35308 - Bromatology and Methods in Food Analysis

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the module, the student:

• Understands food alterations and adulterations, as well as the methods for detecting toxic substances in food of animal origin.
• Acquires skills in sampling for chemical analysis and is able to evaluate an analytical report.

Course contents

This course provides an overview of the chemical composition of food of animal origin, chemical transformations of nutrients, chemical contamination of food, and chemical analysis of food of animal origin. Students will learn about sampling, homogenization, sample preparation, analysis, and criteria for validating an analytical method. They will also be introduced to the main instrumental analytical techniques, including spectrometry and chromatography, and will see examples of applications.

The syllabus for this course and the list of Day One Competences that it contributes to achieving can be found on the dedicated page.

Readings/Bibliography

The course material is available to students in the website https://virtuale.unibo.it/ or via the website of the teacher http://www.unibo.it/docenti/giampiero.pagliuca

Teaching methods

In lecture sessions, students will delve into the concepts and challenges surrounding the evaluation of undesirable chemicals found in animal-based food products. To solidify this knowledge, practical lessons will be conducted in smaller groups. Each group will receive the same amount of dedicated instruction time. These practical sessions aim to build upon the lecture material by fostering discussion through interactive elements like polls, quizzes, and subgroup activities that apply the learned concepts.

Assessment methods

The final examination aims to assess the achievement of the main learning objectives:

• Understand the issues related to the presence of undesirable chemicals in food of animal origin
• Evaluate the problems of the presence of undesirable chemicals in relation to the composition of the food itself
• Understand the analytical aspects in order to correctly pose the required question to the analytical laboratory
• Correctly interpret a report from the analytical laboratory

Formative Assessment: Two in-progress tests

The tests are designed to help students gauge their understanding of the course material and identify any areas where they might need additional study. These tests do not serve as a prerequisite for the oral exam but may be discussed during it.

• Each test consists of 30 multiple choice questions
• Each correct answer is worth 1 point, while incorrect or unanswered questions are worth 0 points
• Students are graded according to the following criteria based on the class test results:
  • A - Well above average
  • B - Above average
  • C - Average
  • D - Below average
  • E - Well below average

Tests are corrected and discussed in class. The overall average score and the topics that caused the most difficulties are communicated

Summative Assessment: Oral exam

The oral exam aims to verify the acquisition of the expected knowledge as detailed in the course objectives. In particular, the following points will be assessed:

• Language skills
• Ability to explain concepts
• Ability to make connections

Grading criteria:

• Preparation on a limited number of topics. Ability to analyze only with the help of the teacher. Overall correct language skills (18-19)
• Preparation on a limited number of topics. Ability to analyze independently. Correct language skills (20-24)
• Preparation on a wide range of topics. Ability to make independent critical analysis choices. Mastery of specific terminology (25-29)
• Exhaustive preparation of the topics. Ability to make independent critical analysis and connection choices. Full mastery of specific terminology (30-30L)

Teaching tools

The lectures will be conducted using PowerPoint presentations.

Office hours

See the website of Giampiero Pagliuca