Agricultural Processing Course

Lesson 1 • Processing Facility Fundamentals

Introduces facility layout, zoning, and utility requirements. Provides the spatial and operational context needed for all subsequent processing topics.

Lesson 2 • Raw Material Classification

Categorises grains, fruits, vegetables, livestock, and dairy by composition. Guides selection of compatible processing techniques for each category.

Lesson 3 • Regulatory and Safety Framework

Surveys food safety regulations, labelling mandates, and occupational safety standards. Establishes compliance mindset before hands-on processing begins.

Lesson 1 • Receiving and Incoming Inspection

Details acceptance criteria, sampling methods, and rejection procedures. Prevents substandard inputs from entering the processing line.

Lesson 2 • Pre-Processing Treatments

Introduces blanching, trimming, peeling, and conditioning steps. Prepares raw materials for efficient downstream processing and quality retention.

Lesson 3 • Cold Chain and Short-Term Storage

Explains refrigeration, controlled atmosphere, and staging area management. Maintains raw material integrity between receipt and processing.

Lesson 4 • Handling Equipment Operation

Covers conveyors, elevators, hoppers, and pneumatic systems. Ensures safe, efficient movement of materials without damage or contamination.

Lesson 1 • Heat Transfer Principles

Explains conduction, convection, and radiation in food systems. Provides the physics foundation for designing and troubleshooting thermal processes.

Lesson 2 • Drying and Dehydration

Covers spray, drum, tunnel, and freeze drying technologies. Reduces water activity to inhibit microbial growth while preserving nutritional value.

Lesson 3 • Evaporation and Concentration

Explains single- and multi-effect evaporators for juice and dairy concentration. Balances energy efficiency with product quality retention.

Lesson 4 • Pasteurisation and Blanching

Covers HTST, LTLT, and flash pasteurisation for liquids and blanching for produce. Links time-temperature combinations to microbial reduction targets.

Lesson 1 • Fresh-Cut and Minimally Processed Produce

Covers cutting, washing, sanitising, and packaging of ready-to-eat produce. Manages enzymatic browning and microbial risks in cut products.

Lesson 2 • Modified and Controlled Atmosphere Packaging

Details gas composition selection, packaging materials, and shelf-life extension. Integrates MAP with cold chain for fresh produce and meat.

Lesson 3 • High-Pressure Processing

Covers HPP equipment, pressure cycles, and microbial inactivation mechanisms. Positions HPP as a cold alternative to thermal pasteurisation.

Lesson 1 • Grain and Beverage Fermentation

Covers malting, mashing, and alcoholic fermentation for beer and spirits. Extends fermentation principles to grain-based and fruit-based beverages.

Lesson 2 • Microbiology of Fermentation

Reviews bacteria, yeast, and mold roles in food fermentation. Establishes microbiological knowledge required to manage starter cultures and contamination.

Lesson 3 • Fermentation Vessel Design and Control

Explains batch, fed-batch, and continuous fermenters with control parameters. Links vessel design to product consistency and scale-up feasibility.

Lesson 4 • Enzyme Technology in Processing

Introduces industrial enzymes for starch conversion, clarification, and tenderisation. Optimises enzyme activity through pH, temperature, and dosage control.

Lesson 1 • Liquid-Solid Separation

Explains filtration, centrifugation, and membrane separation for clarification. Applies separation techniques to juice, oil, starch, and dairy streams.

Lesson 2 • Refining and Purification

Covers degumming, neutralisation, bleaching, and deodorisation of edible oils. Produces refined oils meeting food-grade colour, flavour, and stability standards.

Lesson 3 • Grain Milling Operations

Details wheat flour milling, rice whitening, and corn wet milling processes. Produces flour, starch, and bran fractions with defined quality specifications.

Lesson 4 • Oil and Fat Extraction

Covers mechanical pressing and solvent extraction of oilseeds. Addresses crude oil quality, solvent recovery, and meal byproduct utilisation.

Lesson 1 • Ingredient Functionality

Examines roles of starches, proteins, fats, hydrocolloids, and emulsifiers. Connects ingredient chemistry to texture, stability, and processing behaviour.

Lesson 2 • Nutritional Labelling and Claims

Explains nutrient calculation, serving size determination, and health claim criteria. Ensures formulations meet regulatory nutrition labelling requirements.

Lesson 3 • Sensory Evaluation Methods

Covers discrimination, descriptive, and hedonic sensory tests. Uses consumer and trained panel data to guide formulation decisions.

Lesson 4 • Formulation Design Process

Introduces target product profiles, ingredient balancing, and cost modelling. Structures the iterative development cycle from concept to bench prototype.

Lesson 1 • Prerequisite Programmes and GMP

Covers sanitation, pest control, allergen management, and personnel hygiene programmes. Establishes the operational foundation that supports HACCP effectiveness.

Lesson 2 • HACCP System Development

Guides hazard analysis, CCP identification, and critical limit setting. Builds a complete HACCP plan applicable to any processing operation.

Lesson 3 • Audit, Certification, and Traceability

Explains third-party audit preparation, food safety certification schemes, and recall readiness. Positions the facility for market access and regulatory compliance.

Lesson 4 • Laboratory Testing and Instrumentation

Covers physical, chemical, and microbiological testing methods used in processing QC. Links lab results to production decisions and release criteria.