Food and Food Services Safety (5 cr)

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- apply knowledge of legislation related to food and food services
- describe the effects of microbiological, chemical and other risks related to food production
- amend corrective actions to company's quality control system and processes

Location and time

Online in the Canvas learning environment during the course’s active period. See the Schedule for details.

Materials

Electronic learning materials, reference literature, and videos are provided in the modules alongside the assignments in the Canvas workspace.

Before starting the course, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the Finnish Food Authority’s materials on food hygiene.

https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/en/foodstuffs/food-sector/hygienic-actions/

Teaching methods

This is a self-paced online course that must be completed independently by the specified end date. All learning takes place in an online learning environment, which provides the study materials and includes assignments and tests. Personal feedback on assignments is not provided.

The course and all its assignments are automatically assessed. This course is completed independently, following the assignment schedule and meeting all deadlines. There are no scheduled online lectures or guidance sessions. All assignments are completed individually. Teachers do not provide personal feedback; instead, feedback is based on verifying the correctness of submitted assignments and providing model answers after submission.

Employer connections

This does not apply to this course.

Exam schedules

The course starts on December 1, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. The Canvas workspace will be available to students at the start of the course.

The course workspace remains open until the end date of the implementation (see Schedule), and all assignments must be completed before the workspace closes.

International connections

This does not apply to this course.

Completion alternatives

The course does not offer optional completion methods.

Student workload

The workload of the course is designed so that achieving the intended learning outcomes requires, on average, 26.7 hours of student work per one ECTS credit. The actual time needed may vary between individuals, for example, depending on prior knowledge and skills.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

The student is able to:
-critically evaluate information and justify their actions based on research-based knowledge,
-present solutions to professional tasks by applying creativity,
-describe the development of their own competences in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

Content scheduling

After completing the course, the student will be able to:
- apply legislation governing food and food service safety,
- describe the potential impacts of microbiological, chemical, and other risks in the food supply chain on food production,
- develop corrective actions for a company’s quality management system.

Course Modules:
- Legislation
- Risks in the Food Supply Chain
- Food Fraud
- Cybersecurity

Evaluation scale

Approved/Failed

Qualifications

Competence in food service and hygiene included in the compulsory studies of the Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management program, or equivalent competence.

Further information

The course corresponds to the level required for a Bachelor’s degree at a university of applied sciences.

Participation always requires that any prerequisite competences specified in the curriculum (prior studies or equivalent skills) are met. Students are responsible for ensuring that they fulfill these prerequisites. This course is part of the advanced studies in the food industry. However, students participating in this course have had very diverse backgrounds, competences, and work experience.

Students from other fields of study without prior knowledge in the food industry have successfully completed the course, while hospitality management students with long careers in food services have also gained new insights, especially through writing the essay assignment.

Entry-Level Skills – The Student Is Able To:
-identify food groups and products and name their key characteristics,
-provide examples of food products,
-recognize packaging labels,
-define key concepts of food hygiene,
-recognize the contents of a self-monitoring plan,
-identify hygiene-related risks in the food industry and professional kitchens.

You can study the content of these prerequisites on the Finnish Food Authority’s website under the section “Information on food hygiene.” The topics Food Poisoning and Sanitation are available only in Finnish, so you are not required to learn them.

https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/en/foodstuffs/hygiene-passport/hygiene-passport-test/studiestraining-before-the-hygiene-passport-test/#information-on-food-hygiene

The implementation of this course has been designed in accordance with quality criteria for teaching.
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You will receive a completion record for the course approximately two weeks after finishing all requirements. During holiday periods, registrations are processed, and completion records are entered less frequently.

If you do not complete the course by the end date, you may register for the next implementation. Assignments from an incomplete course cannot be transferred to the next implementation; all assignments must be completed again.

For questions about the course content, please contact the responsible teacher. For other inquiries, contact mooc@laurea.fi.