General remarks

The name of the studies

Postgraduate specialist studies in "Food Quality and Safety"

Scientific area: Biotechnical Sciences (4.00.)

Scientific field: Food Technology (4.05.)

Branch: Quality Assurance (4.05.05.)

The chief-organiser of the studies in reference (the proposing university) and the chief study performer (the component conducting, or coordinating the study conduct)

The chief-organiser of the studies in reference is the University of Zagreb, while the performer is the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology.

Duration of the studies

Postgraduate specialist studies last 18 months, i.e. three semesters (the Statutory of the FFTB, Article 21, Paragraph 1, Sub-paragraph 3; the Law on Scientific Activity and High-Level Education, Article 73, Paragraph 6, the Book of Rules Applicable to Postgraduate Specialist Studies Carried Out at the FFTB, Article 4).

Terms of enrolment

Any person who had completed graduate university studies at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, or one of the allied faculties situated in the country (the Faculty of Agronomy, the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and the Medical College) or abroad, and fulfils the requirements provided for in the General Act governing the study in reference, is free to enrol into the specialist studies. Postgraduate specialist studies may also embrace persons who had completed an expert study designated with 240 or more ECTS credits (the Statutory of the University of Zagreb, Article 55, Paragraph 7, the Book of Rules Applicable to Postgraduate Specialist Studies Carried Out at the FFTB, Article 18, Paragraph 1). The elective criteria and election procedures applicable to the attendants, are provided for in the Decision on Terms of Enrolment into Postgraduate Specialist Studies Carried Out at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, which represents an integral part of the Book of Rules Applicable to Postgraduate Specialist Studies Carried Out at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology University of Zagreb.

Postgraduate specialist studies in “Food Quality and Safety” are directly admissible to the candidates who had completed undergraduate university studies in Food Technology at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology University of Zagreb, or at the Faculty of Food Technology and Technology University J.J. Strossmayer City of Osijek.

The candidates who had completed undergraduate university studies in Biotechnology at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology University of Zagreb, have to pass a differential exam in the following subject:

“Foodstuffs’ Quality Control”

The candidates who had completed undergraduate university studies of the chemical-technological profile, or had attended the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Track: Chemistry; are obliged to pass differential exams in the following subjects:

“General Microbiology”

“Foodstuffs’ Quality Control”

The candidates, who had completed undergraduate university studies of the pharmaceutical or agricultural profile, are obliged to pass a differential exam in the following subject:

“Foodstuffs’ Quality Control”

The candidates who had completed undergraduate university studies of the veterinary or medical profile, or had attended the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Track: Biology; are obliged to pass a differential exam in the following subject:

“Foodstuffs’ Quality Control”

The terms of enrolment, applicable to the candidates who had completed undergraduate studies other than those mentioned above, and candidates who had completed graduate university studies (novel program), will be set out on a case-to-case basis, having regard to the tuition plan and program of the graduate university studies the candidate in reference had completed.

(In line with the Decision on Terms of Enrolment into Postgraduate Specialist Studies Carried Out at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology; Articles 1,2,3,4,5,6, and 7).

Competencies acquired by the attendant following the completion of the studies

Following the completion of the studies, the attendant would gain the following competencies:

• expert knowledge (technological, analytical, legal) necessary for the recognition, analysis and comprehension of the factors affecting safety and quality of products emerging from the chain of production, as well as for the preservation of food quality and safety within the same frame;
• capability of recognising factors related to the assessment and control of the food contamination risk, arisen due to the presence of pathogens and food-contaminating substances able to affect human health;
• capability of gathering information from agencies involved into the monitoring and control of the infective diseases, as well as the capability of investigating food- poisoning cases;
• familiarisation with expert knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for the assessment of safety and hygiene throughout the entire production frame;
• knowledge on legal provisions related to food safety and hygiene, applicable to the Republic of Croatia, as well as the appreciation of comparable legal provisions, valid elsewhere in the world;
• appreciation of social and other factors affecting the relationship between human health impairments and human alimentary regimens;
• notion on abnormal and pathological circumstances affecting foodstuffs on which animals are fed, in particular those transmissible to humans
• capability of estimating the impact of growth, harvest (vintage), storage and processing factors, on safety and quality of certain groups of food products;
• comprehension of assessment and characteristics attributable to the system established in order to control the technology engaged in the modern food and packaging industry;
• capability of assessing the impacts of selected additives and food contaminants;
• notion on legal provisions related to food declaration, food contents, additives, food production, processing and packaging.

Academic title earned following the completion of the postgraduate specialist studies

Following the completion of the postgraduate specialist studies, the student is issued a diploma certifying the completion of the studies and the appropriation for the title Master Specialised in Food Quality and Safety (the Statutory of the FFTB, Article 31, Paragraph 6; the Statutory of the University of Zagreb, Article 75, Paragraph 7; the Law on Scientific Activity and High-Level Education, Article 73, Paragraph 6, and Article 72, paragraph 3, the Book of Rules Applicable to the Postgraduate Specialist Studies Carried Out at the FFTB, Article 42, Paragraph 1).