FOOD PROCESSING AND DEVELOPMENT - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module will harmoniously cover the fundamental topics needed to design a new food product with particular attention to different food technologies (classic and novel processes). Our students will learn about food matrices and ingredients interactions by looking at their technical functions and sustainability aspects (es, which ingredients are sustainable according to the geographical area and, how can we reduce waste. How processes can be tweaked to decrease costs).

This module builds up creativity for novel food formulation and research skills. It is interesting to see how this module harmoniously links to MHUM015 regarding research methodologies via our practicals and a lab report (assignment 1). Not only, but this module also relates well with its sister module, MHUM012 where further and in-depth food chemistry mechanisms are explored in semester 1.

Food Security is an aspect that permeates this module and is further developed in MHUM010. As functional foods are rising in popularity nowadays, this topic is widely explored throughout the module via lectures and the final assignment. Therefore, BMSM40 is strictly linked and integrated by MHUM016.

 A student attending BMSM40 will expect to learn about not only ingredients functionalities and trends in food science but will also get an understanding of fundamental principles for food processing. We will highlight the benefits and also potential risks. This will enable our students to design and develop a new product that will be financially and legally viable. Learning is facilitated by the use of discussion sessions, tutorials, and videos.

Module provider

School of Biosciences

Module Leader

GIACINTUCCI Veronica (Biosciences)

Number of Credits: 30

ECTS Credits: 15

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): 30

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

n/a

Module content

Processing methods:

• Introduction and overview of thermal processes Pasteurization, sterilization and canning


• Aspects related to microbial death (D, z, F values)


• Novel and emerging non- thermal techniques (High pressure, UV and pulsed electric field processing , other methods)


• Principles of separation techniques for food production and preservation Filtration, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis


• Centrifugation


• Evaporation Food extrusion Cold processing


• Process of freezing/chilled storage/impact on microorganisms


• Unit operations for the main food matrices (meat, dairy, cerals, beer)

NPD in the Food Industry and the process involved

Innovation and drivers for NPD (including processes) Sensory

Methods to generate new product ideas Food matrices and anti-nutritional aspects

• Carbohydrates


• Fats


• Proteins


• Functional Foods


• 3D Printing and personalized nutrition

Packaging/Shelf-life Physical Properties

Texture and Rheology

Marketing

• Market research

Food Legislation

• Food regulations, HACCP Labelling and Health Claims

Practicals:

• Sensory


• Fat replacement (bakery) Sugar replacement (bakery)

 

 

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Formative assessments in both sem 1 and sem 2

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate:

 

As for the first assignment which is a Lab Report from practical activities, our students will develop the ability to use research-based evidence from practicals and to write up a lab report understanding ingredients functionalities. Such skills will help students’ professionalism in developing financially and legally viable products. The lab report will have students reflect on data thus developing their analytical skills. This means that our students will be able to easily navigate the spaces of a lab as well as the basic instruments and have an appreciation of data analysis and interpretation. All of these focused to the development of healthier foods following current trends in food science (sugar and fat reduction among the many).

As for the second assignment which is in form of a presentation, our students will develop and demonstrate the ability to assess the characteristics of novel formulations, ingredients interaction as well as understanding the theoretical concepts related to classic and novel processes and how they can contribute to the creation of healthy and sustainable food products that are also safe. Students will get the chance to develop critical thinking, will train their creative muscle and further increase their professionalism (and passion) towards the main aspects of food science (global trends for food development and processing).

 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Presentation on a real-life scenario related to product development and product processes (15 slides)– (50 %)
  Students will have to discuss the processes involved in the production of a specific food product. They will be given a specific scenario and a food category. This assignment is designed to help students incorporate the module's content, letting them understand how everything is strictly interrelated and complementary. Students will develop skills like oral presentation skills, the ability to recap complex concepts in a small text or speech, critical thinking, and appreciation of global regulations and processes (according to their scenario).


• Product Development Report  (2000 words) – (50 %)
  Students will use practical activities in the second semester to gather data and information on the specific product their report will be based upon. The report will be structured by introducing the topic, and the protocols, showing and explaining data following data analysis. This type of assessment will further strengthen our students’ research skills and develop their analytical skills. This assignment will be a gentle exercise for those writing a research project dissertation. This assessment will help students develop their professionalism and critical thinking. They will need to explain the ‘behaviour’ of their ingredients in the chosen formulation and understand whether the reformulation strategy is successful or will need further improvement, just as they would in a research and development industrial facility.

The module leader will produce assessment briefs and share them with the students and will be available to answer questions and doubts.

