Food Science

Year 1 introduces you to the major sources of food and their history, current trends in consumption, and key industrial processing operations. You’ll study food chemistry and develop your laboratory and experimentation skills. In addition, you’ll be introduced to microbiology, human physiology and nutrition; these modules allow you to gain a practical understanding of how food affects health and wellbeing, and appreciate the role of food as a carrier of nutrients.

Year 2 modules deepen your understanding of food texture, flavour and taste. You’ll be introduced to the theory behind food formulation and new product development, with an emphasis on the study of how food components affect the chemical and microbiological safety of food. Modules on food colloids and food quality assurance directly relate to the research strengths of the School. During this year, we introduce problem-solving activities that relate to actual research/industrial situations.

In your third year you will apply your skills to designing new foods, from concept through formulation and processing, through to sensory evaluation, packaging and marketing. Your team project, based on new product development (NPD), will explore the role of nutritionists in developing and marketing novel healthy foods to fill gaps in the present market and to meet new demands for healthy foods. You will deepen your understanding of how foods can affect health and in nutrition through topics that may include nutritional policy and practice, obesity and personal nutrition, food and cancer, and diet and cardiovascular health.

In your final year you will undertake an extended individual research project; you will be given a choice of topics to investigate in the School. You will also develop problem solving skills through an interactive module in which you will assess the properties of foods on the market and how their ingredients give the food its nutritional profile as well as desirable tastes and textures, and then investigate how to improve the nutritional profile without changing the taste and texture of the food. You will also be given a choice of modules that will allow you to extend your knowledge in a field of your choice that may include nutritional epidemiology, effects of processing on nutrition, food allergy and functional foods.

Course structure

These are typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

Modules Year 1

Compulsory modules

• Food: Origins and Form 10 credits
• Key Industrial Processing Operations for Food 20 credits
• Key Skills in Food and Nutritional Sciences 20 credits
• Principles of Human Physiology and Nutrition 20 credits
• Physicochemical Properties of Food 20 credits
• Cell and Molecular Biology 20 credits
• Studying in a Digital Age (Food Science) 5 credits

Year 2

Compulsory modules

• Molecules Controlling Sensory and Nutritional Properties 20 credits
• Innovation and Design Principles for Foods 10 credits
• Food Colloids: Formulation of Creamy, Fatty and Bubbly Foods 20 credits
• Microbiological and Chemical Food Safety 20 credits
• Food Analysis 10 credits
• Literature Review in Food Science and Nutrition 10 credits
• Introduction to Food Product Development 10 credits
• Food Quality Assurance 10 credits

Year 3

Compulsory modules

• Food Processing: from Farm to Shop 10 credits
• How Ingredients Interact in Foods 20 credits
• Food Research: Recent Revelations and Disputes 10 credits
• Critical Appraisal of Scientific Literature 20 credits
• Functional Foods 10 credits
• Food Product Development - Team Project 30 credits

Year 4

Compulsory modules