Program Requirements
This program is intended for those students interested in the multidisciplinary field of food science. The courses are integrated to acquaint the student with food processing, food chemistry, quality assurance, analytical procedures, food products, standards, and regulations. The program prepares graduates for employment as scientists in industry or government, in regulatory, research, quality assurance, or product development capacities.
Graduates have the academic qualifications for membership in the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST). Graduates of the Food Science Major with Food Science Option can also qualify for recognition by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).
The Food Science Option is completed to 90 credits with free elective courses.
Refer to "Faculty Information and Regulations" > "Minimum Credit Requirements" in this eCalendar for prerequisites and minimum credit requirements.
For information on academic advising, see: http://www.mcgill.ca/macdonald/studentinfo/advising
Required Courses (51 credits)
Note: If an introductory CEGEP-level Organic Chemistry course has not been completed, then FDSC 230 (Organic Chemistry) must be completed as a replacement.
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AEMA 310 Statistical Methods 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Mathematics (Agric&Envir Sci) : Measures of central tendency and dispersion; binomial and Poisson distributions; normal, chi-square, Student's t and Fisher-Snedecor F distributions; estimation and hypothesis testing; simple linear regression and correlation; analysis of variance for simple experimental designs.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: Dutilleul, Pierre R L (Fall) Dhiman, Jaskaran (Winter)
Two 1.5-hour lectures and one 2-hour lab
Please note that credit will be given for only one introductory statistics course. Consult your academic advisor.
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AGRI 510 Professional Practice (3 credits)
Overview
Agriculture : The ethical issues that face a professional in the workplace; professional ethics and deontology, professional responsibilities as related to the laws of labour, health, safety and risks to the environment, risk management and communication.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Wang, Yixiang (Winter)
Restriction: Course restricted to senior undergraduate and graduate students.
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BREE 324 Elements of Food Engineering (3 credits)
Overview
Bioresource Engineering : A course in basic food engineering for non-engineering students, covering heat transfer, mass and energy balances, food process unit operations, material transport/ steam/refrigeration systems.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Ngadi, Michael O (Fall)
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FDSC 200 Introduction to Food Science (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : This course enables one to gain an appreciation of the scope of food science as a discipline. Topics include introductions to chemistry, processing, packaging, analysis, microbiology, product development, sensory evaluation and quality control as they relate to food science.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Lu, Xiaonan (Fall)
Fall
3 lectures
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FDSC 213 Analytical Chemistry 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : Theoretical aspects of wet chemical techniques including gravimetric and volumetric analyses, redoximetry, and separation techniques.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Wang, Yixiang (Fall)
Fall
3 lectures and one 3-hour lab
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FDSC 251 Food Chemistry 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : A study of the chemistry and functionality of the major components comprising food systems, such as water, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. The relationship of these components to food stability will be studied in terms of degradative reactions and processing.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Ismail, Ashraf A (Winter)
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FDSC 300 Principles of Food Analysis 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : The fundamentals of food analysis are presented with the emphasis on the major components of foods. Topics include: food components, sampling, method selection, official methods, proximate analysis, moisture, protein, fat, ash, fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins and nutraceutical compounds.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: George, Saji (Fall)
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FDSC 310 Post Harvest Fruit and Vegetable Technology (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : The post harvest chemistry and physiology of horticultural crops as they affect quality and marketability, handling methods pre and post harvest, principles and practices in cooling, storage, transportation and packaging.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Ramaswamy, Hosahalli (Fall)
Fall
3 lectures and one 3-hour lab
This course carries an additional charge of $48.67 to cover the cost of transportation with respect to field trips. The fee is refundable only during the withdrawal with full refund period.
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FDSC 319 Food Commodities (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : The relationship between the chemistry of food constituents present in common commodities, such as milk, meat, eggs, cereals, oilseeds etc. and the common processing technologies associated with their transformation into stable food products.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Simpson, Benjamin K (Winter)
Winter
3 lectures and one 3-hour lab
Prerequisite: FDSC 251 or permission of instructor
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FDSC 330 Food Processing (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : The principles and practices of food processing with an emphasis on canning, freezing, and dehydration. A survey of the newer methods of food preservation such as irradiation, reverse osmosis etc.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Ramaswamy, Hosahalli (Winter)
Winter
3 lectures and one 3-hour lab
Prerequisite: FDSC 251
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FDSC 400 Food Packaging (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : An integrated approach to the materials used for the packaging of food products, considering the physical, chemical and functional characteristics of such materials and their utility, relative to the chemistry of the food system they are designed to enclose and preserve.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Wang, Yixiang (Winter)
Winter
3 lectures and one 3-hour lab
Prerequisite: FDSC 305
This course carries an additional charge of $52.69 to cover the cost of transportation with respect to field trips. The fee is refundable only during the withdrawal with full refund period.
