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1 Undergraduate Degree in Gastronomic Sciences and Cultures Academic Year 2018/2019 Last update: 6/06/2018 Per aggiornamenti: https://goo.gl/7McjV9

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Undergraduate Degree in Gastronomic Sciences and

Cultures

Academic Year 2018/2019

Last update: 6/06/2018

Per aggiornamenti: https://goo.gl/7McjV9

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YEAR I

First semester

Food Biodiversity and Human Ecology pag. 4

Molecular and Taste Sciences pag. 8

Sociology of Cultures, Communication and Gender Differences pag. 11

Second semester

Food Microbiology pag. 14

Food Anthropology pag. 16

Ecology of Law and History of Sovereignty pag. 19

Gastronomic Lab I pag. 22

Linguistic Skills: Italian/English Language pag. 22

Study Trips, Fieldwork Research and Film Techniques – 1st Year pag. 27

YEAR II

First semester

Agroecosystems and Sustainability pag. 30

Travel Sciences, Society and Environments pag. 33

Food History from Prehistory to the Middle Ages pag. 38

Second semester

Food Product Sciences pag. 40

Gastronomic Design Sciences pag. 45

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Contemporary Food History pag. 48

Gastronomic Lab II pag. 50

Study Trips and Fieldwork Research – 2nd Year pag. 50

YEAR III

First semester

Food and Health pag. 52

Food Systems and Global Law pag. 54

Business Economics for Food Companies pag. 57

Second semester

Philosophy of Food and Gastronomic Communication pag. 59

Ethnobiology and Food Scouting pag. 63

Gastronomic Lab III pag. 66

Study Trips and Fieldwork Research – 3rd Year pag. 66

Final Thesis pag. 68

Meetings and Conferences pag. 68

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YEAR I

Food Biodiversity and Human Ecology

Professors: Gabriele Volpato, Andrea Pieroni | ECTS: 7

Objectives

Graduates in Gastronomic Sciences and Cultures working as experts in the field of the diversity of

food and food cultures and the relationships of these cultures with the environment and the

planet can carry out functions relating to consultancy, education and training on food

sustainability and the importance of biological and cultural diversity, and relating to the promotion

of food diversity in its connection with local, inclusive and sustainable production practices. In

particular, they can carry out the following specific functions:

Developing strategies for promoting and adding value to food diversity and sustainable

ecological relationships.

Carrying out consultancy, education and training activities at institutions and private

entities relating to food diversity and sustainability strategies in food production.

Working in publishing and communications in relation to the importance of diversity in all

its forms for a sustainable future.

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

Articulate gastronomic discourses based on a solid knowledge of zoology, botany,

biodiversity and human ecology.

Understand and analyze the biological and ecological aspects underlying gastronomic

production.

Think in a critical and interdisciplinary way about themes like the impact of humans on

planet Earth and sustainability in food production.

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Prerequisites

Students taking this course should preferably have at least a basic knowledge of the biological

sciences. Knowledge of English is essential.

Contents

Program

Food biodiversities, and therefore also biological and cultural diversity, are the foundations on

which we can construct a sustainable future. The course aims to introduce students to basic

concepts and principles relating to animal and plant biodiversity and the importance of this

diversity to the human diet and food systems. To this end, the course also deals with the history

and evolution of the relationships between humans and other species and ecosystems (human

ecology), with a focus on gastronomy and food sustainability. The aim is to improve the

understanding of the complexity of these relationships, emphasizing an interdisciplinary and socio-

ecological approach to human-environment relationships.

Topics:

Biodiversity, human ecology and sustainability in food production – Volpato

Plant and animal diversity in the gastronomic heritage of human populations – Volpato,

Pieroni

Main groups of animals used for food – Volpato

Evolution of relationships between humans and (other) animals and sustainability –

Volpato

Botany (basic principles of plant systematics) – Pieroni

Evolution of human-plant relationships (foraging, ethnobotany) – Pieroni

Teaching method

Classroom lessons with slide projection, case studies and discussion. Principles, concepts and

themes relating to the course will be analyzed and discussed through the use of illustrative case

studies. Teaching language: English

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

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The exam is in written form and involves open questions (four questions, 2 hours, 1 page per

response) on the course themes. The questions will refer to themes, concepts and principles

covered during the course, and students must use critical analysis and examples from case studies

in their answers.

Texts

Special teaching material has been developed for this course which does not correspond to texts

available on the market. The teaching material consists of PowerPoint presentations relating to

the course.

