Graduate School of Public Health
San Diego State University
PH496: Food Safety and Health
Fall Semester/13
3 Units
Class day/time:_Tues 4-6:40 pm__
Instructor: _Dr. Eunha Hoh
Class location: _HH-214 _______
Office location:_HT 06________________
Schedule number: _22307______
Instructor office hours: Tues 2-4:00 pm, Thursday 4-5 pm, by appointments
Instructor contact information: ehoh@mail.sdsu.edu
Course Description: This course will introduce risk factors for food borne illness with case
studies of outbreaks occurred domestically and internationally. A wide range of topics related to
food safety on public health will be discussed. .
Course Goals and Learning Objectives:
Students will develop knowledge on risk factors for food borne illness and emerging issues on
food safety.
Specifically this course will allow the student to
1. Be able to identify food toxins and explain causes and mechanisms of various toxins.
2. Identify the major risk factors for food borne illness and food processing.
3. Conduct an in-depth review of recent foodborne illness outbreaks.
4. Explain the role of government regulation (federal, state, and local) in food safety.
5. Recognize the term Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) as a system for
food protection.
6. Recognize emerging issues in food systems and public health beyond food safety (food
security and sustainability).
7. Engage in team activities to suggest community education methods on food safety and
public health and review emerging issues on food systems.
Prerequisites: No pre-requisite. Basic knowledge about chemistry and microbiology related to
food safety will be covered in the course.
Text, Readings, Materials:
Essentials of Food Safety and Sanitation, David McSwane, Nancy R. Rue, Richard Linton,
Pearson Prentice Hall, fourth edition.
Course Requirements, Evaluation and Grading: Grading for the course will be based upon
performance in the following assignments totaling 100% of the final course grade:
1. Exam_-------------------------------40 points
2. Group Project 1 --------------------20 points
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3. Group Project 2 --------------------20 points
4. Short Assignments-----------------10 points
5. Attendance/Discussion------------10 points
SAMPLE GRADING SCALE TYPICAL OF MANY GSPH GRADUATE COURSE SYLLABI:
Total Points
96-100
90-95
87-89
84-86
80-83
77-79
74-76
70-73
F
Assigned Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
C<70
Exams: Students will have two closed-book exams (see schedule). The two exams are not
cumulative and will consist of short-answer, multiple choices, and essay questions covering both
lecture material and readings. [20 points x2= 40 points]
Group Evaluations: Students will be expected to work in teams to develop the program
plan. Student grades for this assignment will take into account evidence of active and equal
participation by each member of the team in addition to teamwork and cooperation. There will be
an overall group grade for each group project. I will then take into account my own assessment
and your peers’ assessments of your contribution to the project and assign an individual grade.
I will assess work group performance. In addition, each member of the work group will grade
his/her own performance as well as the performance of all other group members at two points in
the semester using the following criteria with scores from 1 to 5:
Attendance at group meetings
Cooperation
Contribution of ideas
Contribution of materials and work time
Helping plan and organize tasks
Leadership
Group Project 1: Each group will develop a material (i.e., media, slide show) that can be
uploaded in online to educate community food safety. Any topic related to food safety is
accepted and any format is accepted as long as it can be uploaded online and the proper length is
5 min (no longer than 10 min). These group project products will be viewed in class and voted to
award best material.
Group Project 2: Each group will research an emerging food safety issue and deliver a
presentation within 20 min. The standard format of presentation will be powerpoint slides but not
limited to the format. Any new format of presentation (i.e. presentation apps) is encouraged to be
utilized.
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Discussion: students are encouraged to participate in class and outside class (online: blackboard
discussion) and the participation will be graded.
Course Syllabus Subject to Change
Every effort will be made to follow the syllabus content and schedule; however, if circumstances dictate
there may be modifications necessary during the semester. If such is the case the professor will make
every effort to notify students in a timely manner.
Course Calendar
Aug 27
Overview of the course syllabus and ethics.
Film watch (Modern Meat)
First assignment: essay about “modern meat”
Sep 3
In class discussion about “modern meat”.
Overview of food safety: Chapter 1
Foodborne Illness: Infectious diseases caused by bacteria and viruses in food
Chapter 2
Sep 10
Foodborne Illness: Infectious diseases caused by microbes in food continued
Chapter 2
Film watch (Typhoid Mary)
Second assignment: essay about “Typhoid Mary”
First assignment due
Sep 17
Foodborne illness caused by chemicals
First team meeting
Sep 24
Population growth and food systems (safety, security, and sustainability)
Guest speaker: Ken Calvert
Submit a topic and a short paragraph for team project 1
Second assignment due
Oct 1
Exam 1
Oct 8
Naturally Occurring Chemicals/Man-Made Chemicals
Second team meeting
Submit a topic and a short paragraph for team project 2
Oct 15
Factors that affect foodborne illness: Chapter 3 & 4
Film watch “Food Inc”
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Oct 22
Presentation of Group Project 1
Oct 29
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) System: a safety assurance
process: Chapter 5
Third team meeting
Nov 5
Food safety inspection/regulations: Chapter 11
Guest speaker from San Diego County (Housing and Food Safety)
Fourth team meeting
Nov 12
Guest speaker: Paula Tanner
Listeria outbreak: safety assurance
Nov 19
Exam II
Nov 26
Fifth team meeting
Overview of Group Project 2
Dec 3
Student presentations
Dec 10
Student presentations
*Assignments will be announced in blackboard.
