Food Safety & Quality Management (FOOD3017)

Course overview

Total quality management principles and their application in ensuring product quality and safety. International and national food regulatory systems and the development of, and scientific basis for food regulations.

The food industry in Australia is committed to the supply of high quality and safe food. Producing safe-to-consume foods of high quality is of national and international importance as food safety and quality is critical to health, as well as environmental, economic andﾠsocial security. Various organisations in Australia,ﾠand internationally, work with the food industry to deliver a range of policies, standards and protocols to ensure that foods soldﾠand consumed in Australia meets the guidelines for safety, health and quality.

This course coversﾠprinciples of food safety and quality management. The main food safety challenges for the food industry will be introduced, and the management tools and policies used for control will be discussed. Core skills in food quality and safety assessment, as well as understanding management practices and technology used to ensure foods meet market/regulatory requirements will also be a focus. For example, comprehensive discussion on food safety systems based on the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), andﾠthe different risks that food companies must assess and manage will be a key course module. Topical issues such asﾠfood allergens will be explored.ﾠAdditionally, the positive and negative features of predictive microbiology will be examined, and simulations of microbial growth under various conditions will be generated using online programs. Quality assurance in food and process efficiency will also be discussed.

At the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, we are committed to creating an inclusive and empowering learning environment for all students. We value and respect the diverse range of experiences our students bring to their education, and we believe that this diversity is crucial for fostering a rich culture of knowledge-sharing and meaningful exploration. We hold students and staff accountable for actively contributing to establishing a respectful and supportive learning environment.

Bullying, harassment, and discrimination in any form are strictly against our principles and againstﾠUQ Policy,ﾠand will not be tolerated. If you have any concerns about your experience in this course, we encourage you to tell a member of the course teaching team. Your well-being and a positive learning atmosphere are of utmost importance to us.

Course requirements

Assumed background

Recommended prerequisites

We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:

MICR2001 or MICR3860

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

The outline below describes the modules offered to students over the Semester's teaching weeks:

Each week, there will be a 2-hour lecture and a 2-hour tutorial.

Weeks 1 & 2: Food safety and Food allergens.

Weeks 3 - 7: Introduction to quality assurance (QA) in food, and a detailed exploration of the food safety management tool of HACCP.

Weeks 8 & 9: Introduction to the food safety management tool of predictive microbiology.

Weeks 10 & 12: Risk analysis, delivered by an Industry Expert, with case studies presented in tutorial sessions.

Weekﾠ13: Future trends in food safety.

Tutorials will commence from Week 1 and students are expected to bring their electronic devices along to work on tutorial activities and assessment tasks scheduled during the tutorial sessions.

The lectures will be recorded and available on the course Blackboard site. ﾠ

Aims and outcomes

The aim of this course is to introduce students to:

1. the concept of food safety and quality management principles, and their application in ensuring product quality, uniformity and safety.
2. the steps and techniques used to develop and review a HACCP based Food Safety Program.
3. how predictive microbiology can be useful in generating safe foods.
4. the issues of food allergens and food intolerance.
5. background information on the principles of quality management.
6. the application of these programs in different food industries.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

Sequential Quiz (In-class, Online)

• In-person
• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Quiz

Weight

20% (Quiz 1 10% & Quiz 2 10%)

Due date

12/08/2025 4:00 pm

19/08/2025 4:00 pm

Other conditions

Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Task description

Submission guidelines

The online assessment is completed within Blackboard under the appropriate assessment title on your course Blackboard site.

Legal Declaration:

By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the UQ Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

In-Semester Exam

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

30%

Due date

22/09/2025 - 26/09/2025

In-Sem Exam will be held in Week 9 (ouside of scheduled class) full details to be provided on blackboard.

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Predictive Microbiology Simulation and Analysis

• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

20%

Due date

10/10/2025 12:00 pm

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Task description

Submission guidelines

You must submit your Assessment task, in Blackboard, via the Turnitin link by the submission deadline. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.

Legal Declaration:

By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the UQ Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL). See 6.1 Assessment Related Policies & Guidelines for links to the University Guidelines and Applications for Extensions.

End-of-Semester Examination

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

30%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

COURSE GRADING RULES AND ASSESSMENT HURDLES

In addition to gaining an overall 'Pass' grade, students must achieve an average minimum combined mark of 50% for both exams, taking into account their score for both In-semester and End-of-semester exams, in order to pass this course.

In other words, if students achieve below 50% for either of the In-semester or End-of-semester exams, but their average of the combined marks of both In-semester and End-of-semester exams is 50% or above, the student will pass this course assessment hurdle.

If a student obtains an overall percentage greater than the cut-offs set to achieve a 4 or higher for the course based on marks from a combination of other assessment/s and the In-semester and End of semester exams, but the student does NOT score a passing mark in the combined In-semester and End of semester exams, they are unable to achieve a grade higher than a 3 (failing grade) for the course.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Additional assessment information

Assignment writing

You must not re-use past work from previous assessments in your assignments. You are encouraged to:

• read the instructions for assignments carefully and ensure that you address all the requirements,
• refer to references both in the readings and beyond, and cite references in the appropriate manner,
• reflect on your own experience and provide insight and critical thinking,
• write clearly and concisely.

All submitted written assessment must be your own work and all oral assessment (including presentations or narration) must use your own voice unless an alternative has been arranged as part of a Student Access Plan (SAP).

Turnitin Assignments

Assignments that are required to be submitted through Turnitin must only be uploaded to the assessment specific Turnitin link on the relevant course Blackboard site. If you submit any version of your assessment item to any other Turnitin link, this is considered cheating, and you will be held liable for this action.

Release of marks

Unless specifically indicated by the course coordinator, every attempt will be made to have the results for progressive assessment available within 3 weeks of submission. For items of assessment submitted in the last 2 weeks of the semester, the results will not be available until grades release day. Results and feedback availability will be advised to you by email or announced via the course Blackboard site.  

Re-mark Applications – refer to the University's Re-mark Policy to check your eligibility.

Remark applications will not be considered without first having contacted your Course Co-ordinator.

Information for students can be found at : https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/querying-result

Deferred and Supplementary assessment (including Deferred Examinations)

Deferred and Supplementary information can be located on the my.UQ website.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

RECOMMENDED TEXTS

1. Arvanitoyannis, I.S. (ed) 2009. HACCP and ISO 22000: Application to Foods of Animal Origin. Wiley.
2. Kill, R. 2012. The BRC Global Standard for Food Safety: A Guide to a Successful Audit, 2nd Edition. Wiley.
3. Wallace, A.A., Sperber, W.H. & Mortimore, S.E. (eds) 2018. Food Safety for the 21st Century: Managing HACCP and Food Safety Throughout the Global Supply Chain. Wiley.

WEBSITES

1. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Website http//www.foodstandards.gov.au
2. Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (Australian Government) http://www.awe.gov.auﾠ(Biosecurity, formerly Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), is found on this site)
3. World Trade Organisation http://www.wto.org
4. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) http://www.fao.org
5. World Health Organisation (WHO) http://www.who.int
6. Food Standards Agency - United Kingdom http://www.food.gov.uk/
7. New Zealand Food Safety Authority http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz
8. Food Safety Network - Canada http://www.foodsafetynetwork.ca/

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Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.