Co-ordinator: Associate Professor Graham Eyres
Teaching staff: Associate Professor Graham Eyres, Professor Phil Bremer
Eligibility: Food Science (FOSC) and Consumer Food Science (CFSC)
Prerequisites: FOSC202 (or brewing and fermentation content equivalent, subject to approval)
Module description
The module will provide students with a fundamental knowledge of the scientific principles that underpin the production of fermented food and beverages. The historical importance of fermented products will be discussed and the critical steps involved in the “art” of producing high quality fermented products including sauerkraut, salami, dairy foods, fish sauces and beer will be outlined. The impact of fermentation on the properties and shelf life of these products will also be covered. This course will build on theoretical material taught in FOSC 202 on brewing and fermentation science for the production of beer. Those wishing to learn more practical aspects of brewing and fermentation may continue with the Brewing module.
Topics
- History of Fermented Foods
- Scientific basis of fermentation
- Introduction to lactic acid bacteria
- Production of fermented foods from vegetables, milk, meat and seafood
- The brewing process in beer production
- Key ingredients and their impact on sensory properties and quality
- Beer styles and their origins
- Analytical methods to monitor quality parameters during brewing and fermentation
Format
The Fermented Foods and Beverages module will be run over a 4 week period during Semester 2. The module will focus on theoretical content with 10 hours of lectures. In addition, students will be required to work in small groups to carry out research on a selected topic and give a presentation on it to the class.
Assessment
This module is worth 50% of a 20 credit paper, as follows;
- Presentation assignment – 25%
- Final exam – 25%