270028 Quantitative Food Spectroscopy

Details
Department of Food Science
Earliest Possible YearBSc. 1 year to MSc. 2 year
DurationOne block
 
Credits7.5 (ECTS)
Course LevelJoint BSc and MSc
 
ExaminationFinal Examination

written examination and oral examination


All aids allowed

Description of Examination: The students will be evaluated by theoretical exercises (20%) combined with the group report (50%) and following presentation (30%).

13-point scale, internal examiner
 
Organisation of TeachingApprox. 20% of the time is used on lectures, 20% on theoretical excesises, 40% on practical exercises and 20% on project work.
 
Block PlacementBlock 2
Week Structure: B
 
Teaching LanguageEnglish
 
Optional PrerequisitesExploratory Dataanalysis/Chemometrics
 
Restrictions20
 
Areas of Competence the Course Will Address
Competences obtained within applied science:
To understand spectroscopic methods (electron spectroscopy, vibrational spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance).
To obtain knowledge about advantages and disadvantages of spectroscopic measurements.
To obtain knowledge about operating spectroscopic equipment.
To obtain knowledge on how to suggest and apply spectroscopic monitoring equipment and sampling
To be able to understand spectroscopic expert and research literature.
To obtain suffcient understanding of how to present a theoretical or practical spectroscopic application to others.
 
Course Objectives
The aim of this course is to make the student familiar with the basic concepts and physics of the most abundant non-destructive spectroscopic sensors utilized for on or at-line process monitoring and quality control in the modern food industry. The course is designed to give the student basic theoretical background and hands-on experience with fluorescence, UV-VIS, NIR, IR, Raman and NMR spectroscopy.
 
Course Contents
Spectroscopic measurement techniques have a number of advantages to classic chemical and chromatographic measurement techniques:

Rapid (advantage for logistics)
Non-destructive (a requirement for on-line measurements)
Environmentally friendly (no chemicals and harm to environment)
Multivariate (robust measurements and possibility of measuring several quality parameters simultaneously)
Remote (allow for volumetric measurements and "through packaging" measurements)

The Danish food industry has in recent years shown a steadily increased interest in developing and adapting spectroscopic measurements techniques for monitoring food processes in real time on-line. The advantages of using spectroscopic measurement techniques may be the significant improvements in product and process knowledge, quality and safety and have recently been endorsed by the FDA for use in the pharmaceutical industry as "Process Analytical Technologies". It is therefore almost certain that future food candidates will have close contact with spectral sensors in the food process industry as well as in food legislation bureaus.

Through lectures and laboratory exercises, the course will introduce the students to the most widely used spectroscopic techniques spanning a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum including ultraviolet, visual, fluorescence, near infrared, infrared, Raman and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The course will emphasize practical use of spectroscopy and discuss problems, pitfalls and tricks of the trade in relation to quantitative use of spectroscopy within the food science area including for example spectroscopic calibration and optimal sample presentation to spectrometer.

Course relevance
The course is of prime importance to the food candidate education as on-line process monitorering becomes more and more widespread in the advanced segment of the food industry.
The course is fundamental for the coming master education in Food Process Analytical Technology (FPAT) planned to "take off" in 2006 and can with advantage be combined with the course in exploratory data analysis (chemometrics).
 
Teaching And Learning Methods
The course will be taught in a combination of lectures, theoretical exercises and practical laboratory exercises. The different spectral measurement techniques will be taught through lectures and examples on specific applications in the food industry via selected guest lecturers. The laboratory exercises will be performed in small groups of two maximum three persons. Each group of students will be assigned a quantitative sample series from a food system or food relevant compound mixture (f.ex. proteins, fats, carbohydrates or water) to be investigated by spectroscopic methods.
 
Course Litterature
Compendium
 
Course Coordinator
Søren Balling Engelsen, se@life.ku.dk, Department of Food Science/Quality and Technology, Phone: 35333205
 
Study Board
Study Committee LSN
 
Course Scope
lectures40
theoretical exercises40
practicals80
project work46

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