Recommended reading (available in the UNISG library):

Evans, J., Flore, R., Frost, M., and Nordic Food Lab. 2017. On Eating Insects. Phaidon Press Limited.

Flannery, T. 2011. Here on Earth: A Natural History of the Planet. Atlantic Monthly Press.

Francis, R.C. 2015. Domesticated: Evolution in a Man-Made World. Norton & company.

Harmon, D. 2002. In Light of Our Differences: How Diversity in Nature and Culture Makes Us

Human. Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press.

Hickman Jr., C., Keen, S., Larson, A., et al. 2013. Integrated Principles of Zoology. McGraw-Hill

Education.

Kaiser, M.J. 2011. Marine Ecology: Processes, Systems, and Impacts. OUP Oxford.

Krebs, C.J. 2016. Why Ecology Matters. University of Chicago Press.

Levetin, E., MacMahon, K. 2011. Plants & Society. McGraw Hill Education.

Marten, G. 2001. Human Ecology: Basic Concepts for Sustainable Development. Earthscan,

London.

Shipman, P. 2015. The Invaders: How Humans and Their Dogs Drove Neanderthals to Extinction.

Harvard University Press.

Smith, T.M., Smith, R.L. 2013. Elements of Ecology. Pearson.

Wilson, E.O. 1988. Biodiversity. National Academy Press, Washington.

Wrangham, R. 2009. Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human. Profile Books.

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Lessons: The material relating to the lessons will be made available to the students before the

start of the course on Blackboard, with teaching material for the class.

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Molecular and Taste Sciences

Professors: Gabriella Morini, Carol Povigna | ECTS: 10

Objectives

The "Molecular and Taste Sciences" course is based on one of the foundational disciplines that

prepares students for the profession of gastronome, developing skills relating to the composition

of foods and the nutritional and sensorial relevance of macro- and micro-nutrients for the purpose

of developing recipes and highly innovative products, quality control, nutritional analysis of

products, etc.

At the end of the course students will be able to understand which are the most important

categories of molecules present in food as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying the

transformations that take place in a food at the different stages of its production and gastronomic

transformation. In addition, students will be able to understand that "flavor" is a combination of

linked sensations that food induces (physical, chemical and chemesthetic sensations), to

understand the mechanism of action of the apparatuses and receptors used to detect flavor-

bearing compounds present in foods and to understand the relevance of gustatory

chemoreceptors present in extraoral locations and the compounds that activate them present in

the diet. This knowledge gives a "high" value to the taste of food, as well as to all those cultural,

social and ritual factors that lead to its definition and combination in the definition of a diet.

Prerequisites

There are no particular requirements for students taking this course, as it also provides the basics

of general chemistry. The course is taught in English.

Contents

Program

Elements, compounds, mixtures.

Bonds and intermolecular interactions. Electronegativity.

Matter aggregation states. Transitions of state.

Water and its properties. Solutions. Osmosis, reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration.

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Chemical reactions. Catalysts, enzymes, ATP. Acids and bases. pH. Redox reactions.

Organic chemistry. Functional groups. Introduction to stereochemistry.

Amino acids: structure, isoelectric point. Peptidic bond.

Proteins and their structure.

Modifications and alterations of proteins and amino acids in foods.

Lipids: fatty acids; mono-, di- and triglycerides; complex lipids.

Food oils and fats. Rancidification. Antioxidants.

Mono-, di- and polysaccharides of food interest: structure and properties.

DNA and RNA. Physical states of food systems. Food browning.

Taste and flavor, function and basic physiology of taste, ionic channels and G-protein-

coupled receptors. Basic tastes and their receptors. - - Introduction to the olfactory system.

Chemesthetic sensations. Astringency. Genetic and environmental factors and food

preferences.

Gustatory receptors in extraoral locations. Taste education.

Teaching method

Lectures with some practical demonstrations.

The course is taught in English.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

The final exam consists of a written test and an oral test. The written test lasts 1.5 hours and

involves seven to eight open questions on the main categories of compounds in food and the

molecular basis of taste. The oral test assesses the abilities to make connections between the

topics covered.

The exam is in Italian for Italian students and in English for non-Italian students.

Texts

For this course specific teaching material has been developed that does not coincide with texts

available on the market.

