Food Processing

This subject is not offered in 2014.

Eligibility for honours or postgraduate coursework program.

Chemistry and/or biology or equivalent background.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Preservation techniques (physical, chemical and biological) and applications, including reference to legal requirements, and processing operations (including the principles of the process, factors influencing the selection of equipment and the effect on the food and food components) selected from the following: cleaning, separation and clarification, pumping, mixing and blending, homogenisation, standardisation, heating, concentration, drying/dehydration, freezing, membrane processing, diffusion techniques, extrusion, baking, packaging and emerging technologies: factory services.

The objective of this subject is to provide students with an understanding of the science and technology associated with the processing and preservation of foods by traditional and modern techniques.

On completion of this subject students should be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and application of food processing and preservation technologies.
• Describe the technologies used to effect preservation.
• Understand and evaluate the implications of processing and preservation methodologies on the physical, chemical, microbiological and nutritional quality of foods.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the basic unit and factory operations used in food processing.
• Evaluate processing technologies for their appropriate application.

• Major assignment of 2,000 words focussing on an area of the subject in depth, due two weeks prior to the end of semester (worth 40%).
• Minor assignment of 1,000 words covering an area different to that in the major assignment, due mid-way through semester (worth 20%).
• Two hour written examination (worth 40%).

Assignments may be industry-based.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject students should have developed the following generic skills:

• A greater in-depth understanding of the science and technology associated with food processing and preservation.
• Skills in observation, critical analysis and report writing.
• An ability to derive, interpret and evaluate social, technical and economic information from a wide variety of sources.
• A capacity for independent critical thought, rational inquiry and self-directed learning and research.
• An ability to communicate effectively in both written and verbal forms.