Our food system is built on two central principles: standard operating procedures and good manufacturing practices. Students will learn about these essential components in this module to develop their foundational knowledge of safe food products and processes. This module also introduces basic food safety terms students may use throughout the rest of the course.

Selling high-quality food is essential to the success of food manufacturers. This module investigates nine standard pieces of analytical food processing equipment and the characteristics each machine tests for food manufacturers. Students will complete the module with an understanding of quality and yield grades of food products and an ability to implement methods to obtain data on food consumer trends in a specific market.

Knowing when to file a formal complaint and when to settle for a lower-quality product is essential. In this module, students will explore hazards in food and food product preferences that could lead to physical or moral issues for consumers.

By the end of this module, students will be able to:

• identify contamination hazards and sources of contamination associated with food products and processing
• develop ways to eliminate contamination
• identify foods derived from different classifications of food products
• summarize procedures of safe handling protocols.

Not all food products are created equal. Some foods will be imminently better for consumers, depending on quality and safety indicators. In this module, students will discover common food constituents and their relative value to food product properties. Students will also learn to analyze methods of nutritional planning and design a healthy daily food guide to meet essential needs for a variety of human diets.

Students will explore the three types of panels required to accompany food labeling and how they are applied to food products in the United States. After completing the module, students will be able to:

• compare weights and measurements of products and perform conversions between units of measurement
• explain the meaning of required components on a food label
• design food labels according to the established standards of regulatory agencies.

Food additives are used for a variety of reasons and can help improve the sensory quality or processing characteristics of food products. Students will learn to recognize common food additives and their purposes to understand why food additives are a safe and essential part of current and emerging food technologies.

A safe and abundant food supply is the direct result of hard-working individuals in government regulatory agencies. In this module, students will:

• investigate the regulatory agencies responsible for ensuring a safe food supply
• look at laws governing the production and processing of food products
• think about the internationality of the food industry.

All complex food processing operations can be broken down into six unique unit operations, which are used to process and preserve food products.

By the end of this module, students will be able to recognize and differentiate methods of processing and preserving food as well as prepare foods for sale and distribution to different markets.

Food products go through several stages of processing, packaging and transportation before making it to the consumer. This module describes how companies ensure the quality of food products remains constant to keep their businesses profitable.

Food microorganisms may cause illnesses. Knowing the conditions that cause microorganisms to multiply and the storage conditions in which they thrive can prevent contamination and avoid widespread foodborne illness. This module will familiarize students with the effects of foodborne pathogens on humans and food products. Students will also learn how to use microbiological tests to detect foodborne pathogens and how to implement safe handling and storage procedures.

This module explores the role chemistry plays in the manufacturing and development of typical food products. Students will learn the basic chemical makeup of different types of food and how a food product’s chemical and physical properties affect its nutritional value and quality.

Understanding the basics of product development will help students navigate this process and run a successful operation. In this module, students will learn to conduct market research on consumer preferences and use their findings to design new food products.