| Responsible Department | Department of Veterinary Disease Biology | ||||||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | BSc. 2 year to BSc. 3 year | ||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | One block | ||||||||||||||||||
| Credits | 7.5 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Level of Course | Joint BSc and MSc | ||||||||||||||||||
| Examination | Final Examination written examination Portfolio Examination All aids allowed Description of Examination: The student choose a subject within chemical food safety, normally a substance or a substance group. Under supervision he writes a credit paper based on international scientific literature. pass/fail, internal examiner | ||||||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Approximately three lectures per week supplemented with two cases to be solved and presented in groups under supervision. Writing one individal credit paper written under supervison. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | Block 2 Week Structure: C | ||||||||||||||||||
| Language of Instruction | English | ||||||||||||||||||
| Restrictions | None | ||||||||||||||||||
| Course Content | |||||||||||||||||||
| The course takes-up the following major topics and issues: - the uptake and fate of xenobiotics by higher organisms (kinetics and dynamics) - specific mechanisms for toxicity - the use of laboratory animals, organs and cell cultures in toxicity testing(in-vivo and in-vitro) - the most relevant groups of chemical compounds, origin, structure and toxicity - general principles behind and knowledge about the effect of processing on toxicity of foods - national- og international legislation as well as control procedures etc. Chemical substances and products include: heavy metals such as lead and mercury, persistant organic polutants such as dioxins, agricultural chemical such as pesticides, mycotoxins as eg. aflatoksin, toxic constituents in plants and algae (eg solanin and caffein) food additives such colorants, sweeteners and flavouring materials in addition to hormone like substances and polymer additives. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching and learning Methods | |||||||||||||||||||
| The course takes into use several different teaching forms and methods. Thus lectures will be supplemented with cases solved and presented by student groups with opponence from colleague students. Reading groups and individual writing of credit papers under supervision. During the course visits to enterprises and/or state laboratories will also be made | |||||||||||||||||||
| Learning Outcome | |||||||||||||||||||
| The main objective of the course is to provide a theoretical introduction into subject areas within general and special toxicology with emphasis on the oral route of administration. Furthermore to introduce in vivo and in vitro assays for toxicity and the subsequent overall risk assessment procedures that form the basis of the existing and future legislative regulation of chemical food safety issues worldwide. After completing the course the student should be able to: Knowledge: -Describe the uptake and fate of xenobiotics by higher organisms (kinetics and dynamics) -Describe specific mechanisms for toxicity -Display an overview the use of laboratory animals, organs and cell cultures in toxicity testing -Display an overview of the most relevant groups of chemical compounds for food safety: origin, structure and toxicity (heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants such as dioxins, agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, mycotoxins, toxic constituents in plants and algae (e.g. solanin), food additives such as colorants, sweeteners and flavouring materials in addition to homone like substances and polymer additives -Display an overview of the effects of processing on toxicity of foods -Display an overview of the most important national and international organisations/bodies with respect to food risk assessment, regulation and legislation Skills: -Find most of the existing knowledge about a certain compound - specifically knowledge of relevance for its influence on the chemical safety of food products -Analyse, on the basis of existing knowledge, whether there is a food safety problem that should be addressed -Arrive at a general diagnosis about the way forward concerning further measures to be taken -Make presentations of the diagnosis and the basis for this Competences: -Work independently with the first (problem clarifying) steps of analysing/solving a chemical food safety issue - Make basic ethic considerations concerning assaying for toxicity using animals -Make basic ethic considerations concerning chemical food safety issues of different nature - | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Literature | |||||||||||||||||||
| The course literature will consist of a course book as supplemented by research and review articles. The course book is: Stanley T. Omaye.Food and Nutritional Toxicology. CRC Press, Boca Raton (2004). | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||||||
| Leon Brimer, lbr@life.ku.dk, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology/Section for Biomedicine, Phone: 353-33181 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Study Board | |||||||||||||||||||
| Study Committee LSN | |||||||||||||||||||
| Work Load | |||||||||||||||||||
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