Food Science and Technology (with Foundation Year) BSc (Hons)

Big data – it’s a phrase that a lot of people would argue is overused, or at least not always used in the appropriate context. So, what is it really? How is it made and how do we make sense of it?

You learn how big data is not just abundant but a growing field in so many aspects of our society from policing and conservation to health and bioinformatics. You explore how groups and communities use and share big data to help keep themselves safe in disaster zones around the world. You begin to value the role data plays in helping to make sense of community relationships in society, from uncovering criminal networks, tracking disease outbreaks to developing a deeper understanding of our ecology.

Data might end up in a data-frame spreadsheet format but it doesn’t begin there. It is often created with people and animals engaging with each other and technology. You explore how search engines collate and store the data we need to help make predictions, enhance decision making, or simply to better understand society’s needs.

This module provides an overview of fundamental concepts in chemistry and their application in the context of environmental and life sciences

Chemistry is the study of the structure, properties and reactivity of elements and compounds, and plays a key role in all physical, life and applied sciences. The topics covered include the structure of the atom, the periodic table, chemical bonding, chemical reactivity, environmental science, biogeochemistry, pollution, green chemistry and climate change.

This module is based around a series of laboratory sessions. The first sessions emphasise important foundation skills, such as how to work safely in a practical environment and how to properly document practical work. These are followed by a series of sessions based on your wider academic interests including the basics of microscopy, handling microorganisms, safe handling food, using volumetric glassware and investigating acid base titrations.

You focus on how science can help address some of the global grand challenges that face society. A group project enables you to develop innovative answers to some of the biggest issues of our time based on health and wellbeing, resilient and secure societies, digital and creative economy, sustainable environments and learning for the 21st century. The themes reflect the University’s focus on externally facing research that makes a real, practical difference to the lives of people and the success of businesses and economies.

You explore the diversity of life on earth and the concept of evolution. You consider Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection to demonstrate relationships between species, the principles of taxonomy and speciation, and how they relate to the evolutionary tree.

You are introduced to the physiological processes, cellular organisation, homeostasis, metabolism, growth, reproduction, response to stimuli and adaptation - all hallmarks of living organisms equipping diverse species to survive and thrive.

You gain an appreciation of how knowledge of issues in health and disease relate to modern society. You focus on the life sciences from a human perspective, develop an understanding of human biology and explore the role of different but interconnected life science disciplines in modern life. While reviewing life science from an interdisciplinary context, you examine the major human body systems – cardiovascular, respiratory, excretory, endocrine, nervous, digestive, skeletal and reproductive.

You gain a basic knowledge of human body structure and to relate this knowledge to both the understanding of the mechanisms associated with the control and regulation of physiological processes of the major organs systems of the body. This will allow you to develop ability to apply, evaluate and interpret the knowledge to solve problems in the discipline. You also develop applied contexts of the knowledge such as the construction of biological profiles for human identification including sex, age at death, stature determination and biological affinity. The module will be delivered through lectures, computer- aided learning via interactive web-based activities and labs.

You will develop an understanding of key concepts necessary to underpin subsequent studies in chemistry, biochemistry, biomedical sciences and molecular biology. Building of the underlying principles of chemistry is essential to understand complex biological systems. This module will introduce the fundamentals of chemistry and link them to the key biomolecules and biochemical processes which form the basis of life.

You increase your understanding of biological processes at the cellular level. You will explore eukaryotic cell architecture and function with a molecular and mammalian focus, and learn about cell division and the cell cycle, genetic organisation of cells, DNA replication and gene expression. Your exploration of these aspects of cell and molecular biology will be supported by a series of laboratory-based sessions.

This module provides you with an introduction to the fundamental concepts that underpin modern food science and nutrition. This includes a review of the composition of food, in terms of macronutrients and micronutrients. You also look at energy in food and the consequences of malnutrition, addressing the question of how to translate our understanding of food and nutrition science into public health initiatives that actually change people’s behaviour for the better.

This translational science agenda provides the rationale for the course and introduces you to the issues surrounding food, nutrition and translational science

This module will examine the major food commodities from technical, agricultural, sustainability and food industry perspectives. You will explore the food supply chain including structure and organisation of various food production including meat, fish, cereal, fruit, vegetable, dairy, and brewery. You also develop an understanding of the characteristics of the main food commodities, relevant, processing operations and equipment together with factors affecting quality and sustainability.

Eating a well-balanced diet, and following a healthy lifestyle, are important for good health. On the other hand, poor diet and lifestyle choices out people at an increased risk of long-term illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease.

Despite the clear links between diet, lifestyle and health, more than half of the UK population are overweight obese. There is a greater variety of health food available than at any time in history, but consumption of fruit and vegetables is falling.

This module looks at the role of nutrition in understanding diet, health, and disease. You will also study how we develop public policy on nutrition and health, and how the research process helps us with these ambitions.

