Program Overview

Course Description

The course NFOK16002U Aroma - the Chemistry behind Odour provides a thorough review of techniques for sampling and analysis of aroma in foods. It explores the relationship between the aroma profile and the sensory quality of a product, including the complexity of the chemical background for odour impressions. The use of multivariate techniques, such as chemometrics, to relate aroma analysis to sensory evaluation data is an integrated part of the course.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

• Understand the complexity of the chemical background for odour
• Understand the principles and methods being used to measure and interpret aroma
• Know the commonly used techniques for aroma analysis
• Know how results obtained through aroma analysis relate to measured sensory quality

Skills

• Explain the aroma chemistry in food products
• Evaluate possibilities and limitations of aroma analysis for food quality analysis
• Ability to choose the proper method to evaluate aroma of food products
• Ability to identify important aroma compounds through organoleptic perception and dynamic release in the nasal cavity
• Ability to treat and handle instrumental aroma data using advanced techniques
• Hands-on experience with aroma analysis
• Ability to assess reliability of data
• Ability to perform suitable data analysis on instrumental data and to relate it to sensory data

Competences

• Apply aroma analysis to solve current challenges relating to food quality
• Handling complex data sets and reporting results
• Relate different aroma sampling techniques
• Reflect on the role of aroma properties in quality of food
• Cooperate with fellow students in a project group, including planning, executing, and reporting experiments

Recommended Academic Qualifications

The participants are expected to have basic skills within food chemistry and chemometrics. Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree are highly recommended, including experience with larger projects, presentation of data, and skills in academic writing.

Teaching and Learning Methods

A combination of self-studies and e-learning before the attendance part of the course will give the student the basic tools and knowledge required for the course. Through practical projects, where the students work in groups, measurement of aroma will be carried out. Sensory data will also be used and correlated to instrumental data. Based on the practical work, a written report is prepared.

Workload

• Lectures: 16 hours
• Preparation: 58 hours
• Theory exercises: 5 hours
• E-Learning: 50 hours
• Project work: 76 hours
• Exam: 1 hour
• Total: 206 hours

Exam

• Type of assessment: Oral exam on basis of previous submission, 25 minutes
• Examination prerequisites: Hand in of E-learning cases, laboratory work carried out in groups, and presentation given at the seminar
• Aid: No aids allowed
• Marking scale: 7-point grading scale
• Censorship form: No external censorship

Course Information

• Language: English
• Course code: NFOK16002U
• Credit: 7.5 ECTS
• Level: Full Degree Master
• Placement: Summer
• Schedule: Summer course, 4 weeks in August
• Course capacity: 30
• Study board: Study Board of Food, Human Nutrition and Sports
• Contracting department: Department of Food Science
• Contracting faculty: Faculty of Science
• Course Coordinators: Mikael Agerlin Petersen, Sylvester Holt, Bodil Helene Allesen-Holm (Course coordinator)