Objectives and competences

This course aims to provide students with knowledge of microbiological hazards, epidemiology of food‑borne disease and microbiological criteria, together with practical skills for risk assessment and control along the food chain. Students will learn to interpret microbiological data, design and justify evidence‑based control measures, validate interventions and communicate technical decisions. As an operational aid, the course introduces HACCP principles to transform hazard analysis into concrete, measurable and verifiable measures (limits, monitoring, corrective actions and verification), without making the course a management module. The determination and validation of shelf‑life are also covered. Active methods (TP, PL, case studies) ensure alignment between objectives and teaching.

Teaching Methodologies

The course uses a hybrid, student‑centred model focused on problem solving:
Lectures (T, 3 h): concise conceptual framing (hazard, risk, epidemiology, microbiological criteria, operational support principles and shelf‑life concepts).
Theory‑practice sessions (TP, 12 h): analysis of real and simulated cases, interpretation of epidemiological and laboratory data, decision‑making exercises; workshops to prepare simplified process flowcharts and identify verifiable measures, using HACCP principles as a practical tool to turn hazard analysis into concrete, measurable and verifiable measures.
Practical laboratory sessions (PL, 9 h): performance of reference microbiological methods, verification/validation assays for control measures, exercises on recovery of injured cells and activities on shelf‑life assessment (analysis of real‑time and accelerated trial data; use of simulated data for challenge tests when necessary). Emphasis on laboratory safety, experimental rigour and critical interpretation.
Seminars (S, 3 h): invited experts from industry and authorities discuss practical implementation, verification and shelf‑life management.
Complementary activities: individual and group work (laboratory reports, practical validation project or shelf‑life study, oral presentations), critical literature review and exercises applying microbiological criteria. Templates for records and simplified HACCP documentation will be provided and, where available, digital tools/demos used. Formative assessment is performed during TP/PL with written and oral feedback, supporting iterative learning, autonomy, teamwork and scientific communication skills.

Syllabus

• Microbiological hazards and intrinsic/extrinsic factors affecting their presence.
• Epidemiology and trends of food‑borne disease, including national examples.
• Sources of contamination and integrated control strategies along the food chain.
• Relevant foodborne pathogens, antimicrobial resistance, biofilms and microbiological criteria.
• Operational support principles: using HACCP concepts as a tool to translate hazard analysis into measurable operational measures (as support only).
• Shelf‑life determination and validation: real‑time and accelerated trials, challenge tests; implications for labelling (best‑before vs use‑by).
• Reference laboratory methods and recovery of damaged cells; industrial case studies.