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Food Microbiology Basics
- Which microorganisms might grow in your food, and whether that’s a problem?
- Some of the main techniques to eliminate and control these microorganisms in your food (both good and bad)?
- How you can use microorganisms to make all sorts of delicious foods?
Want more than just a recipe or instruction? Want to really understand what’s going on?
Then this self-paced, online course might be the perfect starting point for you!
We’ll take you on a journey to teach you the BASICS of food microbiology, and thus the microorganisms in your food.
Disclaimer: Like all of our courses, this course is meant for educational purposes only and should not be regarded as advice for your food manufacturing process. If you need advice on controlling microorganisms in your situation, consult a local food safety expert. This course merely provides the foundational, basic theory and we cannot be held responsible for actions taken based on information provided in the course.
Whether you’re responsible for developing safe food products, or want to use microorganisms to make food (e.g. beer!), understanding the basics of Food Microbiology will help you do your job!
By the end of this course, you will be able to
- Explain which types of microorganisms are most common (and important) for food.
- Describe how microorganisms grow (they’re alive!).
- Distinguish between ‘bad’ and ‘good‘ microorganisms.
- Name several ‘bad’ microorganisms and know under which conditions they will thrive.
- Think of several ways to control (or eliminate) microorganisms in your food.
- Give several examples of microorganisms used to make food.
A flexible, interactive learning environment
- This is a self-paced, online course consisting of 11 modules. You can do them all at once, or take breaks in between, whenever you want to.
- Most of the lessons are given in a written text format.
- Throughout the course we’ve added quizzes for you to test whether you understood what we discussed.
- Depending on your incoming level, the course will take you anywhere from 2 – 10 hours to complete.
If there’s one microorganism you’ve heard of, chances are you’ve heard of Salmonella! It’s common in (raw) chicken. Knowing how to control it ensures your food is safe.
A ‘university’ at home 🙂
Most courses about Food Microbiology cost a lot of money and time, and are only accessible through universities. This course is a more affordable and flexible option.
You won’t learn everything there is to learn under the sun. Instead, we focus on those key areas to make you sufficiently familiar with the field to get started.
It’s a great way to test the waters – is this really what you’d like to learn? – before embarking on a larger, more expensive (university) course!
🎫Sign up if
- You’d like to be introduced to the world of microorganisms in your food.
- You’re curious to learn how microorganisms can be beneficial for your food (note, we don’t discuss health or nutritional benefits).
Note, we do not discuss legislation, and legal requirements on microorganisms in food.
FAQ – Anything else you’d like to know?
For who is this course?
This course is for those of you who have to deal with microorganisms in food (good or bad) and don’t truly understand what microorganisms really are.
I am a microbiologist by training, will this training teach me something new?
In all honesty, probably not! We stick to the real basics. However, if you’ve never studied food specifically, you might find the second half interesting where we focus on the application in foods.
Can I find all this information on your FoodCrumbles.com blog?
Some of the course content is also published on our main website. However, it is spread over several individual articles. You will have to piece them together in the right order. The advantage of taking this course is that we bring it all together for a more holistic overview. Also, we have quizzes to help you test your knowledge!
Do I have to pass the quizzes?
No, it’s up to you whether you take them. However, we think the quizzes really help you learn, so we’d advise you to take them!
How is the course delivered?
The course consists of several modules (scroll down or look at the sidebar on the right side on a desktop computer). Each module consists of explanatory text with some visualizations for better explanations (but no videos).
Is there an interactive element to the course?
We strongly believe that by just reading you don’t truly learn the materials. This is why we’ve inserted several quizzes along the way! These quizzes help you test whether you actually understand what was explained in the course.