6.30  Food Science Head: R.G. Fulcher Telephone: (204) 474 9621 Fax: (204) 474 7630 Email: foodcas@cc.umanitoba.ca Website: umanitoba.ca/afs/food_science/

General Office: 250 Ellis

Academic Staff

Program Information
A graduate degree program at the Master’s level is offered in the Department of Food Science. Programs at the doctorate level, however, are administered through the Interdepartmental Ph.D. program in Food and Nutritional Sciences which includes the departments of Human Nutritional Sciences, Food Science, and Animal Science. The general program in Food Science involves studies of the physical, chemical or biological characteristics of food during all phases of manufacturing and processing - starting with the raw materials and ending in consumer products. Uniquely positioned in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, the Department of Food Science develops and evaluates value-added opportunities for agricultural food products. New product development and food process improvement are important national and international priorities and the department will continue its commitment to the training of highly qualified personnel in these areas.

Students graduating with an M.Sc. or Ph.D. in Food Science are readily employable in industry, government and academic positions. Most students have acquired jobs prior to completion of their graduate degree requirements. Recent graduates have gone onto key research positions in major corporations or administrative positions or management positions (e.g., quality assurance and product development technologists). Food is a universal necessity and the study of its various properties will continue to flourish.

Fields of Research
Expertise in the Department of Food Science is established in five major areas of study: cereal and pulse chemistry (including chemistry of proteins, carbohydrates, and antioxidants), food processing, food packaging, and food microbiology/safety. Chemistry projects investigate the functional role played by major food constituents, how these properties translate into final food characteristics, quality and potential new uses. Key projects examine proteins in wheat and pulse fractions as well as carbohydrates and antioxidants in a variety of crops. Considerable emphasis is placed on the functional relationships among components in raw and processed foods, including the structure and organization of air cells (“bubbles”), hydration mechanisms, and distribution of soluble and insoluble fibres, among other properties. Many projects in the Department are multidisciplinary and interdepartmental, involving partners in the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, Departments of Physics, Animal Science, Human Nutritional Sciences, and Soil Science, to name only a few. Processes have also been developed to assist local producers and manufacturers of dairy, cereal, and pulse products as well as a number of emerging prairie products. Microbiological studies examine food safety issues (survival of bacterial pathogens like E.coli 0157:H7 and chemical toxicants) as well as food preservation technology to inhibit spoilage organisms in fresh and cured meat products.

Research Facilities
The Food Science Department houses up-to-date laboratory facilities for chemical, textural and microbiological analyses of food (agricultural materials) or food products (jam, yoghurt, etc.). In addition, the department has two pilot plants, one being used primarily for vegetable, fruit, cereal, pulse and meat studies, while the other is dedicated to dairy product research.

M.Sc. in Food Science

Admission
In addition to the admission requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies (found in the regulations section of this Calendar), entrance into the M.Sc. programs requires a bachelor’s degree from a recognised food science department or the equivalent. Applicants with a four-year bachelor’s degree from a non-food science department or the equivalent may be required to complete a pre-M.Sc. program in the Food Science Department (usually of one academic year) or take additional food science courses in their M.Sc. program in order to develop suitable knowledge in food science.

Admission Deadlines
The Department recommends that Canadian/U.S. students should submit their application and supporting documentation to the Department at least 3 months prior to their intended start date. International students should submit their application and supporting documentation to the Department at least 7 months prior to their intended start date.

Program Requirements
There are two types of Master's programs in the Department of Food Science:

Thesis
Thesis projects may be of a basic research type or of an applied or practical nature relating to the chemistry, physics and/or microbiology of food raw materials, processes and/or products.

The thesis program requires a minimum of 15 credit hours of coursework, this to include at least 9 credit hours in Food Science 700/7000 level courses, an additional 3 credit hours at the 700/7000 level, and at least three credit hours in ancillary courses at the 700/7000, 600/6000, 400/4000 or 300/3000 levels. The thesis research topic shall be assigned within an area of interest to the student and pertinent to departmental research objectives. All M.Sc. students are required to take FOOD 7130 Food Science Seminar.

Non-thesis
Additional coursework plus practical work terms and a comprehensive examination are substituted for a research project and written thesis.

