper choice and use of sanitizing agents for different purposes; personal hygiene practices; basic knowledge of pests and effective pest control strategies as they pertain to the safe production, storage and processing of food. Students will also review recent developments in the food industry, and discuss potential impacts on plant sanitation needs and practices.
BIOS 3000 Biochemistry
This course provides a one-semester investigation of biochemistry, designed to introduce students to the complex structure of cellular components, the function of biomolecules, and the dynamics of metabolic pathways. Based on theoretical and lab-based study, students will examine the major groups of biomolecules (nucleotides and nucleic acids, amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids), enzyme function, metabolism and inborn errors of metabolism. Prerequisite: CHEM 1002
BIOS 3008 Advanced Microbial Techniques
This applied biology course builds on fundamental microbiological theory and practical technique courses. Specific topics address advanced microscopy, enrichment culturing, biochemical differentiation and identification of specific groups of micro organisms, antimicrobial activities of various chemical and biological agents, microbiological analysis of food products, bacterial genetics, and introductory medical microbiology and immunology. Prerequisite: BIOS 2000
FOOD 3000 On-Farm Food Safety
On-Farm Food Safety programs are basic management tools for many commodities. This course will introduce students to the main aspects of on-farm food safety, and demonstrate how the HACCP-based approach addresses Critical Control Points on farms, using examples from several commodity-specific programs.
FOOD 3001 HACCP Validation
Students acquire theoretical and technical instruction in effective management and auditing of HACCP plans. Principles of HACCP validation, verification, documentation and the types of HACCP audits are augmented by instruction in a variety of auditing techniques, audit planning and schedules, and reporting. Emphasis will be placed on ensuring compliance with Canadian federal regulatory requirements.
MATH 3000 Data Analysis 2
This is a course in Inferential Statistics. Topics covered are: the central limit theorem, discrete probability distributions, estimation (confidence intervals), chi-square distribution, analysis of variance. Microsoft EXCEL will be used to generate statistical reports and graphs. Prerequisite: MATH 2002
CHEM 3000 Food Chemistry
This course gives the student a basic knowledge of the chemistry of foods and food analysis. An oral presentation by the student on a food ingredient topic is included. The labs emphasize food analysis methods used by the food industry. Prerequisite: BIOS 3000
ENVR 3000 Toxicology
Introduction to the study of the harmful interactions between chemicals and biological systems. Living things are exposed to a variety of toxic substances, ranging from metals and inorganic molecules to large complex organic molecules. Toxicology applies concepts of basic biochemistry, chemistry, pathology and physiology, along with experimental observation and analysis. Topics covered in this course include basic principles of toxicology, interaction of pollutants with natural systems, biological response to toxicants, ecotoxicology of pollutants, bioassay/biomonitoring techniques and exotoxicological decision making. Where possible, examples will be drawn from Ontario and the Great Lakes basin. Prerequisites: BIOS 1000; MATH 1004 and MATH 2002
FOOD 3002 Current Issues in Food Safety
This course encourages students to develop an in-depth, critical awareness of contemporary issues and trends in food safety from the perspective of current scientific literature. The course focuses on technical, economic and social factors that influence management of realized and potential food safety hazards, and shape consumer concerns relating to the same food safety issues. Students will apply a variety of investigative techniques to execute advanced database ad literature searches on material relating to selected topics of interest, interpret findings and communicate through written and oral presentations.
FOOD 3003 Food Processing
This course will introduce students to the wide variety of processing techniques used in the food industry. Topics include pasteurization, sterilization, low temperature processes and other thermal treatments of foods, concentration and dehydration processes, moisture control, fermentation and pickling, irradiation, and novel food processing techniques. Specific examples of animal and plant food products will be used to highlight important processing outcomes.
FOOD 3004 Development of HACCP Plan
In this course, participants draw on the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired in previous HACCP courses to develop individual operation-specific HACCP plans from product description and HACCP team selection to the Master HACCP document. Assessment of generic models and peer review of student HACCP plans will be incorporated into the course. Students will also prepare for HACCP certification.Prerequisite: FOOD 3001
PLAC 3019 Placement
Description to come.