However, a food chemistry textbook is provided for further information and for use as a reference

in subsequent courses, such as those on food technologies, in order to clarify what are some of

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the possible reactions between the main molecules present in foods in the transformations that

occur in food at different stages of their gastronomic production and transformation.

Scientific articles on the subject are also provided.

Textbook for all students:

JJ. Provost et al. The Science of Cooking: Understanding the Biology and Chemistry Behind

Food and Cooking, Wiley, Hoboken 2016.

Lessons: The material relating to the lessons will be made available to the students through the

Blackboard online learning platform.

(Students are asked to download or print the material that lecturers will used in the classroom in

advance, so as to facilitate note-taking.)

Further reading:

P. Cappelli, V. Vannucchi, Chimica degli alimenti, Zanichelli Bologna, 2005

H. McGee, Il Cibo e la Cucina, Ricca Editore Roma 2016

H. D. Belitz, W. Grosch, P. Schieberle Food Chemistry, Springer Berlin, 2009

H. McGee, On Food and Cooking, Scribner New York 2004

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Sociology of Cultures, Communication and Gender Differences

Professors: Maria Giovanna Onorati| ECTS: 6

Objectives

The “Sociology of Cultures, Communication and Gender Differences” course prepares students for

the profession of gastronome, enabling them to promote and add value to knowledge about food

both in cultural terms and at the level of communicative competency. It will particularly benefit

those who go on to work in the fields of communication for the promotion of food quality,

publishing and content development for websites and social platforms aimed at spreading

virtuous models of quality production, brand identity and education and training at public and

private entities in the area of gastronomic sciences, cultures and policies, with particular reference

to social sustainability.

At the end of the course, students will be able to understand the concepts of culture and

communication from a sociological perspective and have a clear idea of the role of culture in

building social ties, in processes of cultural identification and social differentiation and in

conveying the values and norms that underpin life in a society. In particular, they will understand

food and food-related practices as fundamental symbolic objects in any society, defining social

bonds but also lines of demarcation. They will also be able to make food practices function as

important communicative factors that combine elements of both tradition and factors of social

change and innovation.

Prerequisites

Students do not require any special preliminary knowledge; all supplementary materials will be

provided at the beginning of the course and in class. They do need to have good spoken and

written English.

Contents

Program

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Course overview:

Culture, society and communication

The components of culture

Culture as a social creation: Cultural objects and the social world

Food as a social fact and a collective creation

Food and social inequalities: Marxist and functionalist perspectives

The rationalization of social action and McDonaldization: The “iron cage” of the modern

food industry

The sociology of the meal: The estheticization of eating and the refinement of taste in

modern society

Taste and social distinction

Food in the construction of collective identity: gender gaps in the gastronomic professions

Food communication in a changing society: From gastronomic guides to travel social media

Teaching method

The course will be taught entirely in English. The course aims to provide students with the basic

sociological and cultural knowledge necessary to tackle more specific and complex subjects in

their subsequent studies. Therefore the teaching method will mainly be based on lectures, though

some space will be given to active learning, such as group discussions, use of multimedia material

and collective viewings.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

The exam will involve an oral test in English or Italian. This will take the form of an individual

interview on the content covered in the course and the educational materials indicated. The exam

will aim to verify the student’s acquisition of basic sociological knowledge, their ability to express

the main concepts in an appropriate way and their ability to personally reprocess the acquired

content in their reasoning.

Texts

For this course, teaching material has been developed that coincides only partially with texts

available on the market.

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W. Griswold, Cultures and Societies in a Changing World, Chapters I, II, III

Kate Cairns, Josée Johnston, Food and Femininity, Bloomsbury, Chapter I, “Caring about

food”

A handout on the sociology of food, prepared by the lecturer, will include the following extracts:

Simmel, Georg, “The Sociology of the Meal”

Mennell, Stephen, “Of Gastronomes and Guides”

Bourdieu, Pierre, “Taste of Freedom and Taste of Luxury”

The educational material (the Griswold text and handout) will be available from the UNISG Library;

the handout will be also available in a digital format on Blackboard.

Exercises: Materials for class activities will be provided by the lecturer via Blackboard.

(Students are asked to download or print the material that lecturers will used in the classroom in

advance, so as to facilitate note-taking.)

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Food Microbiology

Professors: Claudia Picozzi, Ilena Vigentini | ECTS: 5

Objectives

The “Food Microbiology” course will prepare students for different professions within the field of

research in food production, processing and conservation.

