MASTER TRAINING PROGRAM

MAJOR: FOOD TECHNOLOGY (RESEARCH DIRECTION)

Code: 8540101

1. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

1.1. Educational objectives

The program provides students with in-depth and advanced knowledge in the field of Food Technology. Students can apply modern analytical methods and technologies in scientific research and production practices; know how to apply theoretical and scientific basis for the improvement and development of technology, develop products to serve the domestic market and export markets; and have appropriate methodologies to perform scientific research projects in food technology.

1.2. Expected Learning Outcomes

After completing the training program, learners will acquire the following knowledge, skills, and attitudes:

1.2.1. Knowledge

Understand, analyze and evaluate scientific knowledge systems of political sociology and humanities in professional activities and everyday life.

Apply new technologies and equipment in food technology; analyze and manage product quality.

Analyze and evaluate (i)  changes in the quality of agricultural and food products during processing and storage; (ii) identify hazards and analyze risks; and (iii) apply modern technology and equipment in food preservation, processing and safety analysis.

Organize food  production in chains; apply scientific knowledge about food quality management and agri-food marketing into production practices.

Actively identify and select research topics; develop research proposals; design experiments; select statistical methods; write and present research content and results.

1.2.2. Skills

Be able to actively develop production plans, organize and manage production process; examine and control product quality; have good problem identification skills, problem-solving skills and decision-making skills.

Be able to apply comprehensive theoretical and practical knowledge within the fields of Food Science and Technology.

Have critical thinking skills, be proactive at work, and have a passion for learning.

Be able to work both independently and as a team member.

Be able to properly apply computer information and foreign language skills at work.

1.2.3. Autonomy and Responsibility

Ability to discover and creatively apply comprehensive knowledge to solve practical problems in the food industry.

Ability to identify, synthesize, analyze and evaluate data in the field of food technology; thereby developing appropriate strategies, solutions and plans in the research, production and trading of food products.

Ability to provide intellectual guidance to solve problems during the operation and management of the food production system.

Ability to think and make decisions independently to self-determine individual development direction, thereby being able to adapt to a highly competitive working environment.

2.  ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS AND ADMISSIONS SOURCES

2.1. Eligible applicants

Graduates from the Bachelor’s Programs in Food Technolgy, Postharvest Technology, Preservation and Processing of Agricultural Products, Food Safety and Quality Management, and equivalent majors.

2.2. Admissions sources

2.2.1. The right major and similar majors

Food Science and Technology, Preservation and Processing of Agricultural Products, Postharvest Technology, Food Safety and Quality Management, and Fisheries Processing Technology.

2.2.2. Relevant majors

The relevant majors include two groups as follows:

Group 1: Animal Science, Veterinary Medicine, and Fisheries. 

Group 2: Biotechnology, Biological Engineering, Biology, Biochemistry, Plant Protection, Crop Science, and Landscape Design and Horticulture,…

Required additional courses prior to admission to the program (for Vietnamese applicants only)

2.3. Entrance exam subjects and graduation conditions (for Vietnamese applicants only)
2.3.1. Entrance exam subjects

Food Microbiology, Biological Mathematics, English.

2.3.2. Graduation conditions

The program’s graduation conditions are in accordance with the Regulation on Master’s Training of the Ministry of Education and Training and the current regulation on Master’s Training of Vietnam National University of Agriculture.

3. EDUCATION PROGRAM

Minimum amount of knowledge and designed training time

Total credits required: 60 credits, training time 1.5 - 2 years.

4. DESCRIPTION OF COURSES

ML06005. Sociology Of Development (3). Overview on sociology of development; the theories on sociology of development; the main issues in sociology of development.

CP06008.  Food Chemistry and Analysis 03 credits (02 theory; 1 pratice- 06 self-learning). Food chemistry deals with the study of the chemical, biochemical and phyiscochemical processes involved in agricultural raw materials and in foodstuffs, and during thetransformation of agricultural raw materials into derived products. A systematic overview of the main constituents of foods (water, proteins, carbohydrates, lipides, viatmines) is given together with aselection of their chemical and physicochemical properties.

CP06010. Advanced Biochemistry and Food Biotechnology 02 credits (02 theory; 0 pratice- 04 self-learning). Biochemical changes during food processing: Protein, amino acid, carbohydrate, lipid, secondary metabolites. Introduction to some achievements of food biotechnology: Genomic Modified Oganisms (GMOs) and genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) with better ability to synthesize desired substances: Enzyme, vitamin, aroma, unsaturated fatty acid.... to inprove qualitied foods. Molecular biological methods used for food diagnostic.

CP06012. Food microbiology and analysis 03 (02 theory; 01 pratice- 09 self-learning). Microbial phenomena occurring in food products, including the contamination of raw materials, the factors affecting the growth of micro-organisms, preservation methods, the spoilage patterns of different food products and food poisoning; principles of food fermentation, food spoilage and microbial food safety aspects; apply microbiological analytical methods for food products; composition of microbiological media with emphasis on the interpretation of microbiological analysis

CP06013. Research methodology 02 (01 theory; 01 pratice- 06 self-learning). Formulate research objectives and research hypothesis, research plan; Collect state of the art scientific information from relevant sources; Translate the research plan into  targeted experiments; Critically evaluate own results in the context of existing literature; Acquired scientific writing and presentation skills

CP07010. Advanced Post-harvest technology of fruits and vegetables products (3 credits). This course includes the following chapters: Introduction: The importance of fruits and vegetables; Structure and chemical composition of fruits and vegetables; Changes in the physiology of fruits and vegetables after harves;  Pest management on fruits and vegetables after harvest; Postharvest handling and preserving fruits and vegetables after harvest; Quality management system for fruits and vegetables after harvest

CP07014. Advanced food packaging (2 credits). This module includes the following contents : Basic Knowledge of packaging materials; The interaction between the food and the package; Permeability of packaging materials; New developments in atmospheric change packaging (MAP);  Active and smart packaging; Applying MAP technology for fresh fruits and vegetables; Applying MAP technology for livestock products; Packaging and the environment.

CP07015. Quality analysis of agricultural products (3). Sampling and sample treatment. Sample separation method.

CP07018. Cereal science and technology (2). Introduction and classification of the structure and components of the cereal grains in depth. In addition, the storage and processing of the various cereals into intermediate products (flour, semolina, starch, gluten) or finished products (bread, cookies, pasta, beer, breakfast cereals, and feeds) are described in detail.

CP07019. Advanced Fruit and vegetable science and technology (2). The following chapters are included: Science: Processing and fruit and vegetable related enzymes; Processing effects on color changes; Processing and changes in texture of fruit and vegetable based products; Processing and health related compounds in fruit and vegetable based products; Unit operations in fruit and vegetable processing including novel technologies: Product technology: Fruit ocessing, jams and jellies, dried fruits; Beverages (soft drinks and juices); Fermented vegetables; The emphasis is on complete chain approaches (from raw material to consumer) and on how quality, safety, authenticity etc. of raw materials, processes and products are established and can be monitored.

CP07020. Minimal Processing of Fruits and Vegetables, 2 credits (1.5-0.5-4). Fruit and vegetable characteristics with minimum processing requirements. Minimal processing technology and equipment. Anti-discoloration. Hygiene and safety standards for minimally processed fruits and vegetables. Minimum processing procedures for fruits and vegetables.

CP07021- Preservation and Processing for Livestock Products (2).  This course includes the following chapters; This course consists of two parts including the preservation of processing of milk and mear products. Composition of milk and meat (protein, lipid, carbohydrate, minerals and vitamin…). Storage and process of milk and meat products.

CP07027. Food processing (2). General overview of non-heat processing in food technology. Technology that incorporates multiple factors / barriers for food preservation, Food processing without using heat, Food processing with direct heat and emission; Material management, product preservation and distribution.

CP07028. Engineering properties of biological materials 3 (2 - 1). Introduction; Physical attributes of foods; Moisture relations; Mechanical properties of solid foods and agricultural materials; Rheological properties of liquid foods; Thermal properties of foods; Gas diffusion; Electromagnetic properties of foods.

CP07029.  Transport phenomena and engineering kinetics 3 (2 - 1). Heat transfer, Momentum transport, Mass transport, Engineering kinetics

CP07030. Advanced chemical and biological food safety 3 (2,0-1,0-9). Chemical residues in raw materials. Toxins formed during storage and processing. Environmental contaminants and diffusion from packaging. Food additives. Chemical diffuses from the packaging. Risk assessment chemical origin, food contaminated with pathogens and its impact on the socio-economy. New types of foodborne pathogens and the common signature of each. Food safety risks and gaps in the food supply chain. Framework for risk analysis for food safety. Risk assessment biological origin. Good practices for preventing contaminated food in the food supply chain.

CP07032. Food Contaminants Analysis (2). Food contaminants. Methods of analysis of food contaminants. Chemical contaminants analysis. Methods used in the diagnosing, detecting and identifying of food contaminants.

CP07034. Advanced food  processing technology 2 (2-0). The following chapters are included: Hurdle technology, Non-Thermal food processing , Food processing with direct heat and radiation, Material management, product storage and distribution

CP07035 . Internship (3 credits). During the internship the student (individual or group), under supervision, will carry out a well-defined task in a company or an organization related to the working field of the program. The objective on the one hand is to confront the knowledge and skills with a practical environment  and further develop them, on the other hand to create a first working experience and develop additional skills important for the working field.  University research laboratories do not quality as internship places (because MSc thesis is carried out in such environment).  The internship is independent of the MSc thesis.

CP07037. Additives in Food Preservation, 2 credits (1.5 – 0.5 – 4). General introduction about additives in food preservation. Additive against microorganisms. Anti-browning additives. Fat antioxidant additives.

 CP07041. Beverage Technology (2). Introduction and classification of beverage processing technology: squash tea production, carbonated water, red wine, Brandy wine production, beer production, whiskey production, wine, and Sake.

CP07046. Food quality and safety management workshop 02 (0 theory; 02 pratice; 06 self-learning). Food quality and safety management systems and apply the HACCP principles to real food production chain; risk analysis and apply the principles of risk analysis to a real food production chain 

CP07049. Sensory Science 2 (1,5-0,5-4). This course includes the following chapters: Classical and advanced sensory methodology. Sensation and perception: physiology, anatomy & functions of the senses. Context and bias in sensory studies. Statistical analyses, interpretation and presentation of sensory research data. Relation between sensory attributes and instrumental analysis (texture analyses, color measurements, aroma analyses, GC, MS-nose, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Near Infrared Spectroscopy, fluorescence measurements).

CP07053. Food and agricultural products supply chain management (3 credits). This course includes 3 chapters:  Chapter 1. Food and agricultural products Supply Chain Management; Chapter 2. Traceability in Food and agricultural products; Chapter 3. Supply chain management - to evaluate the results and effectiveness of supply chain management.

CP07052. Design and Development of Food Products 2 credits (2-0-4). This course includes the following chapters: Food product design and Development (2 credits: 2 - 0 - 4); General introduction; consumers in product development; Design and development of food products; Product development project management.

CP07053. Engineering properties of biological materials 3 (2 - 1). Introduction, Physical attributes of foods, Moisture relations, Mechanical properties of solid foods and agricultural materials, Rheological properties of liquid foods, Thermal properties of food,  Gas diffusion, Electromagnetic properties of foods

CP07061. Human nutrition (2). Research in nutritional science to understand the breakdown of food entering the body (catabolism), repair and creation of cells and tissues (anabolism) - catabolism and anabolism are metabolic processes. Nutrition science also studies how the body responds to food consumed. Therefore, the module provides general background knowledge about food consumption, digestion, metabolism and interaction of nutrients in the human body. The basic information provided from the module is based on principles of microbiological and endogenous digestion and on the role of nutrients in metabolism. Techniques for determining energy, protein and water requirements are discussed. In addition, general knowledge about the role of vitamins and minerals in the human diet is discussed.

