(97a) Steal This Elective: Applied Food Science and Engineering

This upper-level elective is designed to introduce chemical engineers and other STEM-undergraduates to the application of their disciplines to food processing and food science through a problem-based-learning approach. Each “problem” is a real-world food issue, carefully selected such that all students have engaged with all course content outcomes by the end of the semester. Past PBL units include: reformulating tomato sauce as a result of a poor tomato crop; development of new ice cream flavors for a medium-sized business; process design for ‘veggie burger’ production, and addressing the challenges of local food deserts. Students learn the basic chemical composition of foods, common reactions, approaches to food preservation, and how codes, standards, and regulations apply to food production and sales. The course also cultivates students’ broader outlook and professional skills through deliberate incorporation of food’s ethical, cultural, and societal dimensions. The course is structured so that laboratory and lecture periods are flexibly interchangeable, allowing for a wide variety of activities during any given class period.