Online

Master's Course Advanced Biochemical Analysis of Foods - Product Composition

Are you a professional in the food industry and do you want to strengthen your expertise and knowledge about the analysis of components in food materials?

In this online master's course we will study the identification and quantification of specific compounds in food products. We can use this for quality control and to trace the origin of food materials. Since this online course is part-time, you will be able to combine study and work and enhance your career.

Organised by	Wageningen Academy
Date	Mon 30 October 2023
Duration	4 weeks (20 hours per week).
Price	EUR 1,230.00

Why follow this course?

Analysis of components in food materials is important for research, as well as for quality control. In these applications, the major issue is to be sure that you actually analyse those and only those compounds on which you need information. Since food products typically have a very heterogeneous composition (different classes of components, but also variants of the same molecules) the identification and quantification of specific compounds is often not straightforward.

In the online master's course Advanced Biochemical Analysis of Foods - Product Composition, the student will learn a range of techniques that are used for analysis of ingredient composition in food products. The basics of these techniques will be explained, as well as the applications, and examples how these are used in industry (quality assurance / quality control), or in academic research. The analysis techniques discussed in this course related to gross-compositional analysis are: Near infra-red, Dumas, total sugar content and total phenolics. Furthermore analytical techniques will be evaluated as gas/liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Also the effect of sample preparation on the results will be discussed. The methods discussed in the course are applicable in quality control (choice of method) and food research and development. For better understanding examples such as melamin in milk, maillard reaction products and health claims of HMO’s are part of the course.

The main aim of the online master's course is to understand how these analysis techniques for ingredient composition are used and how the results should be evaluated. The knowledge clips and animations will provide detailed information about the background and sensitivities of the different methods. Tutorials are offered in order to practice the application of the information obtained.

Programme & topics

The online master's course consists of online knowledge clips and animations (covering e.g. mass spectrometry, chromatography). Furthermore it includes E-learning material (online cases covering understanding of techniques and data analysis) and group work in the form of a research case including the development of an experimental setup followed by data analysis of a dataset provided. All information will be provided on Brightspace.

You will learn to

Explain which analytical techniques are applied to analyse food composition.
Describe the basic principles of these analytical methods.
Select these analytical techniques.
Interpret results from these analytical methods.
Identify errors in results from these analytical methods.

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,-.

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. The date of examination is 23/11/2023.

Practical information

Registration deadline

The deadline for registration of this online master's course is 2 weeks before the start date. If you register less than 2 weeks before the start date, we will do our best to get you enrolled in the course(s) to which you registered before the start date of the course, but we can’t guarantee a timely start. Please contact the course coordinator for more information via the contact form.

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.

Micro-credentials

After completing this course you may receive micro-credentials. Micro-credentials certify the learning outcomes of short-term learning experiences, marking the quality of a course.

Combining courses

When you want to learn more about food biotechnology and processing, other online master's 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: