FBMMPD: Sustainable Food Manufacturing and Process Design

Module code: FBMMPD

Module provider: Food and Nutritional Sciences; School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Afroditi Chatzifragkou, email: a.chatzifragkou@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr Colette Catherine Fagan, email: c.c.fagan@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module will provide you with a systematic understanding of food manufacturing processes. You will be familiarised with the basic concepts of food processing and the application of individual unit operations in the context of food commodities. At the end of the module you will be able to integrate these concepts into designing sustainable and efficient food processes. You will also benefit from hands on pilot plant experience. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Describe the principles of basic unit operations that are used in the manufacture of food. 
2. Evaluate factors for the selection of specific processes and equipment for individual food applications 
3. Quantitatively evaluate parameters of process control and optimisation during food manufacture 
4. Demonstrate how unit operations and processes are integrated during commercial food manufacture and critically evaluate processing parameters that affect the sustainability and operation of food manufacturing systems 

Module content

The module offers detailed study of the following aspects of food processing: Principles of fluid flow properties and heat transfer mechanism; Raw material properties in relation to processing; Application of individual unit operations in commodities (dairy, meat, cereals, fruit and vegetables); Thermal preservation (pasteurisation, UHT processing, sterilisation); Food concentration and dehydration; Minimal processing principles and novel food processing; Cleaning and hygiene; Sustainable food processes; Life Cycle Analysis; Process simulation and operation design. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The content of the module will be delivered through lectures, tutorials, workshops, practical classes and individual projects. The core material will be covered through lectures, supported by online material (screencasts) and the learning outcomes that are linked to it will be evaluated through group tutorials/ workshops. Practical classes will enable students to put the learned theory into practice and create a technical note linked to their practical class topic. Workshops will aid at students’ training on software that will allow the design of conceptual food manufacturing processes and will be linked with individual projects. Ultimately, students will produce a process design in the form of a written report. 

Study hours

At least 39 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs