Objectives and competences

Pedagogical Objectives:

Provide students with the necessary knowledge to understand the evolution and impact of food poisoning in the globalized world and identify adequate control methods, along the food chain, that guarantee the production, distribution, and consumption of safe food.

Expected Results:

Recognize that food poisoning is a serious public health problem not only in developing countries, but also in industrialized countries. Understand the economic and social impact of food poisoning. Knowing the pathogenic microorganisms, the probability of their occurrence in different types of food, the risk they pose to consumers and the effectiveness of the different intervention measures.

Teaching Methodologies

The approach to the syllabus is carried out in theoretical classes and laboratory practices in which the teacher-student interaction is encouraged using different methodologies, for example, the exploration and discussion of case studies, the exposition of some themes by the students, the critical analysis of scientific articles and the proposal to carry out research work on different subjects, outside the academic period, for later discussion in the classroom.

Syllabus

Theoretical classes:

• Factors that influence the control of pathogenic microorganisms in food (Hazard; Probability of occurrence; Physiology; Risks for the consumer: Availability/effectiveness of preventive measures)
• Foodborne diseases (Contributions to the increase in their occurrence in recent decades; Food poisoning in Portugal)
• Sources of contamination/control strategies for pathogenic microorganisms in different food groups
• Relevant pathogenic microorganisms
• Microbiological Criteria
• Biological control of food

Practical Laboratory Classes:

• Microbiological analysis of food
• Bacterial injury and recovery methods