The non-thesis program requires a minimum of 30 credit hours of coursework. Of this total, a minimum of 15 credit hours must be at the 700/7000 level in Food Science with the remaining courses to be approved by the student's advisory committee.

Second language reading requirement: none

Expected time to graduation: two years

Interdepartmental Ph.D. in Food and Nutritional Sciences

Admission
Admission requirements are those of the Faculty of Graduate Studies found in the Academic Guide section of this Calendar.

Admission Deadlines
Canadian/U.S. students should submit their application and supporting documentation to the Department at least 6 months prior to their intended start date. International students should submit their application and supporting documentation to the Department at least 7 months prior to their intended start date.

Program Requirements
Requirements for the Interdepartmental Ph.D. program in Food and Nutritional Sciences are given in the Interdepartmental Section.

Course Descriptions

FOOD 7090 Unit Process Operations Cr.Hrs.3 (Formerly 078.709) A study of unit operations which are commonly utilized in the food industry with emphasis on separation processes, particle size reduction and heat transfers. Prerequisite or co-requisite: BIOE 3290 (or 034.329) or equivalent. Offered in 2007-2008 and alternate years.

FOOD 7130 Food Science Seminar Cr.Hrs.3 (Formerly 078.713) Verbal and written presentation of selected topics in Food Science. This is a required course for all M.Sc. candidates in the Food Science Department.

FOOD 7150 Food Proteins Cr.Hrs.3 (Formerly 078.715) An examination of the structural and functional properties of proteins in foods. Laboratory sessions will emphasize experimental approaches to study proteins in foods, including topics such as surface characterization, thermal properties, rheological behaviour, and chemical modification. Offered in 2007-2008 and alternate years.

FOOD 7160 Food Carbohydrates Cr.Hrs.3 (Formerly 078.716) A study of the physico-chemical properties and functionality of food carbohydrates. Laboratory sessions will focus on quantitation, structural characterization, thermal properties and rheological behaviour of carbohydrates. Offered in 2008-2009 and alternate years.

FOOD 7180 Food Science of Cereal Grains Cr.Hrs.3 (Formerly 078.718) The course deals with cereal grains used for human food, the structure of constituents, and the relationship of constituent structure to functionality in the processing of the grains into food products. Emphasis will be on constituents and properties that contribute to optimum processing of wheat. Prerequisites: CHEM 2360 (or 002.236) or CHEM 2770 (or 002.277) or MBIO 2360 (or 060.236) or MBIO 2770 (or 060.277), or permission of instructor. Offered in 2008-2009 and alternate years.

FOOD 7200 Advanced Food Microbiology Cr.Hrs.3 (Formerly 078.720) Detection and quantitation of foodborne microorganisms and related toxins using developing methodology, including rapid microbiological assays with a comprehensive account of basic principles and advanced techniques. Prerequisites: MBIO 2010 (or 060.210), FOOD 4150 (or 078.415) or consent of instructor. Offered in 2008-2009 and alternate years.

FOOD 7240 Topics in Food Science Cr.Hrs.3 (Formerly 078.724) An in-depth study of selected topics of current relevance in Food Science. Available to students in the M.Sc. programs and in the Interdepartmental Ph.D. in Food and Nutritional Sciences. Prerequisite: written consent of Department Head.

FOOD 7250 Advanced Food Packaging Cr.Hrs.3 (Formerly 078.725) Advanced course for the principles, materials, design and development of packaging with emphasis on chemical and physical nature of packaging materials, food products and new technologies. Offered in 2007-2008 and alternate years therafter.

FOOD 7260 Advanced Meat Science Cr.Hrs.3 (Formerly 078.726) Builds on fundamental aspects of muscle biochemistry and function to explain how pre- and post-harvest technology affect meat quality and safety. Issues of current concern, their resolution as well as recent advances will be discussed. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Offered in 2007-2008 and alternate years thereafter.

FOOD 7270 Food Rheology Cr.Hrs.3 (Formerly 078.727) Evaluation of the textural properties of foods provides critical information in the development of quality food products. This course deals with the principles and methodologies in food rheology and includes and examination of the rheological properties of selected food systems. Offered in 2008-2009 and alternate years thereafter.