CHEMMAT 756 : Food Process Engineering

Engineering

2020 Semester One (1203) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Application of engineering principles to food processing. Topics include: heating and thermal processing, cooling, freezing and thawing, evaporation, dehydration, the use of membranes and packaging. Innovative food processes: high pressure, pulsed electric, UV, ultrasounds and ohmic heating/cooking, and fundamental areas of engineering relevant for food processing such as heat and mass transfer. Process impact on food safety, quality and preservation.

Course Overview

Students will learn how to quantitatively analyse the basic food processing operations, such as thermal processing, chilling and freezing, drying, the use of membranes and packaging. Fundamental engineering matters, such as heat and mass transfer and fluid mechanics will be explored. Novel thermal and non-thermal processes will also be covered.
At the end of the course, the student is expected to have a firm understanding of how different processing conditions and methods can affect the safety and quality of foods.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: CHEMMAT 201 or 211, and 15 points from ENGGEN 150, ENGSCI 111, MATHS 108, 110 Restriction: CHEMMAT 463

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Explain the mechanism, equipment and applications of current practices in food processing including thermal processing, chilling and freezing, dehydration, evaporation, extraction, membrane separation and packaging. (Capability 1.1 and 3.1)
  2. Apply chemical engineering principles (heat, momentum and mass transfer, and mass and energy balances) to food processing systems to calculate operating conditions. (Capability 1.1 and 2.1)
  3. Estimate the reduction in the microbial population for a thermal process by understanding the factors that affect microbial growth in foods. (Capability 2.1)
  4. Evaluate the impact of food handling on the safety and quality of food products (Capability 2.1)
  5. Compare and contrast the benefits and limitations of innovative non-thermal and thermal technologies (Capability 1.1)
  6. Demonstrate practical proficiency in food processing laboratory. (Capability 2.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Tests 20% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 50% Individual Examination
Laboratories 20% Individual Coursework
Assignments 10% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6
Tests
Final Exam
Laboratories
Assignments

Laboratories: attendance is compulsory to pass the course; submission of lab journals for both the experiments and one full lab report (submission deadline is ten working days after carrying out the lab experiment BEFORE 12.00; the day of the lab not counted). Students cannot pass the course without conducting the laboratory work satisfactorily!

There are two tests, each worth 10%.  Test 1 covers learning outcomes 1-3 while test 2 covers learning outcomes 1, 2, 4 and 5.

There are two assignments, each worth 5%.  Assignment 1 covers learning outcomes 1-3 while assignment 2 covers learning outcomes 4 and 5.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 36 hours of lectures, 11 hours of tutorial and 6 hours of Lab work.  The balance of time will be spent studying, working on assignments and preparing for assessments.

Learning Resources

Text Books: 
1. Introduction to Food Engineering by Paul R. Singh and D.R. Heldman, Academic Press, 5th edition, 2014.
2. Fundamentals of Food Process Engineering, by Roman T Toledo, Springer Science & Business Media, 3rd Edition, 2007. 

Other Information

This course will assist students in developing long term critical, conceptual and reflective thinking as well as improving their ability to undertake numerical calculations and understand quantitative information. Students will have the opportunity to develop their skills in working both independently and in a team with colleagues. 

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 08/07/2020 02:17 p.m.