Food Safety And Quality Assurance

Faculty | MSc | Courses

Chair and graduate co-ordinator - Mansel Griffiths (Ext. 3952)
(E-mail: mgriffit@uoguelph.ca)
Graduate secretary - Margaret Walmsley (Ext. 6983)
(E-mail: mwalmsley@aps.uoguelph.ca)

Shai Barbut - Associate Professor, Food Science
William D. Black - Professor, Biomedical Sciences
Herman J. Boermans - Associate Professor, Biomedical Sciences
Douglas G. Dalgleish - Professor, Food Science
Valerie J. Davidson - Associate Professor, Engineering
H. Douglas Goff - Associate Professor, Food Science
Mansel W. Griffiths - Professor, Food Science
Carlton L. Gyles - Professor, Pathobiology
Arthur R. Hill - Associate Professor, Food Science
Yukio Kakuda - Associate Professor, Food Science
Marc LeMaguer - Professor, Food Science
Robert W.J. Lencki - Associate Professor, Food Science
Alejandro G. Marangoni - Associate Professor, Food Science
S. Wayne Martin - Professor, Population Medicine
Scott A. McEwen - Associate Professor, Population Medicine
Gauri S. Mittal - Professor, Engineering
Douglas Powell - Assistant Professor, Food Science
Heidi Schraft - Assistant Professor, Food Science
Ronald E. Subden - Professor, Food Science
Howard J. Swatland - Professor, Food Science
Jack T. Trevors - Professor, Environmental Biology
Marvin A. Tung - Professor, Food Science
David Waltner-Toews - Professor, Population Medicine
Anne Wilcock - Associate Professor, Consumer Studies
Rickey Y. Yada - Professor, Food Science

The interdepartmental collaborative program is the focal point for graduate teaching and research in food safety and quality assurance. The collaborative MSc program in food safety and quality assurance is intended to prepare food scientists, food engineers, veterinarians and others with appropriate scientific backgrounds for participation in food safety monitoring and maintenance in the food industry and in government. Students wishing to undertake graduate studies at the MSc level with emphasis on food safety and quality assurance will enter the program through a participating department. The participating academic units are the Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Consumer Studies, Environmental Biology, Food Science, Pathobiology, and Population Medicine, and the School of Engineering.

Admission Requirements
   The program is most suitable for those with a undergraduate science background or for those currently employed in the food area of government regulatory work or in the processing industry who desire upgrading of skills and knowledge. Applicants for admission to this program must meet the university minimum admission requirement of a baccalaureate in an honours program (or the equivalent) or a DVM from a recognized university or college with an average standing of at least second-class honours ('B' average). Applicants will be expected to have completed undergraduate courses that prepare them for participation in the core graduate courses and electives of the collaborative program. Undergraduate upgrading may be necessary to ensure sufficient background in topics such as microbiology, toxicology, statistics, and analytical methods.

Degree Requirements
   Completion of the program requires a minimum of eight courses acceptable for graduate credit plus the seminar course. All students must complete:

• Food Safety and Quality Assurance Seminar (4306000)
• Food Safety and Quality Assurance Research Project (4306500). This project is the equivalent of two courses.
• Principles of Food Safety and Quality Assurance (4306600)
• At least five additional courses, chosen in consultation with the student's advisory committee.

The five additional courses are to be selected from the list below. No more than two of them may be undergraduate courses. At least one course must be taken from each of three participating departments, including the department in which the student is registered. The courses selected will depend upon the student's background, specialty, interest and area of project research. Other courses, not listed here, also may be considered. The normal duration of the program will be three to four full-time semesters.

4306000 Food Safety and Quality Assurance Seminar (0.0)

Students are expected to present two seminars during the course, one on current advances and issues in an approved area and one on their research project. Faculty associated with the program also present seminars. Students are expected to attend all seminar sessions. This seminar is offered in fall and winter semesters.

4306500 Food Safety and Quality Assurance Research Project (Double course) (1.0)

An original research project related to food safety and quality assurance including the preparation of a written report suitable for publication and the oral presentation of the findings to the graduate faculty.

4306600 Principles of Food Safety and Quality Assurance (0.5)

An integrated approach to factors affecting food safety and quality, including microbial and chemical contamination, is provided. Major food-borne disease outbreaks are studied as examples. Modern methods of quality management to minimize contamination of processed foods is discussed.

Other Graduate Courses Suitable for Credit in this Program:

Department of Biomedical Sciences

9806440 Biomedical Toxicology (0.5)

Department of Consumer Studies

2606150 Quality Assurance Management (0.5)

School of Engineering

0506110 Food and Bio-process Engineering (0.5)

0506160 Advanced Food Engineering (0.5)

Department of Food Science

4206190 Advances in Food Science (0.5)

4206220 Advanced Food Analysis Methodology (0.5)

4206280 Rapid Methods in Food Microbiology (0.5)

4206600 Advances in Food Microbiology (0.5)

Department of Pathobiology

9106000 Bacterial Pathogenesis (0.5)

9106070 Bacterial Structures and Virulence (0.5)

Department of Population Medicine

8106200 Epidemiology I (0.5)

8106210 Epidemiology II (0.5)

8106300 Epidemiology of Zoonoses (0.5)

8106350 Safety of Foods of Animal Origin (0.5)

Undergraduate Courses Suitable for Credit in this Program:

Food Science

4204350 Processing Plant Technology (0.5)

4203100 Food Chemistry I (.75)

4204120 Food Analysis (.75)

Nutrition

7104510 Toxicological Aspects of Nutrition (0.5)

Department of Population Medicine

8104040 Epidemiology of Food-borne Diseases (0.5)