Food safety is a multidisciplinary field aimed at providing consumers with a high-quality food product, free of contaminants. It focuses on the analytical and toxicological aspects, in addition to risk analysis and management. Food safety has become increasingly important due to the globalization of the food supply chain and increased international trade. The estimated cost to the Canadian economy of food borne illnesses and related deaths is estimated at $12 to $14 billion per year. The food borne pathogens, Clostridium botulinum, Campylobacter, Cyclospora, E. coli 0157:H7, Listeria, C. perfringens, Salmonella, and Toxoplasma, represent major microbial risks to food safety in Canada.
PROGRAM MISSION
The McGill Food Safety and Quality Program (FSQP) aims to be the foremost Canadian centre for education, knowledge and specialized advice relating to food safety and quality.
PROGRAM VISION
The FSQP aims to:
- Provide knowledge, training and expertise in the production and regulation of safe food, free from harmful pathogens or chemical and physical toxicants;
- Serve as a leader in the identification and testing of new food and feed bioactive compounds with health and wellness benefits;
- Develop a multidisciplinary network of experts to foster strong food safety and quality research, and provide a venue for researchers, industry and government in which to collaborate;
- Provide specialized facilities and expertise, including regulatory aspects, at McGill University to support the food industry.
CORE ACTIVITIES
- Education and training
- Research and testing
- Independent scientific advice
- Networking of industry, government and university personnel
THE IAN AND JAYNE MUNRO CHAIR IN FOOD SAFETY
Inaugurated in 2011, the Ian and Jayne Munro Chair in Food Safety ensures that the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (FAES) continues to play a pivotal role in food safety research. Led by the Chair-holder, the FSQP will undertake collaborative research with industry and government, offer undergraduate and graduate programs, and provide independent, third-party expertise for the Canadian food industry, in order to address the complex scientific, legal and policy issues of global food safety.
The Chair is Dr. Xiaonan Lu, who is internationally recognized for his research on food safety and food microbiology.
Non-Thesis MSc Program in Food Safety
This 45-credit program is offered to candidates who seek further specialization in the area of food safety but do not wish to pursue independent research. These credits are obtained through a combination of graduate level courses. The residence time for M. Sc degree (non-thesis) is three academic terms.
Master of Science (M.Sc.) Food Science & Agricultural Chemistry: Food Safety (Non-Thesis) (45 Credits)
Program Requirement:
The program is intended to train graduate students as specialists in food safety with the expectation that graduates will be well prepared academically to take on the challenging food safety events and issues that emerge both in Canada and globally. The program will cover food safety through the entire food supply chain from food production through processing/manufacturing to the food consumer; the courses which make up the program reflect the food safety considerations at the different stages of the farm to table food supply chain.
Required Courses (12 credits)
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FDSC 545
Advances in Food Microbiology
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: An advanced level food microbiology course providing a perspective on advanced topics in food microbiology (microbial biofilms, antimicrobial resistance, bacterial endospores) and describing the fundamental principles of advanced techniques in food microbiology (microbiological, biochemical, immunological, genetics methods).
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Winter
- 3 lectures
- Prerequisite: MICR 230 or LSCI 230, or permission of instructor
- Offered in alternate years only
-
FDSC 624
Current Food Safety Issues
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: Examining current and emerging food safety issues and concerns as they occur, including food recalls, in the context of food safety hazards and health risk, food laws and regulations, food industry standards and practices.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
-
FDSC 626
Food Safety Risk Assessment
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: Food safety risk assessment as a key component of the risk analysis framework. Various aspects of the risk assessment process including planning, conducting and reviewing a risk assessment.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
-
FDSC 634
Food Toxins & Toxicants
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: Toxins and toxicant residues in food are explored from an analytical perspective. New techniques of analysis and strategies are emphasized.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Winter
- Prerequisite: FDSC 213 or permission of instructor.
Research Project (12 credits)
-
FDSC 697
M.Sc. Project Part 1
6 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: A critical review of the current state of knowledge of some aspect of Food Science or Technology.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Restriction: Must be registered in the M.Sc. in Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry; Non-Thesis Food Science.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
FDSC 698
M.Sc. Project Part 2
6 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: A critical review of the current state of knowledge of some aspects of Food Science or Technology.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Prerequisite: FDSC 697.
- Restriction: Must be registered in the M.Sc. in Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry; Non-Thesis-Food Science.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
Complementary Courses (15 credits)
3 credits chosen from the following:
-
FDSC 695
M.Sc. Graduate Seminar 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: Presentation on a selected topic, research proposal or research results based on progress in degree work (M.Sc.1).
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Terms
- Instructors
- Varoujan Yaylayan
- Varoujan Yaylayan
-
FDSC 696
M.Sc. Graduate Seminar 2
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: Presentation on a selected topic, research proposal or research results based on progress in degree work (M.Sc.2).
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Terms
- Instructors
- Varoujan Yaylayan
- Varoujan Yaylayan
12 credits chosen from the following:
-
AGRI 510
Professional Practice
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Agriculture: The ethical issues that face a professional in the workplace; professional ethics and deontology, professional responsibilities as related to the laws of labour, health, safety and risks to the environment, risk management and communication.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Restriction: Course restricted to senior undergraduate and graduate students.
-
BREE 535
Food Safety Engineering
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Bioresource Engineering: The application of engineering principles to address microbial and chemical safety challenges in food processing, including intervention technologies (traditional and novel non-thermal intervention technologies, chemical interventions, and hurdle approach); control, monitoring and identification techniques (biosensors); packaging applications in food safety (active packaging, intelligent or smart packaging); and tracking and traceability systems.
Offered by: Bioresource Engineering
-
FDSC 525
Food Quality Assurance
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: The principles and practices required for the development, maintenance and monitoring of systems for food quality and food safety. The concepts and practices of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point; ISO 9000; Total Quality Management; Statistical Sampling Plans, Statistical Process Control; Tools of Quality; Government Regulations.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Winter
- 3 lectures
- Prerequisite: AEMA 310 or permission of instructor
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken FDSC 425
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
FDSC 536
Food Traceability
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: Concepts and processes associated with the identification, tracking and tracing food forward and backward through the food continuum.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Winter
- 3 lectures
- Prerequisite: FDSC 425 or permission of instructor.
- Course offered in odd years.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
FDSC 555
Comparative Food Law
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: An introduction to food law. The transformations that food law is undergoing as a consequence of social, economic and technological changes, the regulation of food risks and consumers' rights to be informed (labeling, health claims, nutritional information).
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
NUTR 512
Herbs, Foods&Phytochemicals
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Nutrition and Dietetics: An overview of the use of herbal medicines and food phytochemicals and the benefits and risks of their consumption. The physiological basis for activity and the assessment of toxicity will be presented. Current practices relating to the regulation, commercialization and promotion of herbs and phytochemicals will be considered.
Offered by: Human Nutrition
-
OCCH 612
Principles of Toxicology
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Occupational Health & Hygiene: General principles of toxicology, routes of toxicant entry, human organs as targets of toxic action, adverse effects, time-course of reactions to toxicants. Risk assessment techniques, in vivo-in vitro toxicity models, links between human population observations and animal, cellular and biochemical models.
Offered by: Occupational Health
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
PARA 515
Water, Health and Sanitation
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Parasitology: The origin and types of water contaminants including live organisms, infectious agents and chemicals of agricultural and industrial origins. Conventional and new technological developments to eliminate water pollutants. Comparisons of water, health and sanitation between industrialized and developing countries.
Offered by: Parasitology
Elective Courses (6 credits)
At the 500 level or higher, and selected in consultation with the academic adviser.