Course summary

Why study this programme? Based in the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (R(D)SVS), the MSc is uniquely positioned to draw expertise from the world-class staff based in the vet school, Roslin Institute and the Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security. Globally, poor food safety affects 600 million people and results in 420,000 deaths in a year (World Health Organisation report; Estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases, 2015). This report highlighted the importance of producing safe food to save human lives, reduce morbidity, conserve resources and improve the economy of every country. Concern about foodborne diseases is a heightened public health concern worldwide. The contamination of food with microorganisms or chemicals may occur at any stage in the process from food production to consumption. Environmental contamination, including pollution of water, soil, or air, also poses a threat. What will I learn? Uniquely positioned to provide a holistic (“farm to fork”) food safety approach to the food chain, this MSc covers key food safety issues in:

• agricultural food production

• harvest

• slaughter

• processing

• storage

• transport

• retail

• consumption

• the drivers and economics of food safety throughout the food chain

• how to minimize, detect and deal with potential hazards in crop production, animal products, food processing, manufacture, and storage

• how to collect and analyse data from a foodborne disease outbreak

• a guide to relevant microbial and chemical hazards, and testing systems

• designing and implementing food safety management systems

• an introduction to animal welfare and food safety/quality concerns on farms, transport vehicles, slaughterhouses, meat processing plants, including waste management

• guides to relevant legislation, comparing legislation and issues with labelling, traceability, enforcement, and food fraud

• other topics are available in elective options

• public health

• food and beverage

• agriculture

• veterinary

• biology

• agricultural sciences

• biological science

• food systems

• veterinary medicine

• human medicine

• agriculture professional

• rural industries professional

• food industry professional

• government official

• international organisation employee

• researcher in food safety

• third sector employee