Food Microbiology and Food Safety

By Dr. Tejpal Dhewa | Central University of Haryana

Learners enrolled: 1992

Course Description

Food microbiology is about the understanding of microorganisms that grow or multiply in or contaminate the food which we consume. Food microorganisms could be either beneficial or harmful. The key aspect of food microbiology is food safety which focuses on the disease-causing microorganism and their toxins which may contaminate the food. That is why it becomes essential to recognize the possible role of microorganisms to ensure public safety. The major learning objectives of this course will be to study: the scope of food microbiology and food safety; to obtain the knowledge about important genera of microorganisms associated with food and their characteristics; to learn various techniques for enumeration and control of microorganisms in food; to gain the essential knowledge and applications of various techniques (traditional to advance) for preserving food; to understand the role of different microorganisms in food spoilage, food fermentation, and foodborne diseases; to comprehend the microbiological quality control and foodborne illnesses investigation procedures for ensuring food safety and hygiene; to understand current national and international food safety rules and regulations; to know the requirements and components of food safety management system (FSMS) and use of microbiological risk assessment (MRA) tools for assessing microbiological risks in the food sector.

Course Credit: 4

Course Highlights

Learner will acquire the knowledge about:

Scope of food microbiology and food safety
Important genera associated with food
Techniques for enumeration of microbes and methods (traditional to advanced) for preserving food
Role of different microorganisms in food spoilage, food fermentation and foodborne diseases
Microbiological quality control and foodborne illnesses investigation procedures for ensuring food safety & hygiene
The food safety rules and regulations, Food Safety Management System (FSMS), and Microbiological Risk Assessment.

Summary

Course Status :	Completed
Course Type :	Core
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	15 weeks
Category :	Agricultural and Food Engineering
Credit Points :	4
Level :	Postgraduate
Start Date :	31 Jul 2023
End Date :	31 Oct 2023
Enrollment Ends :	31 Aug 2023
Exam Date :

Page Visits

Course layout

WEEK 01

Introduction to Food Microbiology and Food Safety

Microflora of Food

Intrinsic Factors Affecting Microbial Growth and Survival in Food

WEEK 02

Extrinsic Factors Affecting Microbial Growth and Survival in Food

Microbiological Examination of Food

Advances in Isolation and Enumeration of Microorganisms in Food

WEEK 03

Principles of Food Preservation and Significance

Preservation of Food by Physical Methods – Low and High Temperatures

Preservation of Food by Physical Methods – Radiations

WEEK 04

Preservation of Food by Chemical Methods

Biopreservation of Food

Assignment-I

WEEK 05

Modified Environment for Storage of Food

Fermentative Microorganisms as Food and Value-Added Product

Lactic Fermentation in Food

WEEK 06

Yeast-Lactic Fermentation in Food

Mold-Lactic Fermentation in Food

Starter Cultures for Food Fermentation

WEEK 07

Fermented Milk

Fermented Milk Products

Fermented Juice, Vegetables and other Beverages

WEEK 08

Fermented Meat

Fermented Fish Products

Assignment-II

WEEK 09

Introduction to Food Spoilage

Spoilage of Fruits, Vegetables, and their Products

Spoilage of Dairy Products

WEEK 10

Spoilage of Canned Food

Spoilage of Bakery and Egg Products

Spoilage of Meat, Fish, and Sea Food

WEEK 11

Newer Methods for Controlling Spoilage of Food

Predictive Modelling for Food Spoilage

Assignment-III

WEEK 12

Foodborne Outbreaks- Bacterial Agents for Foodborne Illnesses

Fungal and Algal Agents for Foodborne Illnesses

Foodborne Animal Parasites

WEEK 13

Investigation of Foodborne Illnesses Outbreaks

Indicators of Food Microbial Quality and Safety

Principles and Applications of Hurdle Technology in Food Industry

WEEK 14

Principles of Hygiene and Sanitation in Food Service Establishment.

Food Safety Laws

Food Safety and Quality Management System

WEEK 15

Principles and Guidelines for Conducting Microbiological Risk of Food

Revision of the course

Final assessment/Term-end examination

Books and references

Adams MR and Moss MO. (1995). Food Microbiology. 4th edition. New Age International (P) Limited Publishers, New Delhi, India.
Banwart JM. (1987). Basic Food Microbiology. 1st edition. CBS Publishers and Distributors, Delhi, India.
Davidson PM and Brannen AL. (1993). Antimicrobials in Foods. Marcel Dekker, New York.
Dillion VM and Board RG. (1996). Natural Antimicrobial Systems and Food Preservation. CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon.
Frazier WC and Westhoff DC. (1992). Food Microbiology. 3rd edition. Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi, India.
Gould GW. (1995). New Methods of Food Preservation. Blackie Academic and Professional, London.
Jay JM, Loessner MJ and Golden DA. (2005). Modern Food Microbiology. 7th edition, CBS Publishers and Distributors, Delhi, India.
Lund BM, Baird Parker AC, and Gould GW. (2000). The Microbiological Safety and Quality of Foods. Vol. 1-2, ASPEN Publication, Gaithersberg, MD.
Matthews KR,Kniel KE, and Montville TJ. (2017). Food Microbiology: An introduction. 4th edition, ASM Press.
Pederson CS. (1971). Microbiology of Food Fermentations. Westport, CT: AVI.
Tortora GJ, Funke BR, and Case CL. (2008). Microbiology: An Introduction. 9th edition. Pearson Education.
Tanner FW, and Tanner LP (1953). Food-Borne Infections and Intoxications. 2nd edition. Champaign, IL:Garrard Press.

Instructor bio

Dr. Tejpal Dhewa

Central University of Haryana

Dr. Tejpal Dhewa is a faculty in the School of Life Sciences, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh. He is the Coordinator, Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) Centre, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and University SWAYAM Coordinator- Central University of Haryana. Dr. Dhewa is a Course Coordinator of SWAYAM UGC MOOC on “Food Microbiology and Food Safety”. Dr. Dhewa has a diverse industrial, teaching, and research experience. He has published his research works in national and international journals. Dr.Dhewa also supervised several master’s theses/dissertations. He has successfully completed DU innovation project (2013-2015), and conducted short-term courses on “Food Safety, Food Security, and Food Regulations: A Primer” from September 16-20, 2018; “Metabolomics in Food and Nutrition Science Research: From Concepts to Applications” from February 15-19, 2019; “Food Fortification and Human Health: From Concepts to Public Health Applications” from September 9-13, 2019 under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India, scheme of Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN). Moreover, Dr. Dhewa’s research is funded by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.

Course certificate

30 Marks will be allocated for Internal Assessment and 70 Marks will be allocated for end-term proctored examination. Securing 40% in both separately is mandatory to pass the course and get a Credit Certificate.

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