CP07062. Thermal processing of foods 4(3-1). This course includes the following chapters: Introduction; Kinetics of thermal processing; Impact of thermal processes; Heat penetration in packaged foods; Process calculations; Process optimization; Design of a thermal process; Technical aspects of thermal processing; Evaporative drying; Stability of foods.

CP07063. Low temperature processing of foods 3 (2 – 1). Refrigeration and refrigerated storage of foods; Freezing and frozen storage of foods; Modified atmosphere packaging; Freeze drying

CN07061. Applied statistics (2TC: 1,5 – 0,5 – 4). Descriptive statistics (means, medians, variance, standard deviation…). Some common distributions (normal, binomial, multinomial). Basics of statistical inference (confidence intervals and statistical hypothesis tests). Statistical tests for association in contingency tables. Comparison of 2 means (t-test and Mann-Whitney test). Comparison of k means (F-test and Kruskal-Wallis test). Multiple comparison of means (Tukey, Duncan, Bonferroni,..). ANOVA (2-way ANOVA and interaction; Multiple way ANOVA). Simple and multiple regression analysis.

CN07062. Advanced statistics. (2TC: 1,5 – 0,5 – 4). Design of experiments (Basic principles of experimental design, Replication, randomisation, blocking, Factorial designs; Optimal design of experiments; Screening experiments; Response surface experiments; Blocked experiments; Split-plot experiments). Regression (Overview of linear regression techniques; Distinction between main effects, interaction effects and quadratic effects; Logistic regression; Nonlinear regression). Multivariate data analysis (PCA). Analysis of variance (ANOVA; Mixed models)

KQ71022. Management and marketing in the agri-food sector (2). This course includes the following chapters: The course provides insights in economics, management and marketing terminology and principles in food chains; advanced marketing issues like market and marketing research, planning and strategy; Role of food markets and market organization; Principles of environment analysis, strategy development and chain management.

KT07999. Projet Cycle Management (PCM) workshop (2). This course includes the following chapters Assimilation of principles of Project Cycle Management (PCM): Introduction; Project planning: analysis stage (stakeholder analysis, problem tree, objective tree, strategy analysis); Project planning: planning stage (logframe, operational planning); Monitoring systems; Evaluation systems

TS07049. Aquatic raw material handling and processing technology (3). The economic importance of aquatic raw materials and food products; The anatomy  of aquatic raw materials; The chemical composition of aquatic raw materials;  Postharvest handling and quality changes of aquatic raw materials; Processing technologies for aquatic raw materials;  Quality aspects of food products based on aquatic raw materials (enzymes, color, texture, structure, etc..); Health aspects of aquatic raw materials and food product; Quality management systems for aquatic raw materials and food products; Company visit.

MT07050. Integrated environmental management (2 TC: 1.5 - 0.5 - 4). Concepts, policies and implementation steps of Integrated environmental management. Analysis and assessment of Integrated environmental management in: Urban; Countryside; Industrial Park and Craft Village. Group discussion, essay writing.

TH07005. Management information system (3 credits: 3 - 0 - 6). Overview of management information system; Organizational data in system information management; ERP and management information system; Building and managing management information system; control of management information system..

KQ06022. Information of financial accounting (2TC: 2 - 0 - 4). Financial report; Information of financial accounting about income and expenses; Information of financial accounting about assets; Information of financial accounting about liabilities; Information of financial accounting about business consolidation.

NH07066. Agricultural system 2 (1.5 - 0.5 - 4). Basic concept of Agricultural system and its components and relationships between subsystems of Agricultural system , sustainable agricultureand tropical farming systems. Chapter name: Theory of system and Agricultural system; Vietnamese and tropical farming systems; Farmers and farm household systems in Agricultural system; Sustainable agricultural system; Research and development of Agricultural system; Teaching methods: lecturers' presentations, home work, group exercises and class discussion, seminars. Assessment method: Participation: 10% diligence, class discussion, 30% practice, exam: 60%

KQ06020. Business analysis skills (2 credits: 2 - 0 - 4). The basic contents of  Business analysis skills; Environmental analysis and business performance; Skills in applying methodological analysis for each content activity; Skills in general assessment of business performance, clarifying quality, influencing factors and proposing business development solutions.