Product Quality Assurance Project for Teaching of Food Analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Two of the challenges in teaching Food Analysis are bringing relevance to the various chemical and physical analyses discussed and exposing students to the realities of quality assurance in the food industry. In a project to help meet those objectives, each student, with the assistance of a “resource person” from the food industry, completes the project as if he or she is responsible for the quality assurance analyses of a specific food product in a food company. The student identifies the chemical, physical, sensory, and microbial analyses for raw ingredients, in‐process products, and the finished product. The project requires the student to participate in related class discussion, prepare a final written report, and make a brief class presentation. Analysis of survey data showed the project was more than moderately relevant or useful to former students working in the food industry, and related directly to the initial or current positions of most former students.