Corso di laurea magistrale in Scienze degli Alimenti e della Nutrizione Umana

Knowledge and understanding: knowing food safety issues mainly related to the chemical contamination of food; understand the elements necessary to be able to adequately assess the exposure of the general population to chemical contaminants in food and what are the primary prevention actions to be implemented; be able to use appropriate tools (databases, publications and internationally accredited information sources) for the collection of scientific information. Skills in interpretation, comparison and critical oral presentation of data obtained from scientific publications. Basic concepts of risk analysis applied in food eg QMRA (Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment), HACCP and WSP. Ability to understand the main risks in food production. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: Acquire theoretical and application skills to be able to carry out an assessment of exposure to food chemical contaminants and propose appropriate indications to reduce this exposure; connect, interpret, apply wide-ranging procedures and methodologies. Autonomy of judgment. Ability to apply what has been learned for the application and management of health and hygiene risks in the context of the food industry. Autonomy in intellectual production and critical judgment: Being able to update and use the databases provided by national, European and international food safety agencies and European and international scientific advisory bodies; knowing how to propose primary prevention strategies. Being able to apply the risk assessment approach in the food context. Communication skills: discuss in groups and with the teacher the content of scientific publications in the field of food chemistry using terminology. Be able to use the correct terminologies related to risk assessment, even to non-specialist subjects. Learning skills: Use correctly and appropriately the specific terms relating to the assessment of chemical risks in food; exhibit scientific articles related to the topic; have adequate skills and tools for data processing and presentation; acquire the ability to work in a team. Critically discuss the application and management of risk assessment in the food industries. General Microbiology Module: 1. Knowledge and understanding: a. Describe the morphological and metabolic characteristics of each microorganism (bacterium, virus, fungus, parasite) responsible for food-borne infections. b. Compare the similarities and / or differences of etiopathogenesis (transmission, epidemiology and control) of food-borne diseases. c. Identify and analyze the epidemiological data reported in the literature. 2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: Apply the knowledge acquired in order to formulate a hypothesis of food infection occurred and to instruct third parties on the prevention to be adopted to avoid the transmission of food infections. 3. Autonomy in intellectual production and critical judgment: a. Being able to choose a suitable direct diagnostic method for the microbiology analysis of a food infection with microbial etiology. b. Knowing how to recognize the appropriate preventive measures to avoid the transmission of the infection. c. Knowing how to identify the therapeutic approach suitable for the treatment of the infection. d. Keep up to date on the matter by consulting accredited sources and databases that deal with the specific matter and that report recent cases of infection and epidemiological data. 4. Communication skills: knowing how to use a specialized lexicon for the critical exposure of problems and solutions to specialist and non-specialist interlocutors. 5. Learning skills: Collect, compare and analyze scientific literature data (English).

The exams will be carried out electronically if the Covid-19 emergency is maintained (not in the presence).

The final grade will be the weighted average of the marks obtained in the two modules.

Water for human consumption: drinking water, spring water, natural mineral water and their chemical, physical and microbiological characteristics; relevant legislations. Pesticides: classification and risk assessment for human dietary intake. Chemical contaminants in food and health risks associated: food additives, presence of newly-formed substances during the processing and cooking of foodstuffs (acrylamide), food contact materials (melamine, bisphenol A). Food allergy and food intolerance; relevant legislation. Main principles on the Risk Analysis and application of Quantitative Microbiological Risk assessment (example) in the food. Definition of food quality and self-control. Description of the food safety management system (FSMS) in the EU legislation. Pre-requisite programs (eg Good Manufacturing Practice, Good Hygienic Practice and Standard Operating Procedure). Origin of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). Main principles of HACCP: Identification of relevant chemical, physical and biological hazards and example of semi-quantitative risk assessment (risk matrix). Definition and identification of critical control points (CCP). Critical limits in CCPs. CCP surveillance procedures. Corrective actions. Verification (and validation) procedures. Documentation and registration. Examples of HACCP application. Exercises on the application of HACCP in different food production. Definition of Water Safety Plans (WSP) and application for the drinking water production. Development of a PSA and examples of application. Teaching module of General Microbiology: Characteristics and virulence factors of the most important pathogenic microorganisms involved in the major food poisoning, clinical manifestations, laboratory diagnosis, prophylaxis, epidemiology, therapy. Bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus anthracis, B. cereus, Clostridium botulinum, C. perfringens, Listeria monocytogenes, enterobatteriacee (Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp, Yersinia spp, Enterobacter spp.), Vibrio spp, Helicobacter pylori, Campylobacter spp, Brucella spp.; viruses: Rotavirus, Adenovirus, Astrovirus, Calicivirus, Hepatitis A virus, Hepatitis E virus); parasites: Cryptosporidium spp, Sarcocystis spp, Giardia lamblia, Toxoplasma gondii, Entamoeba spp, Anisakis spp, Taenia spp, Diphyllobothrium latum, Opistorchis spp, Trichinella spiralis, Ascaris lumbricoides; fungi (filamentous fungi, yeasts and mycotoxins). Students will hold seminars on topical issues on infection/intoxication/toxinfection foodborne, doing a literature search and reporting the data as oral communications. In addition, students will carry out practical bacteriology exercises with observation and description of different coltural media, plating of their nasal swabs on agar, Gram and Kinyoun stains, viewing slides, biochemical identification, MIC and antibiotic susceptibility tests; and mycology exercises with description and observation of fungi isolated from food and environment, slide preparation and microscopic observation of yeasts and filamentous fungi.

For the Food Hygiene module are recommended for further information and additions the text by Gianfranco Tiecco - Hygiene and Food Technology - Calderini Edagricole, the articles and scientific reports included in the "articles" section of the teaching material and the document "Communication of the European Commission on the implementation of food safety management systems concerning the prerequisite programs (PRP) and the procedures based on the principles of the HACCP system, including the facilitation / flexibility of implementation in certain food businesses (2016 / C 278/01) ".

For the General Microbiology module it is recommended to use the following material for further information and additions: 1) MURRAY P.R., ROSENTHAL K.S., KOBAYASHI G.S., PFALLER M.A., Microbiology, EdiSES. 2) JAWETZ, MELNICK, ADELBERG, Medical microbiology, PICCIN 3) ANTONELLI, CLEMENTI, POZZI, ROSSOLINI, Medical Microbiology, C.E.Ambrosiana 4) LA PLACA, Principles of Medical Microbiology, Esculapio Publishing Company

The teaching material will be available on the Moodle platform and/or Campusnet