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FDSC 442 Food Microbiology (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : Topics in Food Microbiology including an overview of the natural flora and microbiological spoilage of food products, methods of control and shelf-life extension, methods of detection and control food-borne pathogens and the use of suitable microorganisms in the production of a variety of food products.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Asad, Mohammad Numan (Fall)
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FDSC 495D1 Food Science Seminar (1.5 credits)
Overview
Food Science : Two 20-minute presentations (1 per term) on an assigned or selected topic. The purpose is to research a subject and present to a peer audience the essence of the subject investigated. Development of presentation and communication skills at a professional level is stressed and rapport with the industry will be established through guest speakers.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Yaylayan, Varoujan (Fall)
Fall
2 lectures
Students must register for both FDSC 495D1 and FDSC 495D2.
No credit will be given for this course unless both FDSC 495D1 and FDSC 495D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
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FDSC 495D2 Food Science Seminar (1.5 credits)
Overview
Food Science : See FDSC 495D1 for course description.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Yaylayan, Varoujan (Winter)
Winter
Prerequisite: FDSC 495D1
No credit will be given for this course unless both FDSC 495D1 and FDSC 495D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
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FDSC 525 Food Quality Assurance (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : The principles and practices required for the development, maintenance and monitoring of systems for food quality and food safety. The concepts and practices of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point; ISO 9000; Total Quality Management; Statistical Sampling Plans, Statistical Process Control; Tools of Quality; Government Regulations.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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LSCI 211 Biochemistry 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Life Sciences : Biochemistry of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids; enzymes and coenzymes. Introduction to intermediary metabolism.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: Cestari, Igor; Long, Thavy (Fall) Long, Thavy; Cestari, Igor (Winter)
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LSCI 230 Introductory Microbiology (3 credits)
Overview
Life Sciences : The occurrence and importance of microorganisms in the biosphere. Principles governing growth, death and metabolic activities of microorganisms. An introduction to the microbiology of soil, water, plants, food, humans and animals.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Faucher, Sebastien (Winter)
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NUTR 207 Nutrition and Health (3 credits)
Overview
Nutrition and Dietetics : Provides students who have a basic biology/chemistry background with the fundamental information on how macronutrients, vitamins and minerals are metabolized in the body, followed by application to evaluate current issues of maximizing health and disease prevention at different stages of the lifecycle.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Wykes, Linda J (Fall)
Fall
3 lectures
Corequisites: FDSC 230 [for students that have not taken the CEGEP equivalent OOXV].
Prerequisites: AEBI 122 or BIOL 112 or CEGEP equivalent OOXU
Restriction: Not open to students who take NUTR 200 or EDKP 292
Restriction: Science students in physical science and psychology programs who wish to take this course should see the Arts and Science Student Affairs Office for permission to register.
Additional Required Courses - Food Science Option (21 credits)
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FDSC 233 Physical Chemistry (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : Introduction to kinetic theory, thermodynamics, properties of liquids and solids, chemical equilibrium and the law of mass action, phase rule, properties of solutions, chemical kinetics.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Ismail, Ashraf A (Winter)
Winter
3 lectures
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FDSC 305 Food Chemistry 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : A study of the chemistry and functionality of the minor components comprising food systems, such as enzymes, anthocyanins, carotenoids, additives, vitamins and essential oils. The relationship of these components to food stability in terms of degradative reactions and processing.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Simpson, Benjamin K (Fall)
Fall
3 lectures and one 3-hour lab
Prerequisite: FDSC 251
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FDSC 315 Separation Techniques in Food Analysis 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : A detailed treatment on the principal chromotographic and electrophoretic techniques that are associated with the analysis of carbohydrate, lipid, protein constituents of food.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Bayen, Stephane (Winter)
Winter
3 lectures and one 3-hour lab
Prerequisite: FDSC 300 or permission of instructor.
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FDSC 334 Analysis of Food Toxins and Toxicants (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : Toxins and toxicant residues in food including heavy metals, persistant organic pollutants (POPS) and microbial toxins are explored from an analytical perspective; new methods and strategies of analysis are emphasized.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Bayen, Stephane (Winter)
Winter
3 lectures and one 3-hour lab
Prerequisite: FDSC 213 or permission of instructor.
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FDSC 405 Food Product Development (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : Fundamental principles of food product development from an innovative concept to the marketplace. Emphasis will be on the application of basic knowledge of food chemistry, food technology and related disciplines in developing new products or improving the existing ones.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Karboune, Salwa (Fall)
Fall
3 lectures and one 4-hour lab.
Pre-/Co-requisite: FDSC 305 or permission of instructor
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FDSC 516 Flavour Chemistry (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : The chemistry of the flavour constituents of foods, thermal and enzymatic generation, mechanistic pathways of formation, analysis synthesis and applications in food.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Yaylayan, Varoujan (Winter)
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FDSC 540 Sensory Evaluation of Foods (3 credits)
Overview
Food Science : Principles and procedures for sensory evaluation of food products, applications of sensory tests, their strengths and weaknesses, factors affecting their responses, data analysis and interpretation of results. Analysis of sensory data in relation to the instrumental analyses will also be emphasized.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Waglay, Amanda (Fall)
Elective Courses (18 credits)
Electives are selected in consultation with an academic adviser, to meet the minimum 90-credit requirement for the degree. A portion of these credits should be in the humanities/social sciences.
