Food Safety and Security Techniques

Students explore the complexity of food systems, including the processes and infrastructure involved in feeding a population: growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, distributing, marketing, consumption, and disposal of food and food-related items. Students analyze the role of human resources within food systems and the influence of social, political, economic, and environmental factors on systems operations and sustainability. Food lifespan factors, from origin to plate, that contribute to food system classifications are examined.

Students acquire skills in safe food handling and equipment use to prevent contamination and food borne illness. Competencies include those related to personal hygiene, food borne illness, safe food handling, hazard awareness, WHMIS, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

Students learn the principles of food science specific to current issues in food safety and security. Students examine the make-up and structure of food and the impact on nutrition, health and the well-being of the consumer. The potential for changes to physical properties in foods during the supply chain process are explored. Students analyze advances in food science, including pesticides, additives and preservatives and the potential impact on nutrition, food quality, safety and security.

Students analyze connections between population health and food systems challenges. Students consider the global health impacts of food scarcity and nutrition-related chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some forms of cancer. Learners identify potential improvements to food system security and safety practices and the resulting impacts on individual and population health.

Students acquire the practical skills for food preparation, applicable at source or within food service sectors. Students apply the theories of menu planning, portion control, food procurement, quantity food preparation and production, and use preparation equipment adhering to practices that maintain safety and quality standards.

Students acquire and apply knowledge of food laws and regulations of various countries and regions, with particular emphasis on laws that apply in Canada. Current issues, such as regulatory initiatives, food recalls, genetic modification or bio-engineering of food, organics, additives, liability, labelling and the possible impacts on regulations and food security are examined.

Learners evaluate the role of economics and its influence on food prices, the environment, and government policies. The relationship between the globalization of large food service business, independent food importers/exporters, and food accessibility will be discussed. Students explore economic concepts such as scarcity and supply and demand, and critically analyze the choices faced by consumers and food entrepreneurs. Changes in the food processing and distribution industries will also be examined including transportation of food locally, nationally and globally and its impact on different economies and businesses.

Students acquire basic skills related to quality assurance for the manufacturing industries. The course presents a general overview of quality management topics, establishing the desired product quality and reliability and the conditions necessary to achieve them; quality planning; establishing of specifications and standards, quality assurance and production, audit and test operations, overall view of a quality management philosophy ascribed by Total Quality Management (TQM). Students apply theoretical concepts to the design of quality systems and quality control practices in food-producing organizations.

Learners examine the relationship between molecular structure and function for food proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and other food ingredients. Students integrate knowledge of how chemical systems behave to strategies aimed at improving the quality, nutritional value, safety and presentation of food across the manufacturing chain from ingredients to manufacturing and storage. Chemical and bio-chemical phenomena specific to the food processing industry are a focus, with emphasis on the impacts on food safety.

Learners examine processes for ensuring safe and affordable food for urban populations. Continuing and emerging challenges for food safety and security in both advanced industrial economies and developing countries are investigated. Students recommend practices to enhance potential contributions of local and global businesses, individual employees, and consumers to food safety and security within cities.

Students learn safety requirements for research and development process related to new food products. Students identify food safety and food security considerations throughout the steps of a food creation process, including idea generation, prototype development and new product manufacturing, evaluation and product marketing. Unique safety regulations associated with genetic modification or bio-engineering of food are applied to complex case studies and ethical dilemmas.

Students discuss the importance of safety within farming and agriculture in Canada. They integrate protocols designed to maintain employee safety with strategies to support animal safety. Learners examine established and emerging environmentally responsible practices in farm operation (soil quality, impact of crops, a clean water supply, controlling invasive species, climate change, etc.) and outline components of an economic plan to support profitability of small and larger farming enterprises.