Program Overview

Unit Overview

The unit NUTR506 - Advanced Culinary Nutrition Science in Practice is a 10-credit point course offered by the Australian Catholic University. It is available online and can be taken in Semester 2 or Professional Term 2.

Unit Rationale, Description, and Aim

This unit aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the factors that influence the eating experience and dietary intakes. It covers the composition and function of ingredients, taste, odor, and flavor, as well as the sensory experience of eating. The unit also focuses on advanced sensory analysis, the influence of the eating environment design and gastrophysics, and sensory principles for healthy ingredient substitution.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completing this unit, students will be able to:

• Critically examine the relationship between the functionality of single and composite ingredients and the sensory experience of eating/drinking
• Formulate, execute, and present a culinary nutrition science research project to effectively answer a nutrition-related research question
• Use safe and highly developed, creative, and innovative food planning, preparation, cooking, and styling techniques for targeted eating environments
• Demonstrate how teamwork and advanced leadership skills contribute to a successful culinary operation

Content

The unit covers various topics, including:

• Composition and function of ingredients
• Taste, odor, and flavor
• Sensory experience of eating
• Advanced sensory analysis
• Influence of the eating environment design and gastrophysics
• Sensory principles for healthy ingredient substitution
• Food styling principles for the table, in plating, and in amateur food photography
• Scientific principles of preparation and cooking methods
• Culinary science research
• Advanced food preparation and cooking techniques
• Working as a team in a commercial cooking environment

Assessment Strategy and Rationale

The unit has three assessment tasks:

1. Ungraded Hurdle: Current Food Handling Certificate - Students must hold a current food handling certificate or complete one prior to the commencement of practical sessions.
2. Assessment 1: Written Assessment Task (30%) - Enables students to demonstrate their ability to assess and clearly articulate the links between the composition and function of a single or composite ingredient and sensory experience.
3. Assessment 2 and Assessment 3: Research Project (70%) - Enables students to demonstrate their ability to innovatively develop, execute, and present the results of a relevant experiment to answer a research question.

Learning and Teaching Strategy and Rationale

The unit content is completed over the teaching period at students' own pace in their own kitchens. The learning and teaching strategy adopted aligns with the sequencing of the learning outcomes and consists of three phases designed to provide students with a developmental learning experience.

Representative Texts and References

The unit recommends several texts and references, including:

• Pedersen, M. T., Hansen, P. L., & Clausen, M. P. (2021). Gastronomy unravelled by physics: Gastrophysics.
• Rowley, J., & Spence, C. (2018). Does the visual composition of a dish influence the perception of portion size and hedonic preference?
• Segnit, N. (2010). The Flavour Thesaurus.
• Spence, C. (2017). Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating.
• Vega, C., Ubbink, J., & van der Linden E. (Eds.) (2013). The Kitchen as Laboratory: Reflections on the Science of Food and Cooking.
• Velasco, C., Michel, C., & Spence, C. (2021). Gastrophysics: Current approaches and future directions.

Locations and Credit Points

The unit is available online and is worth 10 credit points.