Food Mycology Short Course

Who Should Attend

This short course is intended for those who work with food and environmental microbiology issues, including:

• food scientists
• microbiologists
• quality management personnel
• food processing personnel
• health regulatory officials.

Curriculum

The short course is delivered in a classroom and laboratory environment, and includes a mixture of theory, demonstrations, and laboratory activities. Participants will develop a detailed understanding of the methods used to isolate, detect and identify food- and airborne fungi and mycotoxins. The program also provides a basic understanding of the ecology of fungi in foods and processing environments.

At the completion of the short course, participants will:

• Recognize the significance of fungi and mycotoxins in foods
• Understand the factors affecting growth of fungi in foods
• Understand how to prevent and control fungal growth in foods and food processing environments
• Become familiar with the methods for detecting, enumerating, and identifying fungi
• Become familiar with methods to analyze for mycotoxins in foods
• Become familiar with airborne fungi - Be introduced to antifungal preservatives
• Understand the role of fungi in food processing

Contact the course director for information on current or future offerings.