Food Safety, Inspection and Control BSc (Hons)

The module aim is for students to understand the main framework of UK and European food safety hygiene legislation, UK enforcing regulations and relevant standards and guidance. Students will also learn to apply appropriate risk-based judgement to the determination of offences and the application of appropriate enforcement tools. Students will therefore be able to interpret legislation and determine the most appropriate course of action and intervention in relation to a variety of food-based scenarios. They will also become familiar with techniques for food premises inspection and auditing, through classroom workshop learning, mock inspection and participation in an interactive online food safety inspection. 

Compulsory

This module aims to help you understand the roles of a variety of microbes in food fermentation and in food contamination which can lead to spoilage or food poisoning. Additionally, the gut microbiome and human health, plus host defences to microorganisms will be considered. The module also aims to discuss natural antimicrobials derived from plants and other microorganisms and the microbial aspects of food preservation. You will also develop practical laboratory skills that are essential for modern food microbiological analysis.

Compulsory

This module will extend some topics considered in year 1 to discuss the principles of food production and preservation for reasons of food safety, along with the application of different packaging technologies to extend shelf life. Students will learn about common key food production methods and how these are assessed to ensure the safe production of foods. They will learn hoe processes are designed to control hazards and what can happen when these processes go wrong. The food manufacturing environment can also introduce food safety hazards such as foreign bodies. Students will learn about the different foreign body detection methods and further laboratory analysis techniques that assist in identifying them.

Compulsory

The module aims to enhance your research skills and support you to reflect on your graduate attributes such as social responsibilities and valuing differences in others, and strengthen competencies in preparation for graduate level employment. The module considers experimental design, questionnaire and survey design, sensory evaluation, research ethics, academic writing and structured literature searching. Data analysis and presentation skills, including more advanced statistical analysis techniques and additional software training, will be covered. The module also includes aspects of employability in preparation for placement or short work experience opportunities, future careers or further study. Entrepreneurship is also considered with advice on the practicalities of self-employment and setting up a business.

Compulsory

This module assesses the competence to inspect food for safety and apply common food standards legislation at the point of retail sale. It introduces the student to a comprehensive range of foods which might be encountered by a Food Inspector or by food industry personnel. It develops the theory and practice behind assessing food safety, food composition and food authenticity. Students will gain experience in inspection techniques and the communication skills needed to inspect food competently for safety and standards, as well as the ability to decide upon the most appropriate intervention when issues arise.

Compulsory

This module aims to integrate knowledge and skills from previous Level 5 modules by applying this knowledge and understanding into different food safety management systems such as HACCP, ISO quality systems and allergen management. Students will learn the legally defined steps within the HACCP risk assessment process and be able to develop HACCP plans and critically evaluate them for food safety and legal compliance. They will also see how such systems can be applied to specific hazards such as allergens. The operation of quality systems will also be evaluated to demonstrate how they complement food safety systems. Students will also understand how HACCP is applied internationally and how it links with UK national policies on the reduction of foodborne disease. HACCP itself is built upon the foundation of pre-requisite underpinning systems such as cleaning management and pest control management. The principles and appropriate application of such systems are taught for how they exist in isolation and also their application into broader food safety management systems.

Compulsory

This module² provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved placement undertaken during your programme. A placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes.

Optional

This module² provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved international study/work placement undertaken during your programme. A work/study placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes.

Optional

In this module, you will prepare for your final year research project. The module will support you through the process of defining their research question, planning your experiments and considering the most appropriate data analysis methods. The module will enhance skills in literature searching, experimental design, scientific writing, data processing and statistical analysis. You will be required to submit your proposal for ethical and health and safety approval, and to address key aspects of project management and logistics.  After successful completion of this module you will progress on to conduct the designed research project.  

Compulsory

Foodborne disease infections and intoxications are of great concern to governments and the food industry. This module aims to provide an overview of reporting and monitoring methods at local, national and international levels, along with the main epidemiological methods used to identify and quantify disease. Students will also understand how outbreak investigations require a multidisciplinary team comprised of different agencies bringing different expertise, with skills such as clinical medicine, epidemiology, laboratory medicine, food microbiology and chemistry, food safety and food control, and risk communication and management. Students will also understand how outbreak investigations are managed at a local and national level and they will critically analyse published outbreaks and government strategies related to foodborne disease management. They will also produce a short video clip on food safety in the home for health education purposes.

Compulsory

The application of the law will be developed further in this module with applying the rules of evidence gathering under the law. Interviewing and evidence gathering under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and associated codes of practice will be explored. Students will be expected to carry out an inspection or audit of a catering or a manufacturing premises and then apply knowledge and principles gained in the previous modules to assess health risks and then apply appropriate legal controls abiding by legal rules of evidence. The inspection or audit process will therefore require the application of activities such as sampling, photographing, interviewing, evidence gathering and critical evaluation of food safety management systems along with the preparation of legal correspondence and notices. Students will furthermore be prepared to write up a prosecution file and present this work during a mock trial role play exercise. This will involve students both planning and presenting their evidence in both the correct legal file format and furthermore presenting the evidence during examination and cross-examination of evidence, as in magistrates’ court of law hearing.

Compulsory

The module aims to enable you to conduct a piece of investigative research, which may be laboratory or non-laboratory, in a specialised area of food, safety and nutrition sciences. You will be allowed a defined period of time in which to implement your experimental plan and collect data. During this phase, you will be supported and guided by you supervisor however you are expected to demonstrate increasing independence, organisational and time management skills, technical skills and awareness of ethical and health and safety issues. You will need to work collaboratively with other students, academic and technical staff to utilise resources effectively. You will maintain appropriate records in the form of a project work file, which includes all ethical and risk assessment requirements, raw data and details on research activities and data collection; this will be submitted for assessment as an appendix to your thesis.

The experimental data will be analysed, including use of statistics as and where appropriate. The project will be presented as a written formal thesis, evidencing understanding of relevant and current scientific literature and the ability to effectively present and critically analyse data in this context.

Compulsory

The module will consider the concepts of food security and food chain sustainability as defined by UN Sustainable Development Goals. It will therefore consider economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to facilitate dietary needs and preferences and what factors lead to food chain insecurity. Alongside this, sustainability of the food chain will be studied to look at the impact that current food consumption has, not just on human health, but also the impact of agriculture on the environment in its use of resources and generation of waste. Interventions required for control will be discussed in light of current policy and future projections.

Compulsory

The terms food fraud or intentional violations refer to actions that violate national criminal law applicable to food. These actions are usually motivated by economic gain and can present serious risks to consumer wellbeing and health. Such fraudulent activities have been seen to cross country borders which can cause complications with investigation and prosecution due to communication problems between countries. In this module students will investigate the weaknesses in the food chain and how the security of the food chain can be protected by the application of Threat Analysis Critical Control Point (TACCP) and Vulnerability Assessment Critical Control Point (VACCP). Students will analyse such issues along with measures taken to strength the detection and enforcement of food fraud along with prevention strategies. As food is transported on a global scale the further laws relating to the import and export of foods from EU member states and third countries will be explored along with the justification for specific bans and restrictions that are placed on particular foodstuffs.

Compulsory