Food Systems and Management MSc (formerly known as Food Chain Systems)

• Dr M. Carmen Alamar

To gain an understanding of the concept of food diagnostics and the role of monitoring and analysis in food quality, safety, and management.

• Fundamentals of food analysis
• Analytical methods; chemical, biological, physical and molecular techniques.
• Use of non-destructive techniques (viz.spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging, electronic noses) to assess food composition and quality
• Food adulteration and current techniques to identify fraud.
• Analytical identification of chemical components to evaluate food safety and quality.
• Bioinformatics approaches: Integration of datasets to predict food quality and safety.
• Design of appropriate analysis strategies to solve industrial questions related to food components or contaminants
• Practical sessions (every afternoon): food quality and safety concepts will be explored through a hands on/laboratory based approach: students will be exposed to industry which will bring commercial solutions for them to assess.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Demonstrate an independent critical awareness of the principles and techniques currently available for food analysis, monitoring and assessment.
• Critically compare the different destructive and non-destructive techniques used to assess food quality parameters.
• Evaluate and argue the choice of the appropriate molecular techniques for the analysis of food components and food microbiological contaminants.
• Critically examine analytical data on food and, synthesising knowledge gained elsewhere in the course, design an appropriate and cost-effective sampling and analytical strategy for food.

• Dr Angel Medina Vaya

To provide an overview of the main hazards encountered along the food chain and the food safety and quality legal framework.

Special attention will be paid to microbiological hazards (bacteria, viruses and fungal pathogens) relevant to food .

1. Introduction to food safety and the main hazard types able to enter different food chains

2. Introduction and taxonomy of micro-organisms in food production and spoilage

3. Food-borne pathogens and pathogenicity and natural toxins

4. Fungal ecology: concepts, fungal contamination in different food chains (e.g., cereals, bakery, fresh produce, cured meats and beverages), heat resistant mould, mechanisms of survival and control

5. Legislative drivers for mycotoxin control

6. Hurdle technology: Use of ecophysiological knowledge to increase product shelf-life. Available food processing techniques.

7. Food legislation framework under which food production facilities and industries should work. Some important food chains will be used as examples.

The content will focus on:

• ISO9000 (Food Quality)
• ISO22000 (Food Safety)
• OSHAS 18000 (People risk)
• ISO14000 or EMA (Environment)

Specific Production areas:

• Field Production (GAP, Red Tractor)
• Food Industry (HACCP, Certification: BRC, IFS)
8. Practicals/case studies. 

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

Knowledge

• Differentiate and understand the different Food Quality, Safety and related regulatory frameworks
• Categorise the various groups of hazards in different food chains, and appraise their relative roles and importance
• Identify the main bacteria, viruses, fungi and toxins responsible for food related human disease
• Critically appraise and apply sampling and monitoring techniques used in the microbiological analysis of food and food production facilities
• Critically appraise and apply the HACCP methodology and understand its relationship with further certification.

Skills

• Demonstrate an independent critical ability to think systemically and conceptually by comparing and distinguishing among the different quality management approaches and diverse certification options. Design and develop the most appropriate option for specific production/processing sectors.
• Critically apply the approaches presented in the module to industrial situations.

The importance of technology leadership in driving the technical aspects of an organisations products, innovation, programmes, operations and strategy is paramount, especially in today’s turbulent commercial environment with its unprecedented pace of technological development. Demand for ever more complex products and services has become the norm.  The challenge for today’s manager is to deal with uncertainty, to allow technological innovation and change to flourish but also to remain within planned parameters of performance.  Many organisations engaged with technological innovation struggle to find engineers with the right skills.  Specifically, engineers have extensive subject/discipline knowledge but do not understand management processes in organisational context.  In addition, STEM graduates often lack interpersonal skills.

• Engineers and Technologists in organisations: The role of organisations and the challenges facing engineers and technologies.
• People management: Understanding you. Understanding other people. Working in teams. Dealing with conflicts.
• The Business Environment: Understanding the business environment; identifying key trends and their implications for the organisation.
• Strategy and Marketing: Developing effective strategies; Focusing on the customer; building competitive advantage; The role of strategic assets.
• Finance: Profit and loss accounts. Balance sheets. Cash flow forecasting.Project appraisal.
• New product development: Commercialising technology. Market drivers. Time to market. Focusing technology. Concerns.
• Business game: Working in teams (companies), students will set up and run a technology company and make decisions on investment, R&D funding, operations, marketing and sales strategy.
• Negotiation: Preparation for Negotiations. Negotiation process. Win-Win solutions.
• Presentation skills: Understanding your audience. Focusing your message. Successful presentations. Getting your message across.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Recognise the importance of teamwork in the performance and success of organisations with particular reference to commercialising technological innovation.
• Operate as an effective team member, recognising the contribution of individuals within the team, and capable of developing team working skills in themselves and others to improve the overall performance of a team.
• Compare and evaluate the impact of the key functional areas (strategy, marketing and finance) on the commercial performance of an organisation, relevant to the manufacture of a product or provision of a technical service.
• Design and deliver an effective presentation that justifies and supports any decisions or recommendations made
• Argue and defend their judgements through constructive communication and negotiating skills.

