FdSc Food and Drink Science and Technology

Program Overview

The FdSc Food and Drink Science and Technology program provides students with the practical knowledge and skills in legislation, supply chain management, and process development within the food and drink industry. Delivered through a blended learning approach, this part-time program combines distance learning with practical study blocks, preparing graduates for management roles in food and drink manufacturing. The program emphasizes work-based learning, industry relevance, and real-world applications, providing students with a competitive edge in the job market.

Program Outline

FdSc Food and Drink Science and Technology - University of Lincoln

Degree Overview:

The FdSc Food and Drink Science and Technology is a part-time, 3.5-year program designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary for management positions within the food and drink manufacturing industry. The program focuses on a balanced blend of theoretical understanding and practical skills, preparing students to manage complex, multi-disciplinary teams.

Key areas of study include:

• Legislation and regulation in the food and drink industry
• Supply chain security
• New product design
• Process parameters and control
• Project management
• Incident investigation and management
• Leadership skills
• Critical evaluation/analysis
• Stakeholder management

Outline:

The program is delivered through blended part-time distance learning and three study blocks per year at the University of Lincoln's National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM) in Holbeach.

Structure:

• Part-time: For work-based distance learners.
• Delivery: Learners access materials from Blackboard and attend seminars and study week block releases.
• Pathways: Available for manufacturing, supply chain, seafood processing, and agri-produce.
• Specialization: All modules require students to focus on their chosen pathway, with key module options and project modules defining the learning within that sector.

Course Schedule:

• Foundation Year:
• Food and Drink Governance, Legislation and Compliance (Core)
• Food and Drink Process Operations Management (Core)
• Managing Self and Others in the Food and Drink Industry (Core)
• Food and Drink Business Management (Core)
• Project Management and Management of Change (Core)
• First Year:
• Principles of Food and Drink Science (Core)
• Food and Drink Foundation Project (Core)
• Second Year:
• Food and Drink Process and Product Development (Core)
• Agri-Produce Science and Technology (Option)†
• Food and Drink Science and Technology (Option)†
• Product Development (Option)†
• Seafood Science and Technology (Option)†
• Third Year:
• Food and Drink Governance, Legislation and Compliance 2 (Core)
• Food and Drink Process Operations Management 2 (Core)
• Managing Self and Others in the Food and Drink Industry 2 (Core)
• Food and Drink Business Management 2 (Core)
• Project Management and Management of Change 2 (Core)

Module Descriptions:

• Food and Drink Governance, Legislation and Compliance: Introduces the importance of food and drink for human growth, emphasizing the role of nutrients.
Explores the food production process from raw material sourcing to consumer delivery, understanding potential risks. Covers key legislations, food safety systems, and pre-requisite programs. Addresses employee rights, health and safety, and environmental impacts. Emphasizes governance, compliance, and responses to safety deviations.
• Food and Drink Process Operations Management: Explores factory design and unit processes within the food and drink industry.
Exposes students to the complexity and interconnectedness of multiple process variables, considering food safety, hurdle-technology, potential contaminants and hazards, and organoleptic quality.
• Managing Self and Others in the Food and Drink Industry: Introduces the concept of work-based personal development, effective leadership, and techniques for managing people.
Students consider their own needs through SWOT analysis and develop a Personal Development Plan (PDP). Explores tools and techniques for managing teams and how to implement them in the workplace. Addresses preparation for unexpected customer or enforcement authority interaction.
• Food and Drink Business Management: Covers organizational structures and objectives, financial and non-financial aspects.
Introduces foundational management theories and basic business legislation. Underscores financial literacy, business accounts, ratio analysis, and business economics essentials. Emphasizes budgeting, negotiation skills, performance measurement frameworks, information management, marketing, and strategic tools. Addresses ethics, moral choices, stakeholder considerations, and ethical issues in the food and drink sector.
• Principles of Food and Drink Science: Provides a deep understanding of the chemistry of food and drink through a discussion of the chemical constituents of various food and drink commodities.
Considers microbiological ecology, potential for physical changes during processing, and allergenic risks. Explains scientific techniques used to measure chemical, physical, microbiological, and allergenic properties. Reflects on sampling and testing protocols to ensure product safety, legality, and quality.
• Project Management and Management of Change: Explores the critical roles of change and project management within an organization.
Introduces the importance of effective change management and the factors that instigate change projects. Develops a thorough understanding of the dynamics that influence and shape organizational change. Underscores the impacts of culture, organizational structures, and legal/regulatory frameworks on change projects. Demonstrates the necessity of factoring these aspects into change strategy and planning.
• Food and Drink Foundation Project: Provides a structured framework for developing skills in project design and management, data collection and analysis, reflection, and evaluation of project outputs.
The project topic is typically relevant to the learner's workplace and takes place at their place of employment. Students engage with learning materials on project management and reporting, applying them to their own project topic and submitting sections of a work-based project report for assessment.
• Food and Drink Process and Product Development: Develops an understanding of systems and preservation methods that ensure safety, quality, and legality during food processing and new product introduction.
Enhances knowledge of techniques and scientific principles that underpin food preservation, optimize shelf life, and maintain nutrition. Examines the role of packaging in maintaining shelf life, integrity, and quality throughout food production stages.
• Agri-Produce Science and Technology: Develops knowledge of how plants interact with the environment and how environmental factors impact yield, quality, and availability of fresh produce.
Provides an understanding of cell and plant structures, physiological processes that drive plant growth, and how these can be manipulated through specific plant husbandries and environmental interventions. Explores the impact of climate change and social factors on growth and availability of fresh produce.
• Food and Drink Science and Technology: Provides a greater understanding of the governance in place within laboratories that provide testing and calibration data for the food and drink industry.
Enables more effective discussions with scientists working in these facilities to enhance the reliability of scientific data for producing safe, legal, and high-quality products.
• Product Development: Explores food product development concepts.
Reviews the impact of consumer trends, regulatory requirements, and the influence of technology in product design. Develops an appreciation of how food is perceived and the different methods used to collect sensory data. Introduces seafood origins, challenges facing seafood supply, composition of seafood, and how characteristics change post-capture. Covers methods for monitoring and maintaining quality. Reviews seafood processing technology, technical considerations, and seafood technical standards expected by customers and third parties. Covers regulatory requirements and awareness of potential food defense issues.

Assessment:

The program uses a variety of assessment methods, including:

• Written reports
• Work-based research projects
• Presentations
• Case studies
• Practical assessments
The format and timing of assessment are planned to accommodate the needs of students working while studying. The assessment timetable is designed to take into account busy periods within the industry.

Teaching:

• Delivery: Blended part-time distance learning and three study blocks per year at the University of Lincoln's National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM) in Holbeach.
• Faculty: The program is taught by experienced faculty with expertise in the food and drink industry.
• Unique Approaches: The program emphasizes practical skills and real-world applications, with a focus on work-based learning and industry relevance.

Careers:

The FdSc Food and Drink Science and Technology prepares students for a variety of careers in the food and drink industry, including:

• Food and drink production management
• Quality assurance and control
• Research and development
• Technical sales and marketing
• Regulatory affairs
• Scholarships and Bursaries: Scholarships and bursaries are available to help cover costs for eligible undergraduate students.
International scholarships are also offered.

Note:

The symbol † indicates that some courses may offer optional modules. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and is subject to minimum student numbers being achieved.