Dr. Joseph D. Rosen and Dr. Thomas J. Montville

Objective of this course:

The major objective of this course is to help you develop skills that will be of great importance to you after graduation. In particular, you will be expected to:  

1.       Work with others of diverse skills and backgrounds as part of a team.

2.       Communicate your knowledge to a large group of people.         
3.    Write a report about your project in an understandable way

About this course:

This course provides an integrative education experience in which students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds work cooperatively on well defined interdisciplinary problems. Students will examine the scientific, regulatory, agribusiness and consumer interests that interact to determine the safety of the food we eat.  Our society grapples with innumerable controversies concerning the safety of foods.  These include "mad cow disease", the use of chemical pesticides, the use of "natural" bio-insecticides and their genetic engineering into insect-resistant plants, health foods with nutritional claims, irradiated food, and food additives. The laws, regulations, and codes that are ultimately developed in response to these issues are not based on the scientific facts alone. They also consider economic, political cultural, demographic, religious, and philosophical aspects of the problem.  Thus, the area of food safety is ideal for a colloquium course where students with different backgrounds, academic majors, and talents can devise novel interdisciplinary approaches to these problems which impact several of the college mission areas.

The first weeks of the course are devoted to giving the students an overview of the world of food safety.  A number of videotapes are shown and newspaper articles are distributed before lecture so that the student can participate in classroom discussions.  As the semester progresses, students are assigned to groups where they plan how they will present their oral and written reports. Finally, students working in multidisciplinary groups "take action" on some current issue in food safety and present what they have learned to the class. 

Class Meetings:  This is a required attendance course!  Participation and group work comprise a major portion of your grade.  You cannot participate if you do not attend. Class meets Tuesday and Thursday 5 (2:50-4:10) in the Food Science Reading Room. Although seven class periods have been reserved for you to work on your group projects, you will also need to work on the group projects outside of class. Because the course format is largely experiential rather than lecture/regurgitation, what happens in the class is very much a function of all of our experiences and class interactions. You'll get out of this class what you put into it.

Grades: Project Written Report, 25 %

                Project Oral Report, 25 %

                Individual Written Report on Assigned Internet Site (10 %)   

                Class Participation, 20 % (Based on professor and peer assessment)

                Exams         20 %    

Projects:

A. The class will be divided into five or six groups that will work together to investigate and critically evaluate some current controversial topic concerning      food safety.  This information will then be presented, both orally and in written format.  Topics in nutrition per se are inappropriate.  Potential topics for group projects include:

Genetically-engineered Foods

Irradiated Foods

Food and Bioterrorism

Pesticides

Food Additives (e.g. MSG, saccharin, NutraSweet, nitrites)

Mad Cow Disease

         Dietary Supplements

         Cancer and Food

         Antibiotics and Hormones  in Meat

You may choose other topics based on your personal interest or current events, with the approval of the instructor. You must work in a group.

         B. In addition, each student will be assigned a web site that deals with some aspect of food safety. Each student will be required to present a short presentation (about 5-10 minutes) as well as a 1-2 page essay on what he/she has learned. What organization sponsors the site? What are its goals? Are there any other opinions? If so, what are they? What do YOU think?  

The Oral Presentation :

Your group will be responsible for presenting the findings of your research to the whole class so that the others obtain a clear understanding of the issues involved.  Each group will be afforded an entire class period to accomplish this.  The manner of the presentation will be left for each group to decide.  The group may decide to do this with individual lectures each covering different aspects of the findings, a panel discussion, role playing or a combination of all techniques. The important thing is to plan and execute the presentation so that the rest of the class and your instructor have learned something at the end of the class period.

The Written Report :

Each group will be required to write a 15 to 20 page report (double spaced, 12 point type [like this]) on their research covering the scientific, economic, political, social, ethical, and legal aspects of their research. The article is to be a balanced account of the issues involved and is to be written so that ordinary people can understand these issues in order to be able to make more intelligent decisions concerning the foods they ingest. 

Instructor & Contact Information:

Dr. Joseph. D. Rosen, Food Science Building,  Rm 311.  932-9611, ext 229

e-mail: jrosen@aesop.rutgers.edu

Dr. Thomas J. Montville, Food Science Building,  Rm 207.  932-9611, ext 222

e-mail: Montville@aesop.rutgers.edu

Dr. Montville will handle all issues of course administration (add/drop, absence from class due to religious or medical reasons, registration, make ups, etc.).   Please see him (only) about these matters.

We do not keep formal "office hours" but will be happy to meet with you at any mutually convenient time.   Please call or e-mail first to set up an appointment.  Feel free to e-mail or phone anytime.