Unit 1: Introduction to Food Safety and Quality
- Definition and importance of food safety and quality in public health
- The difference between the concepts of safety and quality
- The "farm-to-table" concept
- Relevant international organizations (WHO, FAO, EFSA, ISO, Codex Alimentarius)
- The relationship between therapeutic nutrition and food safety
Unit 2: Food Contaminants and Hazards
- Types of pollutants: physical, chemical, biological, and radioactive.
- Microbial hazards: bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites
- Mycotoxins and foodborne toxins
- Pesticide residues and heavy metals
- Preventing the spread of pollution
- Case studies on common food poisoning incidents
Unit 3: Good Hygiene Practices (GHP)
- Personal hygiene of food handlers
- Cleaning and disinfecting tools and surfaces
- Temperature and humidity control
- Prevent cross-contamination
- Designing food preparation and processing areas
- WHO and ISO 22000 standards in hygiene
Unit 4: HACCP System
- Definition of the system and its seven principles
- Risk analysis and identification of critical points
- Preparing an HACCP plan for a factory or restaurant
- Documentation and record keeping
- HACCP applications in dairy and juice factories and central kitchens
Unit 5: Food Quality Management Systems
- Defining quality in the food industry
- ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 standards
- FSSC 22000 Certificate
- The concept of traceability
- Sensory, physical, and chemical indicators of quality
- The difference between Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA)
Unit 6: Safety of Food Additives and Ingredients
- Definition and classification of food additives
- Allowable Limits (ADI)
- Safety assessment by EFSA and FDA
- How to read food labels and ingredient lists
- Case studies on controversial additives (colors, sweeteners, preservatives)
Unit 7: Food Inspection and Internal Audit
- The concept and stages of food inspection
- Responsibilities of inspectors and regulatory bodies
- Sampling tools and techniques
- Data analysis and reporting
- Internal and external quality reviews
- Preparing for official inspection visits
Unit 8: Modern Trends in Food Safety
- Modern technologies in food monitoring (blockchain, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things IoT)
- Genetically modified foods (GMOs) and their global legislation
- Environmental sustainability and its relationship to food safety
- Recall management and crisis handling
- A comparative study of legislation in the European Union, Turkey, and Arab countries
- Final project: Designing an integrated food safety and quality system
Unit 9: Industrial and Field Application
- Objective: To introduce trainees to real-world food manufacturing processes
- Department structure: Quality, Production, Maintenance, Warehouses
- Steps for receiving and inspecting raw materials
- FIFO and FEFO storage systems
- Production monitoring (packaging, labeling, batch coding)
- Filling out daily quality records
- Case studies from dairy, meat, juice, confectionery, and ready-made meal factories
- Case studies from dairy, meat, juice, confectionery, and ready-made meal factories
Unit 10: Food Legislation and Regulatory Affairs
- Objective: To prepare graduates to understand regulatory processes and obtain licenses
- Turkish and European legislation on food safety
- Food labeling laws and requirements
- Certificates of conformity (Halal, ISO, HACCP, GMP, CE, FDA Registration)
- Food import and export requirements
- Cooperation with municipalities (Belediye) and veterinary authorities
Unit 11: Career Path in Food Safety
- Objective: To guide graduates towards future job opportunities in this field
- Key job titles: QC Quality Control Officer, QA Quality Assurance Specialist, Food Safety Auditor, HACCP Consultant, Food Inspector
- Essential skills in a resume for food industry workers
- Professional CV and cover letter templates
- Common mistakes in job interviews and how to avoid them
- Popular job sites (LinkedIn, Kariyer.net, Indeed Turkey)
Unit 12: Personal Skills for Food Professionals
- Objective: To develop communication and teamwork skills in industrial work environments.
- Objective: To develop communication and teamwork skills in industrial work environments.
- Crisis management (product recall, complaint handling)
- Writing daily reports and official correspondence
- Leadership and persuasion skills for quality professionals
- Professional ethics and legal responsibility
Final assessment and graduation project
- Comprehensive multi-faceted theory test
- Group project: Implementing a realistic food safety plan
- Evaluating practical cases in real-life situations