Academic Year/course:
2023/24
568 - Degree in Food Science and Technology
30829 - Food Legislation
Syllabus Information
Academic year:
2023/24
Subject:
30829 - Food Legislation
Faculty / School:
105 - Facultad de Veterinaria
Degree:
568 - Degree in Food Science and Technology
ECTS:
6.0
Year:
3
Semester:
Second semester
Subject type:
Compulsory
Module:
---
1. General information
The objective of this subject is that the student knows the legal context of the exercise of their profession and knows how to apply it, taking into account the current Spanish and European Union legislation on food matters. To this end, the program includes three theoretical blocks (general concepts of legislation, general concepts of food legislation and applied food legislation), as well as numerous practical sessions aimed at learning tools for searching and analysing legal information, and the interpretation of legal texts applicable to the food sector in different situations that may arise in the professional field.
These approaches and objectives are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda of United Nations (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/es/), such that the acquisition of the learning results of the subject will contribute to some extent to the achievement of Goals 3, 4, 5, 5, 9 and 12.
2. Learning results
The student, in order to pass this subject, must demonstrate that:
1. Knows and knows how to interpret the different legal norms and the structure of the Spanish legal system.
2. Knows and knows how to interpret the legislation related to the food sector.
3. Knows and knows how to use the tools for research, analysis and interpretation.
4. Is able to apply the acquired knowledge, both theoretical and practical, to the analysis of situations, problem solving and decision making in real contexts.
5. Is able to actively participate in the learning process, to organize themselves, to plan the work independently and to manage information (whether it is in Spanish or English).
6. Is able to create in a team a project coordinated with other subjects and to defend it orally (in Spanish or English), detailing the legal aspects related to the manufacturing process of a food.
3. Syllabus
Theoretical teaching:
-
Block I. General concepts of legislation. Legal system. Sources of Spanish and EU law.
-
Block II. General concepts of food legislation. The Codex Alimentarius. Evolution of Spanish and EU food law . General principles of food legislation.
-
Block III. Applied food legislation. Hygiene of food products. Microbiological criteria. Maximum limits for residues and contaminants. Official control. General sanitary register of food companies and food. Food handlers. Additives. Labelling. Materials in contact with food. Food from animal origin. Foods of vegetable origin. Prepared meals. Water and other beverages.
Practical teaching:
-
Computer tools for obtaining information on Spanish and European legislation and its application to issues that may arise in the professional field.
-
Supervised group work of collection, reading and analysis of legal information on a specific topic, and presentation in coordination with the subjects "Applied Food Hygiene" and "Food Technology II".
4. Academic activities
-
Participative master class. Presentation and discussion of the theoretical program in the classroom.
-
Practical activities. Aimed at the acquisition of skills through the search, study and analysis of legal texts in a computer classroom and their application to the resolution of issues, as well as the realization of a coordinated tutored work.
-
Teaching assignments. Tutoring of coordinated work.
-
Personal study.
-
Assessment
-
Individual/group tutoring. Face-to-face or virtual sessions to resolve doubts.
5. Assessment system
The student must demonstrate that they has achieved the expected learning results by means of the following
1. Theoretical examination 1. The knowledge acquired in the theoretical classes corresponding to Block I will be evaluated by means of a written test, which will consist of 15 questions with four answer options, one of which will be valid. Correct answers will be graded with 1 point. Incorrect answers will subtract 0.33 points. Passing this test will account for 10% of the final grade.
2. Theoretical examination 2. The knowledge acquired in the theoretical classes corresponding to Blocks II and III will be evaluated by means of a written test consisting of 50 questions with four answer options, one of them being valid. Correct answers will be graded with 1 point. Incorrect answers will subtract 0.33 points. Passing this test will account for 40% of the final grade.
3. Practical Examination. A test will be carried out in a computer classroom, in which the student will have to solve in an individual way situations analogous to those worked in the practical classes. It will consist of answering, in writing, 4-5 developmental questions related to research, legal analysis and content of legal texts. The accuracy of the answer and the ability to use legal information sources to solve the questions will be evaluated. Passing this test will account for 25% of the final grade.
4. Coordinated tutored work. Students should compile the legal norms related to the process of elaboration and commercialization of a food by generating a database. In the legal texts in PDF, through the use of computer tools, they should underline the paragraphs that refer to the food or process. The ability to obtain legal information on the proposed topic, and to manage such information, will be assessed. In addition, the integration of legal criteria with hygienic and technological criteria will be evaluated in the presentation and discussion of the work, as well as the ability to understand and interpret the content of the legal texts through questions related to them. Students will be monitored and evaluated in the practical and tutoring sessions scheduled for the completion of the work. Passing this test will account for 25% of the final grade.
Although the student will have the possibility of passing the four tests on the official date indicated in the examination calendar prepared by the Centre for first and second call, tests 1 and 4 will be additionally called during the academic period and may be passed by students prior to the official call. In in relation to test 4, those students who do not pass it in advance, or have not chosen this modality, will be evaluated on the official dates indicated by the Centre for the first and second call by means of a global evaluation test that will consist of the delivery of a report and a written exam with development questions related to that activity.
In order to pass the subject and demonstrate that the student has achieved the expected learning results, the grade obtained in each of the four tests must be equal to or higher than 5. According to this, the overall grade will be obtained by calculating the weighted average of the grades obtained in the four tests.
In the case of not fulfilling this requirement to pass the grade, any grade equal to or higher than 5 obtained by the student in the two theory exams will be maintained until the second call of the same academic year. The grades equal to or higher than 5 obtained in the practical exam and in the coordinated tutored work will be maintained for two academic years.