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VETS7017 Food Safety

Credit Points

 

3

Mode

 

Online

Core/Elective

 

Elective

Semester

 

2

Summary

 

The Food Safety unit of study will cover the following topics:

  • global issues for regulation and trade;
  • detection and control of microbial contaminants;
  • prevention and control of chemical residues;
  • molecular epidemiology of foodborne pathogens;
  • food quality management systems HACCP, total quality management.

Learning Outcomes

 

After completing the Food Safety unit of study students will be able to:

  • describe the respective roles and recent initiatives in food safety of the various government and industry organisations that make up the global, national and regional regulatory system for the safety of food of animal origin;
  • describe and critically analyse the key elements in food safety risk assessment and management and critically apply this to the analysis of a total quality management food safety system;
  • describe the critical aspects of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, management and prevention of the well-recognised bacterial food-borne pathogens;
  • identify emerging food-borne pathogens of animal origin and describe the critical aspects of the epidemiology that make them a particular public health concern;
  • describe the principles used in newer microbiological diagnostic tests and their application in food safety programs;
  • discuss the elements required for an effective national antimicrobial resistance management program;
  • list the potential sources of and critically assess the potential public health threats posed by the presence of natural toxins and environmental contaminants in food of animal origin.

Assumed Knowlege

 

This unit of study builds on the knowledge acquired in Hazards to Human and Animal Health, a core unit in the VPHMgt program. You should have:

  • a basic understanding of the principles, the elements and the application of risk analysis;
  • a good understanding of the principles and application of veterinary epidemiology;
  • a general knowledge of microbial hazards found in food animals and the pathways by which they affect humans;
  • a good understanding of the reasons why antibiotics are used in food animals and what aspects of usage are a cause for concern in public health;
  • a general understanding of the product integrity issues raised by chemical residues in food of animal origin - sources of contamination, surveillance and residue management programs.

Assessment

 

Assessment of the Food Safety unit of study will include:

  • participation of the student in the weekly online discussions and other learning activities in the online classroom (15%);
  • a group assignment (40%);
  • an individual assignment (45%).

Textbooks

 

Facilitators

 
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