To provide an understanding of how the biochemical composition of plant-based foods and beverages determines quality (e.g. colour, shape, aroma, taste, texture, nutrition) and value.

• Composition of plant products used in the food and drink industry.
• Primary metabolites in plants in relation to food quality and diet: oils, carbohydrates and proteins.
• Secondary metabolites and bioactives in plant-based products: their importance in quality, value and human health.
• Mineral content of food plants: toxicity and human nutrition.
• The role of environment, and crop and soil management, on the quality of plant-based products.
• The role of crop breeding and cultivar selection in improving quality traits.
• Survey and critical appraisal ofrelevant literature
• Oral presentation practice.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Explain plant primary and secondary metabolism and comment on its importance in relation to food production
• Relate biochemical properties of plants to key attributes that are responsible for food quality and value, including environment, crop and soil management and genetics.
• Evaluate how the processes of plant breeding and cultivar selection can lead to improved crop quality
• Develop advanced research skills in literature survey, critical appraisal and oral presentation.

• Dr Sofia Kourmpetli

To provide a conceptual awareness of the key aspects of postharvest technology and the role they play in modern food supply.

• Fundamentals of postharvest physiology; pre-harvest factors, biochemistry, ripening
• Preservation methods; cool chain, packaging, ethylene, specialist treatments
• Postharvest diseases; physiology, pathology, principles of disease control
• Quality control; biochemical changes, assessment methods
• Food waste management
• Case studies.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Evaluate the impact of postharvest physiological factors on later stages in the supply chain.
• Critically appraise key preservation methods of fresh produce, including their advantages and limitations.
• Identify the most important postharvest diseases, evaluate their impact on raw materials and foods and propose appropriate control methods.
• Demonstrate a conceptual understanding of quality control issues in the postharvest situation and propose strategies for assessing quality in fresh produce.
• Debate the role of postharvest technology in the supply of food and the reduction of food waste in the modern world.
• Critically evaluate scientific publications in the field of postharvest technology.

• Dr Denyse Julien

To introduce the participants to key aspects of supply chain (SC) management which are critical to improving the overall resilience of the global food supply network.

• SC strategy and concepts
• Sustainable SC management
• SC risk identification and mitigation
• Procurement strategy
• Supplier relationship management
• Quality management
• SC collaboration approaches and types of partnerships.

On successful completion of this module the student should be able  (in the context of Food & Beverage networks):

• To assess the impact of different SC strategies on the competitive strategy in the Food and Drinks industry.
• To categorise the interface with a firm’s suppliers to improve the visibility and alignment across the SC.
• To design a successful collaborative initiative through the use of frameworks and tools.
• To examine the challenges around managing sustainable supply chains.
• To evaluate the risk inherent in the SC through the application of tools and techniques learnt.

• Dr Angel Medina Vaya

This module will be delivered in collaboration with our industrial partners and members of the Agrifood Industrial Advisory Panel. Different external speakers will come and deliver presentations to the students with regard to their main challenges and innovation projects in different industrial sectors. The aim is to provide the students a direct contact with industrial challenges explained and solved by the industry themselves.

This module explores current and future challenges that different sectors of the food chain are facing. The content will thus be flexible and 50% of content will depend on the different speakers. On the other hand, some common areas will be covered including:

• Intellectual property and food business
• Potential career paths after finishing an MSc
• Product development and process improvement
• The role of technical managers in food industries.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Identify and understand the different managerial roles and related tasks within different food production businesses from different sectors.
• Critically assess the main industrial challenges presented by the industrial speakers.
• Appraise the importance of Intellectual Property and its protection in a food production environment.

Skills

• Demonstrate the ability to participate in the current discourse with regard to food production by thinking, arguing and criticizing the different industrial situations presented during the module using the acquired knowledge systemically and conceptually
• Apply the skills explored during the module to solve industrial case studies/or industrially based problems.