Course Title: Apply water and waste management principles to the food industry

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2009

Course Code: ONPS5227

Course Title: Apply water and waste management principles to the food industry

School: 155T Vocational Health and Sciences

Campus: City Campus

Program: C4172 - Certificate IV in Food Science & Technology

Course Contact: Toinette Thake

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4876

Course Contact Email: toinette.thake@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 40

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

VBP035 - Perform microbiological techniques in the food industry,
VBP036 - Apply chemistry knowledge and laboratory practices in the workplace,
VBP038 - Apply hygiene and sanitation practices
VBP043- Apply an Understanding of the Food Processing Industry

Course Description

This unit covers the skills and knowledge required to identify water quality parameters; and to review liquid solid waste handling and treatment strategies used by the food industry to minimise waste generation and its impact on the environment.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

VBP050 Apply water and waste management principles to the food industry

Element:

Apply solid waste management principles to the food processing industry.

Performance Criteria:

Types of solid wastes, generated by a range of food
processing operations, are identified. 
Waste minimisation, recovery, and elimination techniques
suitable for the food processing industry are appraised.
Waste disposal strategies, are identified. 
The costs associated with solid waste generation, treatment, recovery, minimisation, and recycling in the food industry processing industry are reviewed

Element:

Apply waste water management principles to the food processing industry.

Performance Criteria:

Sources and characteristics of wastewater generated across food processing operations are identified.
Methods for treating and recycling water are identified.
Opportunities to reduce the volume of trade waste and improve treatment methods are reviewed.

Element:

Identify provisions of waste management legislation relevant to the food processing industry

Performance Criteria:

Legal requirements for water discharge are identified.
Regulations relating to the processing and disposal of food.waste are identified
The major requirements contained in the environmental protection legislation, including EPA certification procedures, permits and waste discharge agreements are established.

Element:

Identify raw water pre treatment processes.

Performance Criteria:

The steps involved in water purification at municipal water
treatment plants are mapped.
Water disinfection methods, suitable for a range of food processing operations are identified.
Suitable systems and equipment for water disinfection in the food processing industry are appraised.

Element:

Identify the sources and quality of water available to food processing plants.

Performance Criteria:

Possible sources and quality of raw water are identified.
The suitability of water supplied from a range of sources, and
water recycled with the food processing plant, is assessed. 
The water quality requirements for a range of food processing operations are identified.


Learning Outcomes


The ability to apply & explain:
• Water quality requirements-physical. chemical and biological
• Water purification processes in general
• Water disinfection methodologies and systems suitable for the food processing industry including chlorination, ozonation and UV irradiation
• Waste water treatment (relevant to a food processing plant) including primary, secondary and tertiary waste water treatment stages
• Waste stream characteristics and classification in relation to the food processing industry:
• Methods of reducing, reusing and recycling food processing waste, eg. implementation and routine monitoring of waste reduction practices, use of consumable, returnable, refillable or reusable packaging
. Waste Management Legislation relevant to the food processing industry


Details of Learning Activities

Practical exercises
Classroom teachingdiscussions and class activities
Group work 
Excursions
Videos
Presentations and assignments


Teaching Schedule

Week 1   -  Introduction      Sources of water; Water quality

Week 2     Practical activity 1 - Quality if Water - physical and chemical

Week 3     Microbiological quality of water - Practical Activity 2   Protozoa

Week 4    Water Purification process.   Disinfection methods

Week 5    Visit to Water purification plant

week 6     Review of visit

week 7     Treatment of waste water - waste water treatment plants

week 8             Mid semester exams

week 9     Visit to Werribee Treatment Plant

week 10   Practical Activity 3  - Measuring faecal contamination of water using the  membrane filtration technique

week 11   Solid Wastes generated by the food industry sectors

week 12   Case studies

week 13   Practical activity 4   Osmosis

week 14   Presentations.      Legislation

week 15   Presentations .      Revision for exam

week 16          End of semester exams


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References

Melbourne Water website National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) website


Other Resources

The following websites contain useful information

http://www.deh.gov.au/industry/waste/index.html

http://www.ecorecycle.vic.gov.au

http://www.epa.vic.gov.au

also the web site for the National Health and Medical research Council               and the site for Melbourne Water


Overview of Assessment

Assessments for this course consist of: 


Class activities 
laboratory  activities
assignments and presentations
excursion reports
exam


Assessment Tasks

• Log Book containing  at least 3 prac reports     20%
 excursion reports -                                                   20%
• Theory test                                                                30%
• Assignment  / presentation                                   20%
• Class worksheets and activities                          10%


Assessment Matrix

Course Overview: Access Course Overview