  Formative assessment

A compulsory formative short test (5 topics, 50 mins) is given midway into the module in Semester 1 and Semester 2. This test will cover the material presented in the first lectures of the module for each semester. The test provides students with the opportunity to answer questions and to receive an indication of their performance and understanding of the module content up to that point. One-hour feedback tutorials will be provided by lecturing staff after the formative test. At these tutorials, students receive personalized feedback through their annotated test scripts.

 

Lecturers will review each question during the tutorial, and there will be an opportunity to discuss the answers in class

Feedback

Students will receive oral feedback as well as written (SurreyLearn and via email). Coursework feedback will be given also by the use of a designed rubric.
Feedforward, rather than feedback, will be usually provided via the use of online drop-ins (30 minutes) usually and regularly organized by the Module Leader after consultation with the students’ cohort.

The oral presentation feedback will be written (Exam feedback sheets).

Module aims

• Analyze and explain the processes for food product development (concept idea â¿¿ market research - product formulation)
• Explain the functionality of key ingredients used in complex food formulations (protein, carbohydrates, fats)
• Enable students to be able to find autonomously, research-based evidence that is relevant for new product development and food science and technology processes
• Give an appreciation of the spectrum of methods used for food processing (classic and innovative processes).

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

Build on existing knowledge in food science to develop new products and the new processes available to create safe, palatable, nutritious foods. This module is strongly interrelated with MHUM010, MHUM012, MHUM015, and MHUM016. Nutrition and Food Science aspects are nicely blended as they are supposed to be since these two are complementary disciplines strongly dependent on one another.

The learning and teaching methods:

• Lectures 2-3 hours per week for 11 weeks (in each semester)


• Group discussion tutorials for assessments preparation


• SurreyLearn video clips on some aspects of the module.


• Tutorials, discussions and practicals

The students will learn about the main search engines for literature search as well as an understanding of digital learning tools (use of Zoom, MicrosoftTeams, SurreyLearn, PollEverywhere, Whiteboards etc.)

 

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: BMSM040

Other information

Employability: This module will provide students with a theoretical and a working knowledge of the  fundamental aspects covered for new product design, food technology and safety).
This module build up on MHUM012 and MHUM015 alongside being a complementary one to MHUM010 and MHUM16. Students will appreciate and get an understanding of the main processes used in food processing as well as the unit operations behind the main food products (meat, dairy, cereals, beverages).
Students will learn about ingredients functionality, sustainable aspects, regulatory and marketing aspects alongside the fundamental topics related to food safety and technology (toxins in foods and appreciation of classic and novel processes). Risk assessment aspects are also covered.
The students attending the module will enable be able to develop their critical thinking and independent learning as well as a component of team working as the practicals are designed to reformulate a classic product (bakery products, sugar and fat reduction) in groups. Transferable skills that are developed thanks to this module are then: team working, team leading, critical thinking, creative thinking, writing skills, ability to recap complex content into a brief document, analytical skills.

Digital capabilities: Students are encouraged to collaborate and interact with each other and the module leader via the use of platforms such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom as these are digital tools that they will most likely keep using once their university journey is over and out in the job market. Students can interact with their peers or the module leader via sharing their screens and using the whiteboard (PollEverywhere) as well as engaging in  conversations during online tutorials/revisions or pre-submissions drop-ins organised by the module leader. As with all modules, students are expected to engage with online materials and resources via SurreyLearn.

While a selection of relevant literature (e.g. books, original research papers, systematic reviews and meta-analyses) will be provided, students are also encouraged to familiarise themselves with searching and retrieving peer-reviewed literature from online databases (e.g. PubMed, Scopus) and identifying good sources versus questionable ones.

Global and cultural capabilities: students will be aware of different novel ingredients globally as well as an awareness of the different legislation systems and how to navigate food development in the different areas of the world (Americas, Europe, Asia etc.). Not only ingredients, the module will cover aspects related to the availability of different processes globally (es. US and Europe might use different processes to process a specific matrix).
 

Sustainability: the module will widely cover aspects linked to sustainability aspects of the ingredients overviewed. Sustainability and environmental issue will, in fact, affect ingredients’ availability, costs and perception from the consumer when used in complex food formulations. Aspects as novel technologies for global food security and environmental technologies (es. 3D food printing, sustainable packaging, alternative proteins, sustainable packaging) are some of those that the students will study and focus on in this module. Our students will be aware of the sustainability and environmental aspects of the processes overviewed and how these will affect their use, costs and perception from the consumer. 
Resourcefulness and resilience: this module will require practical problem solving skills. This will enable our students to solve unseen problems or to be able in the future to actively respond to a specific problem-based task related to es. product processing, antinutrients presence, risk assessment, product design following regulatory changes or health trends. This module will enable students to further develop their critical thinking. By the end of the module, students will understand challenges, limitation and opportunities of food processes and food matrices as well as the global and sustainable drivers for food development. They will most likely be up to date with current trends in food technology and safety.

 

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.