COURSE GOALS: The objective of the course is to provide students with a broad understanding of the food law and regulatory landscape to help prepare them for future careers in the food industry. Lectures and discussions
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion (3 hours/week). This is a letter grade course that will be taught over ten weeks and will include a number of highly qualified guest lecturers. The guest lecturers are expert leaders from food-related regulatory agencies and will present descriptions of the various agencies, the role of the agencies within the food sector, and how they interact with industrial and agricultural businesses. There will be two lectures per week presented in a seminar format (~1hr lecture with 20min discussion). Classroom participation is an important aspect of this course, with students expected to engage significantly in classroom discussion.
TOPICAL OUTLINE:
- An introduction to the major food laws and regulations that affect the agricultural and food communities;
- An overview of the food regulatory agencies that are tasked with keeping our nation’s food supply safe from microbial, physical, and chemical contamination;
- A review of regulations that specifically address food labeling, standards, misbranding, and adulteration; • case examples of food fraud, food forensics, and litigation; and,
- Discussions of the regulations pertaining to specific food categories, including: milk and dairy; meat, poultry, and eggs; beer, wine, and spirits; and kosher and halal foods.
GRADING: Midterm Exam (25%), Final Exam (25%), Group Presentation (30%), Class Participation (20%).