Master's Course Advanced Food Microbiology - Minimal Processing, Preservation and Fermentation

Why follow this course?

The online master's course Advanced Food Microbiology - Minimal Processing, Preservation and Fermentation aims to provide insight in the ecology and physiology of food-associated spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, and that of starter and probiotic bacteria. Microbial characteristics are discussed in relation to behaviour in the food chain with a focus on performance in (minimal) processing of foods and food fermentation, and the impact of technologies used for the production of probiotics and (powdered) formulas. Applications in enhancing microbial quality and safety of foods on one hand, and applications to enhance robustness and functionality of fermented probiotic products on the other hand, will be discussed in detail. Ecology in the food chain addresses classical and novel microbial detection and identification methods including whole genome sequencing approaches and their application in practice. Moreover, an online food preservation experiment aims to train skills in experimental design, data generation, data analysis and interpretation, discussion and reporting results.

Programme & topics

The online master's course consists of online knowledge clips, textual explanations and animations, including exercises with feedback. Furthermore it includes exercises to learn to apply the microbial principles and approaches in practice and a lab simulation case on food preservation including report writing. All information will be provided on Brightspace.

What you'll learn

• Utilise and integrate knowledge on the eco-physiology and adaptive stress responses of food-associated spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms.
• Understand the mechanisms of minimal processing and preservation taking into account bottleneck organisms and apply preservation principles in process and product design.
• Understand mechanisms of microbial biofilm formation and resistance to cleaning and disinfection procedures.
• Understand and discuss the eco-physiology of fermented (probiotic) foods.
• Use insights in microbial diversity and survival mechanisms of probiotic bacteria for enhanced product quality and composition.
• Understand diversity, characteristics and functionality of pre- and probiotics.

Capstone project

After completion of two or more online master's 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 01/02/2024.

Practical information

Deadline registration

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 online master's 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 safety and quality, 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:

• Advanced Food Microbiology - Tools for Safety Management (strongly recommended)
• Food Toxicology - Toxicity and Risk Assessment of Avoidable Chemicals in Food
• Food Toxicology - Toxicity and Risk Assessment of Unavoidable Chemicals in Food