Outline

Overview

Managing safety and quality of food is critical to health, social, environmental and economic security. In this unit of study, you will examine the structural and functional properties of foods, and the science underpinning their production and management. Different categories of food will be described on the basis of physiology and biochemistry and how this underpins quality, organoleptic and nutritional properties. Typical spoilage processes in different foods, quality deterioration during the postharvest period, and the industry practices and technology used to prolong shelf-life will be covered. The main food safety challenges for the food industry and their control will be introduced. The unit focuses on core skills in assessment of food quality and safety, and the understanding of management practices and technology used to ensure these meet market or regulatory requirements. Case study examples will be drawn from grain, fruit and vegetable, meat, eggs, dairy and seafood products. Food standards, food safety systems and government regulations will also be covered. Students are introduced to basic chemistry and microbiology techniques used in food science as well as common industrial methods for food quality assessment.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Life and Environmental Sciences Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	BIOL1XXX or AGEN1004 or MBLG1XX1
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	AGEN2002
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Rosalind Deaker, rosalind.deaker@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Supervised exam ?	Exam Examination	50%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Quizzes (3) Quizzes	10%	Multiple weeks	Not timed
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assignment 1: practicals 1-3 Practical assignment	15%	Week 07 Due date: 17 Sep 2023 at 23:59	3 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assignment 2: practicals 4-6 Practical assignment	15%	Week 11 Due date: 22 Oct 2023 at 23:59	3 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Group presentation Presentation	10%	Week 13	5 + 3 min
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2021 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	At HD level, a student demonstrates a flair for the subject as well as a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the unit material. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptional achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates the ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding to produce original solutions for novel or highly complex problems and/or comprehensive critical discussions of theoretical concepts.
Distinction	75 - 84	At DI level, a student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a well-developed understanding of the unit material. A ‘Distinction’ reflects excellent achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates an ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding of the subject to produce good solutions for challenging problems and/or a reasonably well-developed critical analysis of theoretical concepts.
Credit	65 - 74	At CR level, a student demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the unit material. A ‘Credit’ reflects solid achievement and is awarded to a student who has a broad general understanding of the unit material and can solve routine problems and/or identify and superficially discuss theoretical concepts.
Pass	50 - 64	At PS level, a student demonstrates proficiency in the unit material. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactory achievement and is awarded to a student who has threshold knowledge.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to unit of study	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Overview of food science and food industries	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	The concept of food quality	Lecture (1 hr)
	Quality indicators and measurement	Lecture (1 hr)
	Fundamental skills for food science	Practical (3 hr)
Week 03	Postharvest physiology and biochemistry of fruit and vegetables	Lecture (1 hr)
	Postharvest management of F&V	Lecture (1 hr)
	F&V quality	Practical (3 hr)
Week 04	Egg quality	Lecture (1 hr)
	Egg spoilage, safety and management	Lecture (1 hr)
	Egg quality	Practical (3 hr)
Week 05	Biochemistry of meat and animal products;	Lecture (1 hr)
	Postharvest management of meat	Lecture (1 hr)
	Meat quality	Practical (3 hr)
Week 06	Milk and dairy quality	Lecture (1 hr)
	Milk spoilage, safety and management	Lecture (1 hr)
	Milk quality and safety	Practical (3 hr)
Week 07	Biochemistry and physiology of seafood	Lecture (1 hr)
	Storage and packaging technology for fresh produce	Lecture (1 hr)
	Research project planning	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Nutritional quality of food	Lecture (1 hr)
	How do management practices influence nutritional quality?	Lecture (1 hr)
	Building a nutritional profile - nutrition database	Computer laboratory (3 hr)
Week 09	Postharvest diseases of fruit and vegetables	Lecture (1 hr)
	Grains and whole grains - nutrition policy, consumption and consumers	Lecture (1 hr)
	Spoilage microorganisms and food safety	Practical (3 hr)
Week 10	Food safety in fresh produce: microbial pathogens	Lecture (1 hr)
	Food safety in fresh produce: chemical contaminants, natural toxins	Lecture (1 hr)
	Food safety	Practical (3 hr)
Week 11	Food allergy	Lecture (1 hr)
	Food intolerance	Lecture (1 hr)
	Research project	Practical (3 hr)
Week 12	Food safety systems and regulatory environment	Lecture (1 hr)
	Global trends in food	Lecture (1 hr)
	Research project	Practical (3 hr)
Week 13	Summary and revision	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Group research presentations	Tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: All students are expected to attend all lectures, practical classes and tutorials. A variety of notes, handouts, data sheets, and information provided throughout the Unit of Study are intended to supplement the lectures not to substitute for them. Absences from scheduled practical sessions and tutorials must be explained and supported by appropriate documentation. Even if special consideration has been granted, it is the student’s responsibility to know and understand the material covered in the missed session. Please note that the Faculty of Science has a minimum 80% attendance requirement for a student to pass any unit of study at https://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/science/coursework/faculty_resolutions.shtml

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Readings will be provided in the Canvas site.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. describe the chemical composition of foods and how it affects their organoleptic and nutritional quality traits
LO2. apply common scientific and industrial methods of analysing food qualities, basic chemistry and microbiology skills commonly used for food analysis
LO3. explain postharvest biochemistry of plant and animal food products, and scientific basis of management practices and technologies used to maintain postharvest quality and inhibit spoilage processes
LO4. explain major food safety hazards and their development in the food supply chain, and the scientific basis of management to minimise food safety risks
LO5. describe the diversity and complexity in international food regulation and functions of Australian regulatory systems for managing food quality and safety
LO6. collaboratively design, carry out and report on a research project to analyse quality of a specific product in response to postharvest treatments.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Practical assignment types have been changed from 'skills-based' to 'submitted work' and due dates and times added.

Additional information

Work, health and safety

We are governed by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and Codes of Practice. Penalties for non-compliance have increased. Everyone has a responsibility for health and safety at work. The University’s Work Health and Safety policy explains the responsibilities and expectations of workers and others, and the procedures for managing WHS risks associated with University activities.

General laboratory safety rules

No eating or drinking is allowed in any laboratory under any circumstances
A laboratory coat and closed-toe shoes are mandatory
Follow safety instructions in your manual and posted in laboratories
In case of fire, follow instructions posted outside the laboratory door
First aid kits, eye wash and fire extinguishers are located in or immediately outside each laboratory
As a precautionary measure, it is recommended that you have a current tetanus immunisation. This can be obtained from University Health Service: unihealth.usyd.edu.au/

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

FOOD2000: Principles of Food Science

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect