NFOK19001U Food Packaging

Volume 2022/2023
Education

MSc Programme in Food Science and Technology
MSc Programme in Food Innovation and Health

MSc Programme in Integrated Food Studies

 

Content

The process of packaging of foods is where many food scientific disciplines meet in practice. The food package is also the “surface” of the food product that meets the consumer first. The packaging of food will have consequences for the quality and shelf life of food products. It has an impact of the environment and climate through the use of oil based materials and release of plastic in nature. When designing food packaging for food one has to consider and balance many aspects such as consumer appeal, food safety, environmental, food quality and technological aspects.

Detailed content in the course:

Technology and methods for food packaging. Food packaging materials. Light transmission and gas and water vapor permeability of packaging films. Surface properties of packaging materials. Interaction between food and packaging. Shelf life, chemical and microbiologial development of quality of packaged food. Packaging gases and modified atmosphere packaging. Packaging of foods with specific demands such as dry foods, dairy products, meat and beer. Environmental impact of food packaging and sustainable packaging technology and packaging materials. Intelligent packaging and novell technology. Consumer scientific aspects of packaging.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge 

  • Understanding of packaging materials and their properties in terms of permeability, transmission and sealing properties.
  • Indentification of environmental impact of packaging solutions
  • Understand shelf life and microbiological and food chemical aspects of food packaging and food product.
  • Show overview of consumer scientific aspects of packaging
  • Understand food chemical aspects of food packaging
  • Knowledge of packaging equipment and technology

 

Skills:

  • Skills in presenting and explaining complex relations in food packaging
  • Skills in applying theoretical concepts and making calculations related to packaging.

 

Competences:

  • Analyze and discuss packaging demands of food products
  • Independent work in groups and writing report
 

Mainly the book: Food Packaging, principles and practice by Gordon L. Robertson. CRC press, latest edition. 

Qualifications within the field of basic food chemistry and food microbiology on bachelor level is recommended.
Lectures, excursion, work in groups with individual subjects and theoretical exercises. Project work with poster as outcome. Preparation with emphasis on reading curriculum. Laboratory experiments.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 40
  • Class Instruction
  • 7
  • Preparation
  • 113
  • Theory exercises
  • 20
  • Project work
  • 25
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Individual
Collective
Feedback by final exam (In addition to the grade)
Peer feedback (Students give each other feedback)
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 20 minutes
Type of assessment details
Oral examination without preparation time. The examination takes its starting point in the poster produced by the student.
The student presents the poster. The presentation soon develops into a scientific conversation with the examiners. The examiners pose questions in the full curriculum and might include supplementary materials (graphs, tables, pictures and drawings). The oral examination takes place in the end of the teaching period.
Exam registration requirements

Students must prepare one poster and present this poster and take part in poster session to be able to attend oral examination. The poster is handed in internally in the course. 

 

 

 

Aid
Without aids
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Several internal examiners
Re-exam

Same as ordinary.

If the exam registration requirements are not fulfilled, the student must hand in a poster three weeks before the re-exam. 

Criteria for exam assesment

See Learning Outcome.

For the oral exam, the student is assessed based on the presentation of the individual poster and ability to engage in a scientific discussion involving the curriculum of the course.