Agricultural Sciences

This course combines knowledge from different disciplines of food science to study the effect of processing on product quality, in relation to innovation of food products, taking both a technological and a consumer perspective. The product quality is described by technological properties (e.g. chemical and physical properties). Examples include consistency, color, flavor, and appearance of the food. An introduction to sensory analysis is given, explaining the use of statistical computer programs to handle data sets from sensory analyses. In addition, the process of product innovation is analyzed in its societal context, with an emphasis on ethical issues. Moreover, the theory on chemical analysis of foods with means of chromatography techniques is given and practiced in lab-simulation tutorials. The course includes classroom lectures, (lab) tutorials, and sensory experiments. In the laboratory classes, groups produce an innovative food product starting from raw materials and compare its properties with those of an existing food product. This part of the course is also known as DIPP: Discipline Integrating Product Practical. Students perform consumer interviews on their raw materials and innovative food products. A scientific report is written on the experiments and assignments performed on the innovative food product. For this course, it assumed that students know the different food science disciplines: food chemistry, food physics, food microbiology, and food process engineering, including laboratory experience in these disciplines.

Knowledge of the chemical composition and properties of food is of primary importance to ensure product quality, safety, and stability. In the lectures of this course, the effects of processing and storage conditions on the chemical composition of the major food constituents (lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins) and phenolic compounds are discussed. Examples are the modification of lipids and the importance of lipid refining, modification of polysaccharides to optimize their properties, reactivity (e.g. oxidation) of phenolic compounds, and stability & chemical reactivity of proteins. The course focuses on the occurrence and reactivity of these compounds in different food products and raw materials, the analysis of these compounds and their reaction products, and the effect of reactions during storage and processing on the chemical composition and properties of raw materials and food products. Information discussed during the lectures is applied in tutorials, digital case studies, and a practical in which students design the experiment.

This course discusses the biology of animals. The course covers:

• Animal form and function
• Water and Electroylyte balance in animals
• Animal nutrition
• Circulation
• Gas Exchange
• Animal Movement
• Chemical signals in animals
• Electrical signals in animals
• The Vertebrate Nervous System
• Animal Sensory Systems
• Animal Reproduction
• Animal Development
• Immune System in animals

This course studies basic concepts of applied animal and dairy science, covering the following topics: comparative physiology, anatomy, nutrition, genetics, reproduction, animal product, immunology, microbiology, environment biology, and animal behavior. 

This course gives an introduction to the principles behind effective operational quality systems in these complex food production chains. Major theoretical topics of the course include the relationship 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, and techniques in quality control and inspection; and introduction to major quality assurance standards. The course contains assignments related to these 4 topics. The assignments serve as a basis for critical analysis of factors influencing the actual operation of the implemented quality system.

This course examines a pertinent challenge of humankind: how to feed 12 billion people while maintaining the integrity and function of our planet. It challenges participants with contrasting viewpoints for a nuanced understanding of the multidimensional aspects of food production and consumption. Course participants explore the food debate as consumers and scholars, with focus on the science behind innovation of food and food systems, locally and globally. Course participants map the future of food and agriculture with view of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

This course covers how to choose pre-fermentation operations, assess the result, and determine and control any corrections to the harvest. It also discusses how to lead the transformation of grapes into wine depending on the type of product sought and regulatory and hygiene requirements; differentiate the production routes of traditional red wines; and differentiate the typicality.

This course covers technical-commercial language in English used in the field of eonology (wine-making). It covers vocabulary used to discuss sensory analysis and tasting comments. It also focuses on professional communication techniques used in presentations, writing a CV, composing emails, engaging in sales, as well as interviews and promotions. 

This course covers how to select and control the implantation of a yeast strain; control fermentation kinetics by controlling temperature, oxygen, activators, and nutritional factors; follow the progress of alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation using appropriate techniques and analyses to determine the time of runoff and the method of racking; remedy fermentation stops, select and control the implantation of a strain of lactic acid bacteria, control fermentation kinetics by controlling temperature and nutritional factors, and remedy fermentation stops; carry out microbiological control of the product adapted to market demand; and carry out microbiological analyses adapted to monitoring populations of yeasts, fermentative bacteria, and spoilage microorganisms at all stages of production.

This course introduces the theory, agronomic practices, and ecological mechanisms of Organic Production Systems. First, the different approaches and production methods of soils, plants, trees, and animals in organic farming are presented with lectures, farm excursions, and farmer interviews. Different farming systems such as organic farming, biodynamic farming, nature-inclusive agriculture, regenerative agriculture, conservation agriculture, agroforestry, and permaculture are presented and discussed. Secondly, the course focuses specifically on the integration and cooperation of the different agricultural elements and concentrates on the interactions between annual and perennial arable crops, livestock species, trees, soils, and landscapes in the Dutch/European environment. Examples from all over the world are used to demonstrate integration and cooperation. The course uses certified organic systems as the baseline and starting point. This course does not discuss conventional farming practices.