Course policies
1. Missing class If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor to discuss
alternatives to exercise you miss, and to obtain lecture notes, handouts, other materials or
instructions from the course Blackboard site. Successful completion of the course requires
that student attend class. Professional behavior will be expected including arriving to
class on time and not leaving early. Perfect attendance may be used to award a higher
grade when students are borderline.
2. Religious holidays The University Policy File includes the following statement on absence for
Religious Observances: By the end of the second week of classes, students should notify the
instructors of affected courses of planned absences for religious observances.
3. Assignments must be submitted no later than the specified due date. Assignments will not be
accepted past the due date. Assignments will be accepted via blackboard only.
4. Exams: Dates of the exams are notified in the syllabus. Change of the exam dates will be
announced in advance at least two weeks earlier. Since the exams will be taken in class, students
should take the exams in class only.
5. Academic misconduct Academic dishonesty is an affront to the integrity of scholarship at SDSU
and a threat to the quality of learning. Violations of academic integrity are noted in the SDSU
Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities:
Cheating shall be defined as the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for academic work by
the use of dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent means. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to
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(a) copying, in part or in whole, from another’s test or other examination; (b) discussing answers or ideas
relating to the answers on a test or other examination without the permission of the instructor; (c)
obtaining copies of a test, an examination, or other course material without the permission of the
instructor; (d) using notes, cheat sheets, or other devices considered inappropriate under the prescribed
testing condition; (e) collaborating with another or others in work to be presented without the permission
of the instructor; (f) falsifying records, laboratory work, or other course data; (g) submitting work
previously presented in another course, if contrary to the rules of the course; (h) altering or interfering
with the grading procedures; (i) plagiarizing, as defined; and (j) knowingly and intentionally assisting
another student in any of the above.
Plagiarism shall be defined as the act of incorporating ideas, words, or specific substance of another,
whether purchased, borrowed, or otherwise obtained, and submitting same to the University as one’s own
work to fulfill academic requirements without giving credit to the appropriate source. Plagiarism shall
include but not be limited to (a) submitting work, either in part or in whole, completed by another; (b)
omitting footnotes for ideas, statements, facts, or conclusions that belong to another; (c) omitting
quotation marks when quoting directly from another, whether it be a paragraph, sentence, or part thereof;
(d) close and lengthy paraphrasing of the writings of another; (e) submitting another person’s artistic
works, such as musical compositions, photographs, paintings, drawings, or sculptures; and (f) submitting
as one’s own work papers purchased from research companies.
Academic and Punitive Sanctions: Cheating and plagiarism in connection with the academic program
at The University may warrant two separate and distinct courses of disciplinary action that may be applied
concurrently in response to a violation of this policy: (a) academic sanctions, such as grade modifications;
and (b) punitive sanctions, such as probation, suspension, or expulsion.
All students in this class are required to complete the online information literacy tutorial,
"Plagiarism: The Crime of Intellectual Kidnapping," a 30-minute tutorial that teaches students about
plagiarism, paraphrasing, and citing sources. Students are to take this tutorial outside of class time and
take the quiz that follows it. A score will be shown on screen and this score should be printed
electronically or in hard copy. And then. this printed score must be submitted as proof of completion
by September 18. This test can be taken multiple times. Therefore, students should achieve 100%. The
tutorial is at http://infotutor.sdsu.edu/plagiarism/what.cfm?p=graphic
No cell phone/MP3/internet/computer use during class. Violation will affect grades.
6. Computers Every student must have access to the internet and a computer in order to obtain
communications from the professor, download reading material and conduct document searches
of on-line publications.
7. If a class must be cancelled without prior notification, it will be posted on Blackboard, the day of
the class, no later than noon.
San Diego State University is dedicated to a safe, supportive and nondiscriminatory environment. It is
the responsibility of all students to familiarize themselves with University policies regarding
nondiscrimination, misconduct and academic honesty. Students are encouraged to consult with SDSU
public safety regarding parking and other safety issues.
Statement on Nondiscrimination Policy
San Diego State University complies with the requirements of Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, as well as other applicable federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination. No person
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shall, on the basis of race, color, or national origin be excluded from participation in, be denied the
benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination in any program of the California State University
SDSU does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to, or treatment or
employment in, its programs and activities. Students should direct inquiries concerning San Diego State
University’s compliance with all relevant disability laws to the Director of Student Disability Services
(SDS), Calpulli Center, Room 3101, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92128 or call 619-5946473 (TDD: 619-594-2929).
SDSU does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, or sexual orientation in the educational programs
or activities it conducts.
More detail on SDSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy can be found in the SDSU General Catalog, University
Policies.
Student Conduct and Grievances
SDSU is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy living and learning environment for students,
faculty and staff. Sections 41301, Standards for Student Conduct, and Sections 41302-41304 of the
University Policies regarding student conduct should be reviewed.
If a student believes that a professor’s treatment is grossly unfair or that a professor’s behavior is clearly
unprofessional, the student may bring the complaint to the proper university authorities and official
reviewing bodies. See University policies on Student Grievances.
Statement on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty that are
intended to gain unfair academic advantage. See section 41301 of the University policies. Plagiarism is
an important element of this policy. Plagiarism is defined as ‘formal work publicly misrepresented as
original; it is any activity wherein one person knowingly, directly and for lucre, status, recognition, or any
public gain resorts to the published or unpublished work of another in order to represent it as one’s own’.
Any work, in whole or in part, taken from the Internet or other computer-based source without
referencing the source is considered plagiarism.
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