Obiettivi formativi
Knowledge and understanding:
Deep understanding of the technological, microbiological, biochemical, chemical, and physical principles underlying food transformation processes and responsible for food product degradation, ensuring their stability and prolonging their shelf life.
These knowledge areas will be developed through an educational program that integrates theoretical teaching activities with classroom tutorials, including examples, practical applications, individual and group work, and assessments aimed at encouraging active participation and independent solution development.
These knowledge areas will be developed through an educational program that integrates theoretical teaching activities with practical activities, such as laboratory exercises, computer simulations, simulations of food processes using pilot plants, and company visits.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
Ability to manage the technological, microbiological, biochemical, chemical, and physical processes that drive food transformation and the main issues related to the stability and shelf life of food products.
Making judgements:
Independent judgement is developed through a training programme designed to stimulate critical analysis in students. This includes the use of case studies, simulations using spreadsheets and videos, the reading and critical discussion of scientific articles, as well as specialist seminars held by experts in the food sector.
The assessment of the independent judgement acquired by students is entrusted to the individual teachers responsible for the training activities, who will assess it through oral and/or written reports on specific topics and/or through exams.
Communication skills:
Use of the English language, both written and spoken, at a B2 level, with a command of technical and scientific vocabulary related to food science.
Structure and draft scientific and technical documentation describing project activities.
Interact and collaborate in the design and development of products and processes with peers and industry experts.
The degree course provides graduates with the cognitive skills, logical tools and familiarity with new information technologies necessary to ensure continuous updating of knowledge, both in their specific professional field and in the field of scientific research.
Obiettivi formativi e risultati di apprendimento (ulteriori info.)
Upon successful completion, students may be able to develop an integrated understanding of how thermodynamic driving forces, together with kinetic constraints, govern food quality evolution during processing and storage. Core concepts may include rate laws, reaction order, rate constants, as well as Arrhenius and Eyring temperature dependence, thereby supporting interpretation of time–temperature histories in relation to quality retention and safety targets. This conceptual framework may be applied to major degradation pathways in food systems, including:
1. enzymatic browning,
2. Maillard chemistry,
3. lipid peroxidation and antioxidant reactivity
4. microbial inactivation.
Building on these foundations, students may be able to formulate, solve, and parameterise kinetic models for practical problems, including:
1. lethality metrics
2. quality loss, stability assessment
3. shelf-life prediction.
Kinetic parameters may be estimated from experimental datasets using spreadsheet, alongside the design and interpretation of shelf-life studies, including accelerated testing approaches.
Communication outcomes may include the ability to convey kinetic and food-chemistry reasoning in English at approximately B2 level, using discipline-appropriate terminology