Master's course
Food Ingredient Functionality
Are you a professional in the food industry and do you want to strengthen your expertise and knowledge about how food ingredients work and how they can be improved for efficient use in food systems?
In this online master’s course the relationships between the structure of food ingredients and their techno-functional and bio-functional properties are studied. As this online course is part-time, you will be able to combine study and work and enhance your career.
Content of the course
This course studies the relationships between the structure of food ingredients and their functionality. Functionality comprises techno-functional (e.g. gelling, foaming, emulsifying) and bio-functional (e.g. hormone look-alikes, cholesterol-lowering, appetite suppressant) properties. Strategies to improve these ingredients for efficient use in food systems will be discussed. The following aspects will be covered: - overview of ingredients and their applications - extent to which ingredients are interchangeable - structure-function relationships of food ingredients, and their behaviour in food systems - directed ingredient modification to improve functionality
The course was brilliant, very useful. For example, I learned how to join two molecules together and how that affects the texture and properties of my product.
Online education
The activities during this course comprise: knowledge clips, animations, self-study of the material, digital case studies and group work. The knowledge clips provide the theoretical background of the different topics. This will be complimented with reading material.
You will learn to
- Explain the mechanism of action of techno-functional or bio-functional ingredients.
- Explain why ingredients with similar chemical structures can have different techno- and bio-functionalities.
- Explain how ingredient functionality can be influenced by processing.
- Predict and explain the effect of interactions between different food ingredients under different conditions.
Combining courses
When you want to learn more about ingredient functionality, other courses are interesting for you too! You can deepen your knowledge in a specific career field, without following a complete master's programme. You can register for any combination, but these are our suggestions:
- Advanced Molecular Gastronomy - from Ingredients to Food Texture (strongly recommended)
- Advanced Molecular Gastronomy - Physical and Chemical Aspects of Flavour Pairing (strongly recommended)
- Advanced Biochemical Analysis of Foods - Product Composition
- Advanced Biochemical Analysis of Foods - Product Authenticity and Toxicology
Capstone project
After completion of two or more courses there is a unique opportunity to apply what you have learned. You can start a capstone project in consultation with a Wageningen expert in the field. It is a tailor-made project, where you will write a short paper about your results and conclusions. During this work you will be coached by the expert. Price: €1,230,-.
Level of knowledge
Admission to the course requires a level of education in Food Science and Technology or related, such as Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology. Relevant work experience can be considered.
English proficiency
The language of instruction of this course is in English. Admission to the course requires a level of English as defined at the website for Dutch nationals, EU nationals or nationals outside EU/EFTA respectively.
Examination
You can complete the online master's course(s) with an exam (not obligatory). If you don’t complete the course with an exam or if you do not pass the exam successfully, you can ask for a certificate of attendance. When you successfully complete the course and the exam, you are entitled to a certificate of successful completion. The certificate is included in the course price.
Examination dates
- Exam: 16 December 2021
- Resit exam: between 28 February 2022 and 6 March 2022