Access to a secure supply of safe food is a human right. Everyone who is involved in food production, processing, sale and service has a role in ensuring that the food that reaches our tables will not be a hazard to human health. National Food Control systems are designed to ensure the existence of a safe food supply, and promote the good health of local populations. Food legislation in many countries around the world requires that food businesses have conducted a hazard analysis and introduced measures necessary to ensure the production of safe food. Guidelines for food safety management systems (FSMS), based on general requirements for hygiene and principles for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) are defined internationally by the FAO/WHO (CODEX - 2001).

 

Quality Management Systems (QMS) are used to control the quality and safety of products. The use of a QMS will ensure that all aspects of a business are working efficiently and cost effectively. A system will provide a competitive advantage, which can increase marketing and sales opportunities, this will help a company gain new customers as well as retaining existing business. By working within a QMS the whole workforce will be involved which improves communication, morale and job satisfaction. The ISO 9000-2000 standard is a guide for the establishment of a quality system. ISO 9001 comprises 6 clauses and is designed to be used as a guide for the quality management process of an organisation. It is not prescriptive, but allows managers to design and implement a quality management system appropriate for their business needs.

 

MSc Food Safety - Participants are provided with the skills needed to assess existing food safety and quality management systems, introduce improvements and communicate effectively with policy makers and with colleagues in multi-disciplinary teams. Key practical elements of this programme have been delivered by NRI to food-industry staff world-wide in recent years for their continuing professional development. These short courses meet the demands of formal schemes, such as the requirement for Environmental Health Officers to attend such food safety courses annually. NRI has specialist laboratory facilities for research and analysis on food quality and contaminants (including pesticide residues, mycotoxins and heavy metals) and these are available to MSc students for their research projects.

 

The course contents reflect the following key issues:

• Health aspects of food hazards
• Contamination of foods by biological, chemical or physical hazards
• Quality Assurance management and its role in producing a safe food supply
• Consumers' perception regarding food safety
• Market differentiation and creation of a positive brand image
• Socio-economic impact of unsafe food supply
• Impact of urbanisation of food production and processing
• Impact of international trade on small and medium enterprises involvement in export trade

Students may also attend components of the MSc programmes with a view to obtaining a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) or Certificate (PGCert), or as individual short courses.

 

Entry requirements: a degree or equivalent professional qualification in an appropriate subject. Applicants without formal entry qualification may be admitted according to their work experience and responsibilities.

 

Course costs: We all know that the cost of education can be high, be we also recognise that this is an important investment. Because of this, we have introduced a series of charges for our courses which reflect not only the cost of delivering the course but students abilities to pay. Click here for further information.

 

Course duration: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time (intakes in September and January each year). Currently, no full MSc programmes are available in distance learning mode, although components of them are.

 

How to apply: application forms may be downloaded here [Word 232Kb / PDF 139Kb] or obtained from

 

Ms N E Hunn
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences,
University of Greenwich at Medway
Central Avenue
Chatham
Kent ME4 4TB

E-mail: N.E.Hunn@gre.ac.uk

 

Informal enquiries may be sent to the Programme Leader at the address above: Mrs Linda Nicolaides (L.Nicolaides@gre.ac.uk)

 

Please indicate your choice of Programme on the form.