CHEM12077 - Food Science & Analysis

General Information

Unit Synopsis

In this unit, you will learn theoretical and practical applications in food science and analysis. You will become familiar with laboratory compliance procedures, interpret risks and appropriate risk-minimisation approaches. The theoretical concepts will include an overview of food science, systems and sustainability, food chemistry and composition, food quality and safety, food preservation, food additives, foods and food products, fermentation, microorganisms, biotechnology, food packaging, environmental concerns and processing, and food regulation and labelling. Contents covered in this unit will provide a sturdy basis for studies in food science, systems and sustainability. Contents covered in this unit will enable you to be able to understand the implications of food science and analysis associated with manufacturing, environment, biotechnology and regulations. Accompanying the theory, you will enhance your practical skills by learning the operation and maintenance of common instrumentation used for food analysis, perform wet chemical analysis, data interpretation and appropriate communication of the results.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 2
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Prerequisites: CHEM11041 OR CHEM11043 or (CHEM11044 and CHEM11045)


Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School Compulsory Residential School
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Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2024

Term 2 - 2024 Profile
Mixed Mode
Term 2 - 2025 Profile
Mixed Mode

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Written Assessment 20%
2. Practical and Written Assessment 30%
3. Take Home Exam 50%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 2 - 2023 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 42.86% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 50% response rate.

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students recommended that the level of responses required for the take home exam questions should be reflective of the marks indicated for these.
Recommendation
The teaching team will ensure that the take home exam questions are designed so that the level of responses expected is reflective of the marks indicated.
Action Taken
The teaching team carefully formulated the take home exam questions to ensure that the anticipated level of responses aligns with the indicated marking criteria.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Considering that the prescribed textbook for this unit is American based, students recommended that more information should be provided to understand some of the concepts pertaining to Australian food standards.
Recommendation
Where feasible students will be provided with supplementary information pertaining to Australian food standards will be provided to enhance their learning experience.
Action Taken
Whenever possible, the teaching team continued to provide supplementary information on Australian food standards to enrich the learning experience of the students.
Source: Self and peer review
Feedback
It would be beneficial for the students if more detailed information is provided about the final assessment task.
Recommendation
The unit coordinator will provide more detailed information pertaining to the final assessment task.
Action Taken
The teaching team provided more detailed information pertaining to the final assessment task.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students expressed that the diverse range of assessments in this unit offered valuable learning opportunities, and they particularly appreciated the structure of the take home exam.
Recommendation
The teaching team is committed to consistently providing and managing a diverse range of assessments to ensure valuable and enriching learning opportunities for students.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students felt that guided support from the teaching team during the residential school significantly transformed their learning experiences, providing clarity in experiment processes and practical applications.
Recommendation
The teaching team will continue to provide a high level of support and engagement during residential school classes.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE, Self and peer review
Feedback
Students expressed a preference for more consistent engagement with the teaching team throughout the year, beyond the residential school period
Recommendation
The teaching team is planning to conduct regular Zoom Q&A sessions with students throughout the term to enhance engagement and enrich their overall learning experience.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Evaluate the importance of food systems, sustainability, composition, quality and safety
  2. Critically discuss the application of food preservation, food product processing, biotechnology and food packaging
  3. Discuss the legislation, regulation policies and guidelines relevant to labeling and manufacturing of food
  4. Demonstrate skills in manipulation of laboratory apparatus, careful and systematic observation, precise recording and communication of experimental data.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Written Assessment •
2 - Practical and Written Assessment • • •
3 - Take Home Exam • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Communication • • • •
2 - Problem Solving • • • •
3 - Critical Thinking • • • •
4 - Information Literacy • • • •
5 - Team Work •
6 - Information Technology Competence • • • •
8 - Ethical practice •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 - Written Assessment • • • • •
2 - Practical and Written Assessment • • • • • • •
3 - Take Home Exam • • •