FQD-20804 Quality Systems Operations

Course

Credits 4.00

Language of instruction:

English

Contents:

Quality and safety are essential conditions to each industry, company or establishment dealing with agricultural and food products. Different systems have been developed to assure the quality and safety of the foods produced. These foods are not made from start to finish in one company, but they are made in a food production chain, which involves many steps from primary production at the farm to consumer. Food quality assurance systems have therefore been developed to take into account the complete food production chain. This course will give an introduction into the principles behind effective operational quality systems in these complex food production chains.
Major theoretical topics of the course include:
- relation between food properties and quality attributes in the food production chain;
- traceability of food products in the food production chain;
- basic principles of operations management;
- principles of major technological tools, methods, techniques in quality control and inspection;
- introduction to major quality assurance standards.
In addition, the course contains assignments related to these 4 topics. The assignments will serve as a basis for critical analysis of factors influencing the actual operation of the implemented quality system.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- relate food properties to quality attributes;
- know basic principles of operations management;
- recognise major management processes and the role of people in operational quality systems in food organisations;
- understand principles and recognise restrictions of different quality assurance standards;
- use knowledge about major technological tools, methods, techniques in quality control and inspection and operations management to critically analyse the design of a quality system;
- understand the major approaches to traceability of food products in complex food production chains.

Activities:

- following lectures;
- reading of literature;
- critical analysis of quality system elements through group assignment.

Examination:

- average grade for 4 assignments (20%);
- written exam (80%); a simple electronic calculator (NOT a graphic calculator) is allowed.

Literature:

A reader is available.