- General principles and objectives of food law: protection of consumers, food quality and safety – risk analysis, regulation, responsibilities.
- EU institutions and their role, legislation process/documents, free movement of food and feed – rapid alert system (RASFF); searching and understanding of relevant information.
- International standardization, Codex Alimentarius, manufacturers’ standards, certification.
- Provision of food information to consumers, nutrition and health claims; food alergens, „novel food“, GMO regulation.
- Hygiene of foodstuffs, biological hazards in food, manufacturers’ responsibilities.
- HACCP principles, GHP/GMP prerequisite programmes.
- Food additives and enzymes, flavourings, dietary supplements (nutraceuticals), the addition of vitamins and minerals to food.
- Food contaminants, food contact materials and migration, packaging and preservation of food.
- Protection of geographical indication, designations of food origin, food authenticity, adultering.
- Residues of pesticides and veterinary drugs in food. Products from organic farming.
- Food of animal origin: animal health and animal welfare rules, veterinary inspection.
- Principles of official controls of food quality and safety – inspection, monitoring. Certification and inspection bodies: accreditation, notification.
- Measurement and conformity assessment, food sampling and testing, the role of reference laboratories, legal metrology.
- Recent affairs in food quality – a case study; final discussion.
- Requirements on testing laboratories in food and pharmaceuticals control; quality in research laboratories.
- Terms and definitions used in analytical chemistry, assessment of test results.
- Calibration, traceability and reference materials in chemical laboratory.
- Uncertainty of measurement results and its use in food control.
- Analytical method selection, validation and documentation; performance criteria; verification.
- Quality control procedures, statistical tools in quality control, control charts.
- Quality management system in production and testing facilities; ISO, GLP/GMP principles.
- International standardization and certification, inspection, producer’s responsibility.
- Accreditation of testing laboratories – policy, prerequisites and procedures, validity.
- Quality audit, documentation and records, corrective action, preventive measures, improvement
- Interlaboratory comparison, proficiency testing, transfer and implementation of analytical methods.
- Reporting of test results, compliance with specification assessment; disputing of results.
- Laboratory information system, protection of data and samples, GALP.
- Sampling plans and procedures for food control, protocols, sampling uncertainty.