| Semester 1, 2023 Toowoomba On-campus | |
| Units : | 1 |
| School or Department : | School of Agriculture and Environmental Science |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
| Course fee schedule : | /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules |
Staffing
Course Coordinator:
Overview
The microbial load in food can be useful in production of food but can also be a source of contamination leading to food spoilage or food poisoning. The safety of food and its stability is of great importance and this course will provide a solid basis in food microbiology.
In this course you will extend on the knowledge gained from previous courses in this major and put this in the context of the microbial loads found in food. You will distinguish between the different microbial hazards that may be found in food and the use of microorganisms in the production of foods. You will expand your understanding of the microbiology of food, food-borne diseases, food spoilage and microbiological analytical techniques.
This course contains a highly recommended Residential School where students will be working with students from other courses, and will involve factory tours.
Course learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course students should be able to:
- Apply expertise in food microbiology
- Critically evaluate the impact of microbiology on production and spoilage of foods
- Critically assess the hazards associated with microbial contaminants
- Apply skills in generating strategies for improvement of microbial food safety.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Microbiology | 20.00 |
| 2. | Microbiology of food production | 30.00 |
| 3. | Microbiology of food spoilage | 20.00 |
| 4. | Food poisoning microorganisms | 20.00 |
| 5. | Techniques for detection of microorganisms in food | 10.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
Student workload expectations
To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.
Assessment details
| Description | Group Assessment |
Weighting (%) | Course learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research (paper) | No | 20 | 1,2 |
| Report 1 | No | 20 | 1 |
| Report 2 | No | 20 | 3,4 |
| Time limited online examinatn | No | 40 | 1,2,3,4 |