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FDSC10010

Academic Year 2024/2025

Food Diet and Health (FDSC10010)

Subject:
Food Science
College:
Health & Agricultural Sciences
School:
Agriculture & Food Science
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Daniel Hurley
Trimester:
Autumn and Spring (separate)
Mode of Delivery:
Online
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module will introduce students to the principle and understanding of Healthy Eating Guidelines and Food Science (with particular emphasis on the composition and manufacture of key food and beverage commodities), Food Safety (e.g. microbial and non-microbial contamination of foods) and Nutrition-related Public Health issues (e.g. food choice, obesity).

This module will be delivered fully online. Online video lectures, with accompanying notes will be released each week. Students are requested to watch / read the lecture material independently and then submit questions/queries each week for a scheduled online live classroom, where questions and issues raised will be addressed.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:
Describe the principle and basis of healthy eating guidelines.
Understand healthy eating guidelines and role of nutrients in health and disease.
Describe the manufacture of key food and beverage products.
Demonstrate an awareness of the contribution of these foods to a healthy diet.
Know the chemistry underlying the properties and reactions of various food components and know the unit operations required to produce a given food product.
Identify key food safety issues.
Know some of important pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in foods and the conditions under which they will grow.
Identify the conditions, including sanitation practices, under which the important pathogens and spoilage microorganisms are commonly inactivated, killed or made harmless in foods.
Be aware of current topics of importance to the food industry.

Indicative Module Content:

This module is split into 4 sections:
• Nutrition
• Food Science
• Public Health Nutrition
• Food Safety

The lecture topics covered include:
• Food Pyramid – The science and details of the current healthy eating guidelines
• Dietary Reference Values – How do we know how much of each nutrient we should be eating
• Food Labelling – How to read and understand food labels.
• Macronutrients – Understand the function and requirements for carbohydrate, fat and protein
• Vitamins 1 – Understand the function and requirements for water soluble vitamins
• Vitamins 2 - Understand the function and requirements for fat soluble vitamins
• Dairy: Milk composition – What is in milk and why is it important for health
• Dairy: Principles of dairy processing – What processing does milk undergo and why?
• Dairy: Cheese manufacture – Principles of making cheese
• Meat, Diet and Health – Understanding what is in milk and how its consumption can effect health
• Meat Quality – What are the factors that influence meat quality
• Meat Product Manufacture – How to make meat products such as ham and sausages.
• Food Safety – How and why we need to keep our food safe for consumption
• Body Composition /Obesity – What is obesity and how do we measure it.
• Food Choice – What factors influence food choice?
• Functional foods – What is a functional food and how does it affect our health?
Fad diets – What is a fad diet, examples explained.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24

Specified Learning Activities

28

Autonomous Student Learning

48

Total

100


Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module is taught using a flipped classroom model – this means the content for each interactive class is given in advance and the time spent in classroom is used to go over the material you have already studied and/or answer any questions that you have. A flipped classroom allows you to learn in your own time and at your own pace. Giving you the material in advance allows us, the lecturers, time to give you more one-on-one instruction as well as giving you the opportunity to ask questions about the content you found confusing or difficult.

In addition to being in a flipped classroom format, this module is also delivered completely online – this means, rather than having your questions answered in a traditional lecture theatre, we will use an online classroom facility in Blackboard. You will simply log in to Blackboard and click on the link to the live classroom in the module where you will see and hear the lecturer and be able to view a presentation being discussed. You will be able to ask questions in this online classroom just as you do in a traditional lecture theatre.

So, what does this mean for you as a student on this module?
• You are responsible for watching the online videos / reading lecture material each week.
• You need to note any questions you have on this material and post these in the discussion board in Blackboard each week. These will be addressed in the online classroom with by the relevant lecturer.
• You will attend and participate in the scheduled online classroom each week.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Mid-Trimester Online Quiz Week 6 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
20
No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Late-Trimester Online Quiz Week 12 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
20
No
Exam (Online): End of Trimester Exam End of trimester
Duration:
1 hr(s)
Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
60
No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
Repeat Within Two Trimesters
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Students will receive a grade on completion of each of the online MCQ. Feedback will then be given at a class level in terms of topics / areas of the MCQ that caused issues or we answered incorrectly by a significant amount of the cohort. Feedback on individual questions will not be given.

Name Role
Professor Eileen Gibney Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Professor Frank Monahan Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Mr Mick O'Sullivan Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Online Learning Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Thurs 10:00 - 10:50
Autumn Online Learning Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Tues 10:00 - 10:50
Spring Online Learning Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 12:00 - 12:50
Spring Online Learning Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 11:00 - 11:50