Bachelor's degree in Food Science and Technology

Introduction

Objectives and competences

Objectives

• To learn to carry out professional activities aimed at determining the nature of foods, potential causes of deterioration and optimal processing methods, with a view to extending useful life and improving food safety without affecting nutritional or sensory value.
• To acquire a solid grounding in the key scientific and technological principles for a career in the food industry: composition and properties, evolution along the production and retail cycle, and effects on humans.
• To develop a thorough understanding of the social and legal environment in which food is produced and consumed, as the basis for offering consumers products that are adapted to their habits, compatible with environmental and sustainability criteria, and in compliance with current legislation.
• To establish contacts with the commercial sector, government bodies, and the food and nutrition research community.

Competences

Upon completion of the bachelor's degree, successful students will be able to:

• apply general scientific knowledge to the specific field of food science and technology;
• apply the principles of biotechnology and chemical engineering to describe, analyse, control and optimize processes of food transformation and preservation;
• understand the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of the raw materials in foods;
• understanding and apply the principles of food processing techniques, and assess the effects on product quality and safety;
• understand the principles of food preservation systems and the characteristics and properties of packaging materials and systems;
• understand and plan treatment and/or reuse systems for byproducts and waste products, in accordance with the criteria of sustainability and respect for the environment;
• understand nutrients, bioavailability, function in the organism, bases of a balanced diet, nutritional needs and principles of food and health;
• identify and select appropriate analytical procedures (chemical, physical, biological and sensorial), according to the aims of the study, the characteristics of the analytes and the basis of the technique;
• assess and apply the components of risk analysis (assessment, management and communication) in the field of food safety;
• understand the history and anthropology of food and the psychological and sociological principles of eating behaviour;
• display an understanding of the mechanisms by which raw materials deteriorate, the reactions and changes that take place during storage and processing and to know how to apply control methods;
• identify sources of raw materials and the potential variability they display, in order to predict the impact on processing operations and on food;
• identify microorganisms that are pathogenic, alter properties or are used industrially in food, as well as the conditions for their growth in foodstuffs and in industrial and biotechnological processes;
• identify potentially toxic chemical compounds and their origins;
• identify food hazards, their nature (physical, chemical, biological and nutritional), their origin or causes, the effects of exposure to hazards through food, and appropriate methods for controlling such hazards throughout the food chain, to reduce the risk to consumers;
• design, formulate and label foods, in accordance with consumer needs and food characteristics;
• design and use Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems;
• design, apply and audit regulations and quality systems for products, processes and companies. To gain knowledge of and evaluate international standards for quality management, certification processes and accreditation;
• design and apply quality control programmes that encompass sampling plans, characteristics, specifications and tolerances;
• display the knowledge and skills to work in public health, in the design and implementation of programmes and strategies for improving food habits, promoting a healthy lifestyle and preventing disease;
• display the knowledge and skills to participate in food safety policy design, programmes and projects in the public and private sector;
• display the knowledge and skills required to audit and provide legal, scientific and technical advice for an agri-food company;
• demonstrate the knowledge and skills to contribute to the launch of a new product, providing scientific criteria for the advertising and marketing of food products;
• interpret and apply the regulatory principles of agri-food legislation;
• assess the importance of quality management as a key aspect of competitiveness and know how to use quality tools for planning, control and continuous improvement.

Access and admission

Applicant profile and access requirements

Recommended applicant profile

• Interest in learning about the scientific and technological aspects of food and nutrition, and in laboratory work.
• A good level of chemistry, with basic knowledge of organic and inorganic chemistry, and general knowledge of biology.
• Basic training in mathematics and physics.
• User-level IT skills.
• A good level of English, particularly reading comprehension.

Access requirements and conditions

Admission for students with studies completed outside Spain.

Applicants holding higher educational qualifications from a university outside Spain should consult the page Admission with foreign qualifications to find out about specific admission requirements.
 

Pre-enrolment

Students that have studied abroad and who wish to study at the University of Barcelona may be admitted to EHEA bachelor's degree courses. Procedures for gaining admission will depend on the qualifications held by each applicant.

For further information about admission, consult the page Admission with foreign qualifications.
 

Enrolment

As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online via the Món UB portal. To find out the date and time you have been assigned, check the specific information for your course. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned.

Academic information

• Documents required for enrolment
• Procedure to formalize enrolment
• After enrolment
• Grants and financial aid

Welcome

Support and guidance

Pre-enrolment information and events

• Welcome portal
• Student Support Service (SAE)
• Open days
• Informative sessions

Course curriculum

Subjects and course plans

Distribution of credits

List of subjects

Pathways and specializations

Previous years

• Course plans 2023 - 2024
• Course plans 2022 - 2023
• Course plans 2021 - 2022

Teaching staff

Placements

Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment.They are therefore included in the academic record.  There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 500 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.
 

Institutional information

• Regulations on external placements
• FeinaUB

Career opportunities

What can you work on ?

Although there is no specifically defined, regulated profession for food science and technology graduates, the syllabus of this bachelor's degree is designed to train experts whose professional profiles will enable them to work in the following areas:

• Process and product quality management in agri-food industries
• Development and innovation of processes and products in the food area
• Analysis of foods, prevention and management of fraud
• Food quality and safety
• Legal, scientific and technical consultancy to the agri-food sector
• Teaching and research in areas related to food and nutrition

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