Syllabus
New and Improved
No Fat
2
1
– No Cholesterol, Fewer Carbs than last year
Prof. Tom Montville
Contact information:
Office: FS 207 hours: MWF 5:15-6:05 a.m., by arrangement3, or “drop in.”
Phone and voice mail: 732- 932-9611 ext. 222.4 e-mail: montville@aesop.rutgers.edu
Web Site: www.foodsci.rutgers.edu/103/
Course description from the catalog:
“Overview of the major food components, major food related diseases in the U.S., the
bases for food preservation, food legislation and current food issues.”
Comments from previous students:
“After taking this course, I think when I eat, and eat when I think.” “Dr. Montville kept
me awake most of the time.” “Boring material made interesting” (ouch) “…makes learning
about food easy and fun”
Learning goals- at the conclusion of this course, students will be able:
a.). to exhibit a basic understanding of the biology, chemistry, and engineering sciences that
comprise the food we eat (NS-e).
b.) to identify and critically assess ethical and societal issues in science
pertaining to current and future food related controversies (NS-g).
d.) to acquire skills for and tools for life-long learning5.
OPTIONAL READING6:
Text: Essentials of Food Science, Vickie Vaclavik. Any edition.
Web sites7:
a) www.foodsafety.gov gateway to government food safety sources
b) www.biotechbasics.com obvious purpose, who’s behind this site?
c) www.cspinet.org “consumer viewpoint” interesting sections on biotech and food safety, what
Rutgers University scientists have ties to industry?
d) www.ift.org. Site of the Institute of Food Technologists, roam around, look under “publications”,
then Scientific Status Summaries. What is this institute, anyway?
e) www.food-irradiation.com read when appropriate
f) www.consumersinternational.org see “campaigns and issues” then “food”
g) www.nfpa-food.org. See “Food Science” then “backgrounders”. Also take a look at the legislative
summaries under “Public Policy.”
1
Well, at least for you.
The course, not the professor.
3
Just call or e-mail to arrange for a time that meets your schedule.
4
Don’t be afraid to call after hours and leave a message with that question that is “too stupid to ask.” I’ll answer it in the next class.
5
“Life long learning” is a University teaching goal.
6
Readings clarifies and re-enforce material covered in lecture, but if you already understand it, don't bother.
7
When you get to the topic, visit and read the web site.
2
Grading8:
Three scheduled one-hour exams, suitable for grading by Scantron. There will be at least
one opportunity for “Extra credit”. The final course grade will be the average of the three
exams. In the past, the final course grades have been curved9, but each year I feel less and
less generous. Students who miss an excessive 10 number of classes may have their final
grade reduced by ½ a letter value. Coming to class really helps! Asking (or answering)
questions helps. Participation can push your grade over if you are on the borderline.
A PERSONAL PLEA FROM THE PROF ABOUT A LARGE LECTURE COURSE….
I would really like to get to know you or at least treat you like a valued student, not a number.
If you contact me by phone or e-mail, I will be in touch. But please give me a last name, phone
number, and other contact info. I’m happy to chat after class. Before it, I’m concentrating on
getting ready for the lecture. Please do not ask for my lecture notes, my handwriting is bad
and my spelling worse. No one sees my notes but me. Pleaseeeee try to come on time and not
disrupt the class with talking, cell phones, text messaging, gum popping, or snoring. Offenders
may be publicly embarrassed.
Classroom courtesy code: Do not take phone calls, wander in and out the room, or carry on conversations
with your friends, it’s distracting to students who want to be here and are trying to learn. If you don’t
want to be here, don’t come! (No kidding.) Students who are disrespectful will be disrespected. Yes, I
know that two paragraphs are devoted to the same issue. That’s how serious I am about it.
Honesty is the best policy:
This part is not a joke. Anyone caught cheating on the exams will be dealt with
harshly. It is not that hard to do well in this class; do not risk your academic career by
cheating. Cheating is a high risk, low payoff gamble.
8
A necessary evil. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist, or even a food scientist, to earn an A. But if you skip class, don’t do the
reading, and bomb the exams, don’t expect an “A,” or a “B”… or a C. Don’t even bother to show up, receive a “U’”.
9
I will not go through the exercise of generating separate curves for each of the three exams. The curve will be fair but not as
generous as previous years. Students have suggested that I “raise the bar.”
10
If I told you how many that was, it would encourage people to skip (“that many” –1) classes.
The Science of Food
Generic Schedule (The course goes something like this)11
Theme
Introduction
Food is
Chemistry
You are
organic, and
pretty wet
Food is
Biology
The Good,
Class
1.
“Guess the Expiration Date” –course mechanics
2.
Food and Culture- the Maya Cosmos, Inter-being,
The American Pit Stop, Cornfused
3.
Water – the secret key to increased profits
4.
Carbohydrates –Crystals, Calories, Candy
5.
Fats –More Calories, More Flavor
6.
Proteins –the Muscle of Metabolism
7.
Proteins (continued)
8.
Vitamins, Minerals, Residues, Antibiotics
9.
Exam 1
10.
The digestive process
11.
Nutrition- calories count
12.
Nutrition, diet, and health; supplements, NLEA
and "the Plate"
13.
Intro to microbes and keeping food safe
The Bad, and
The Ugly
Date Topic
Guess who’s coming to dinner? Bad bacteria
Food is
Engineering
Energy and
mass
management
14.
Microbial surveillance at Rutgers guest
15.
More foodborne bacteria – as if you haven’t had enough
16.
Food fads and facts, how to sort them out
17.
Preservatives, pesticides, natural toxicants
18.
“Organic” (carbon based?) & “natural” food
19.
Exam 2
20.
Mass Production of Food
21.
Introduction to Food Engineering
22.
Heat Preservation you can beat it if you heat it
23.
“Cold Pasteurization” (euphemism for “irradiation”)
24.
Nonthermal Processing and Dehydration – an
incredibly dry lecture
25.
Genetically Engineered Food- Is there DNA in your
food?
Food is many
other things
11
26.
Food Legislation and Bioterrorism
27.
Food Packaging and Labeling
28.
Exam 3
Content and sequence subject to change so that they meet current events in the field.