This industry-linked module develops a broad understanding of bioprocesses and selecting appropriate bioreactors for selective products. This includes bioreactions, principles of microbial fermentation with specific examples (medium constituents, choice of feedstock, media preparation), fermentation conditions (examples, types, mode of operation of fermenters) and design of bioreactors. You discuss some fundamental products of aerobic and anaerobic fermentations with examples from biofuels, biosurfactants, enzymes, probiotics, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. You also discuss scaling up fermentation and waste minimisation issues.

You work in a group to design a food factory using fundamental knowledge of food processing and engineering. This includes examining the key methods used in the design and processing of food and analysing various influencing factors on food processes.

You explore a variety of strategies and methodologies including the use of design software such as CAD - taking food production from bench top production to a full scale automated manufacturing process. You also explore issues such as health, safety, environment and ethics facing the food technologist in the workplace.

Through the factory design activity, you develop employability skills such as project management, teamwork, presentation of work, research and commercial awareness to support problem solving in a practical working situation.

You explore a range of factors that influence food consumer choices from a food product development perspective. You gain an in-depth understanding of the food product development process including market analysis, sensory evaluation and other methods used within the food industry to evaluate the properties of food such as taste, flavour and texture. The core knowledge base of the module is delivered via a series of lectures. Seminar and practical sessions focus on the practical application sensory evaluation methods and approaches to food product development.

You explore the fundamentals of food safety and microbiology and will be introduced to microorganisms which are important in food safety and quality and how these microbes are identified, differentiated, and enumerated. Using this knowledge you will develop and understanding of the approaches used in the control of food spoilage, microbiological hazards and food borne illnesses.

You examine the chemistry and composition of foods. You gain practical experience in a wide range of chemical and other analysis techniques commonly applied to raw materials and food products.

This module will provide fundamental knowledge of food processing technologies including primary food processing, raw ingredient preparation, ambient-temperature processing, thermal processing, and preservation processing. You will also study the principles and development of novel food technologies such as cold-plasma and pulsed electric field from real-life research cases developed by our research scientists.

You have the option to spend one year in industry learning and developing your skills. We encourage and support you with applying for a placement, job hunting and networking.

You gain experience favoured by graduate recruiters and develop your technical skillset. You also obtain the transferable skills required in any professional environment, including communication, negotiation, teamwork, leadership, organisation, confidence, self-reliance, problem-solving, being able to work under pressure, and commercial awareness.

Many employers view a placement as a year-long interview, therefore placements are increasingly becoming an essential part of an organisation's pre-selection strategy in their graduate recruitment process. Benefits include:

· improved job prospects
· enhanced employment skills and improved career progression opportunities
· a higher starting salary than your full-time counterparts
· a better degree classification
· a richer CV
· a year's salary before completing your degree
· experience of workplace culture
· the opportunity to design and base your final-year project within a working environment.

If you are unable to secure a work placement with an employer, then you simply continue on a course without the work placement.

This module provides you with the knowledge of different manufacturing processes, and the food science and technology behind these technologies.
Through the structure of the module, you will accelerate the development of employability skills such as auditing, project management, research and commercial awareness in order to support HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) management in a manufacturing context.
Practical issues such as health, safety, environment and ethics facing the environmental health professional in the manufacturing environment will also be considered.
You will produce an individual report based on a manufacturing system design project and a oral group presentation.

You gain in- depth understanding of the relationship between nutrition, physical activity and health. There will also be an emphasis on the role of diet in the treatment of disease as well as the identification and impact of dietary deficiencies on health and behaviour. Underpinning this module will be a strong focus on the quality of the evidence and research behind these diet and disease relationships

You learn to successfully project manage food products through a new product development (NPD) cycle. You go through the stages required to launch a new food product, from conception of the idea to product launch, and evaluate the product through sensory and non-sensory techniques.
You work to develop a new food product aimed at a specific target market, typically associated with nutritional diseases (e.g. Celiac Sufferers, Renal Patients, Diabetes, etc.), and you apply key nutritional knowledge from research into developing a new product for one of these groups.

Lectures and tutorials deliver the core concepts of the module, while you also complete an individual report based on the product development project as part of your assessment

You gain the theoretical foundations and practical techniques, together with essential skills to manage and assess effective HACCP-based food safety management systems, which together with an in-depth understanding food legislation will prepare you for a career in the food industry.

You complete an in-depth, independent investigation into a specialist aspect of your field of study. In your project you will bring together a range of practical and academic skills developed in previous years of study. Regardless of the nature of the project, this process acts as a capstone experience requiring analysis and critical evaluation of data as well as critical reflection on the potential risks, moral and ethical issues. This piece of work will involve a significant individual contribution on your part. You will be supported by the appointment of an academic staff member as your research supervisor. They will act as a mentor and guide you through the development and completion of your research project.

Finally, you will communicate your independent research by producing a research poster and journal article to allow you to develop essential skills which mirror professional practice when research is presented at scientific conferences and for publication.