Food Microbiology

Instance: 2019/2020 - 2S

Cycles of Study/Courses

Last updated on 2020-05-26.

Fields changed: Learning outcomes and competences, Métodos de ensino e atividades de aprendizagem, Melhoria de classificação, Provas e trabalhos especiais, Fórmula de cálculo da classificação final

Teaching language

Objectives

To understand the current impact of food borne diseases in public health, the food/water, surfaces and food handlers contamination routes, risk behaviours, the main etiological agents involved, their control, prevention and methodologies used for microbiological analysis of water and food.

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of the course students should be able to integrate the theoretical and practical knowledge in current public health issues related to food safety.  Students should also develop an autonomous learning and a critical position to the topics discussed. They should understand:
a)The current importance of foodborne diseases associated with microorganisms;
b)The factors promoting the emergence of foodborne diseases;
c)The main sources of water and food contamination and surfaces;
d)Risk behaviours during food production and adopted by the consumer.
e)The main foodborne pathogenic microorganims, their impact on human health, epidemiological context and tolerance to physico-chemical factors allowing their selection and multiplication in food;
f)Measures for prevention and control of foodborne diseases;
g)The methodologies used in the microbiological analysis of water and food samples.

It is also intended the development of skills that in professional life and within the context of food safety allow the students to:
a)Identify and prevent risk behaviors associated with foodborne illnesses.
b)Interpret, synthesize and communicate relevant information on foodborne diseases and their prevention.
b)Choose and implement appropriate methodologies for microbiological analysis of water and food.
c)Interpret the result of microbiological analysis of water and food for human consumption, food handlers and surfaces.
d)Work and integrate knowledge individually and in group.

Working method

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Prerequisite: It is recommended that the student has prior knowledge of General Microbiology and Bacteriology

Program

1-Theoretical Component:

1-General concepts of foodborne diseases:impact on public health; biological hazards;definition of concepts such as infection and poisoning, outbreak; microorganisms as etiologic agents of disease and of food quality alteration. Food safety.

2-Sources of microbial contamination of water, food and surfaces.
3-Factors affecting microbial growth in foods: intrinsic, extrinsic, implicit and processing  factors (physical, chemical and biological).
4-Foodborne diseases caused by bacteria (reservoirs, features of the main etiological agents,  main food types involved,  risk practices associated with food contamination, risk groups, prevention and treatment of disease, dissemination of antimicrobial resistance through food-chain; surveillance entities; national and european epidemiological data;real examples of recent outbreaks).
5-Lectures given by students on various topics in food safety (e.g. problematic of viable non-cultivable cells or biofilms in the food industry; impact of climate change and food globalization on food safety; current contributions from genomics in resolving outbreaks, among others topics) integrating various biological hazards (bacteria, viruses and parasites).

2-Laboratory component:

1- Microbiological criteria.Microbiological analysis of water, food, food handlers and other surfaces (theoretical basis and practical execution):-Collection and preparation of samples. -Methods for counting, detection and microbial identification (quality, hygiene and safety parameters).
2-Immunological methods for toxin detection.
3-Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of different compounds used across food chain (e.g. disinfectants, antibiotics).
4- Use of molecular biology methods and/or bioinformatic tools to detect toxins, antibiotic resistance genes, serotypes  and clones.

Mandatory literature

Comments from the literature

Teaching methods and learning activities

2 hours/week are reserved to attend the students, whose schedule must be combined, via email, between the student and the teacher.

keywords

Evaluation Type

Assessment Components

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Eligibility for exams

Calculation formula of final grade

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Classification improvement

The improvement of the classifications of the theoretical examinations may be made during the examination periods, according to the evaluation standards in force at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto. Classification improvements are not foreseen regarding the oral presentation and debate of the lectures given by the students or the students' posture in the context of laboratory/theoretical-practical. classes.