After finishing the course, students will be able to recognize the main sources of microbial

contamination along the food production and distribution chain and the mechanisms of infection

and poisoning. They will also be able to apply basic principles for the prevention and control of the

presence of microorganisms and the management of fermentation processes.

Prerequisites

It is recommended that students taking this course already know the basics of chemistry and

biochemistry.

Contents

Program

Course topics:

The microbial cell: structure and function

Microbial growth and metabolism

Microbial diversity: prokaryotes, eukaryotes, viruses

Preservation and shelf-life extension (the hurdle concept)

Food-borne diseases (microbial contamination)

Principles of hygiene and sanitation

Microbial transformation: fermentation processes in dairy products, baked goods, meat

products and alcoholic beverages

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Teaching method

The teaching method involves lectures supported by PowerPoint presentations, videos and web

pages relating to the topics being covered. The course will be taught in English.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

The exam is written and consists of five open questions based on the syllabus. The exam will be in

English but students can respond in Italian or English.

Texts

Special teaching material has been developed for this course which corresponds in part to texts

available on the market.

Textbook for Italian students:

Microbiologia dei prodotti alimentari – Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, 2012 – eds. Farris,

Gobbetti, Neviani, Vincenzini ISBN 978-88-08-18246-3

Textbook for English-speaking students:

Microbiology of Safe Food – Forsythe, S.J. – Wiley Blackwell, 2010 Second Edition ISBN 978-

1-4051-4005-8

Lessons: The material relating to the lessons will be made available to the students via the

Blackboard platform before each class.

(Students are asked to download or print the material that lecturers will used in the classroom in

advance, so as to facilitate note-taking.)

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Food Anthropology

Professors: Michele Fontefrancesco, Cesare Poppi| ECTS: 8

Objectives

Graduates in Gastronomic Sciences and Cultures working in the field of food anthropology will be

able to analyze food production and consumption practices, promote cultural heritage linked to

gastronomy and act as cultural mediators. In particular, they can carry out the following specific

functions: cultural analysis of contexts and practices linked to food; identification, documentation

and promotion of gastronomic heritage; and inter- and transcultural mediation.

By the end of the course, students will be able to understand food within a wider cultural context

of community life and been introduced to the main debates that have impacted the development

of food anthropology. They will also be able to understand food as a cultural object, profoundly

linked to different aspects of community activities, and be able to take a correct approach to social

research with a qualitative framework.

Students will learn the basic theoretical and methodological concepts linked to food anthropology,

having had a chance to test out some of the main qualitative research methodologies in the field,

and also gain experience in the organization of anthropological investigation, both in groups and

on their own.

Prerequisites

Students attending this course should ideally have a knowledge of English that will allow them to

fully benefit from the texts and other teaching materials and participate actively in class activities.

It is recommended that students have some general knowledge linked to the social sciences.

Contents

Program

Sequence of topics (the presented program is approximate; minor changes could be made later)

Culture, nutrition and nature

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Elements of food ethno-archeology

Diet, gender and division of labor

Diet and modes of production

Food, social inequalities and forms of power

Diet, enculturation and good manners at table

Celebration, ritual and food

Tastes and food taboos

Forms of sacrifice

The problem of anthropophagy

The culinary recipe between orality and writing

Tradition, modernization and globalization of food practices

Methods and modes of anthropological research

The interview in depth: theory and experimentation

Observing food practices: theory and experimentation

Participant observation

Teaching method

Lectures in English, analysis of ethnographic material, group exercises aimed at developing

ethnographic research projects, presentations by students of the content of readings and the

results of research.

Exam criteria, rules and procedures

The exam consists of a written test in English. In two hours, the student will be asked to respond

to three questions out of a total of nine, with the aim of ascertaining the acquisition of theoretical

and methodological knowledge and the capacity to support theories with ethnographic cases.

Texts

Teaching material for all students:

Counihan & Van Esterik (edited by). 2013. Food and Culture: A Reader. New York – London.

Routledge

Supplementary handouts prepared by the lecturers

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Exercises: The material will be provided by the lecturers through Blackboard on the course page.

(Students are asked to download or print the material that lecturers will used in the classroom in

advance, so as to facilitate note-taking.)

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Ecology of Law and History of Sovereignty

Professor: Michele Antonio Fino| ECTS: 6

Objectives

Students will receive a general description of the evolution of the Western legal system, in order

to stimulate a critical approach to the contemporary legal framework. As graduates in

Gastronomic Sciences and Cultures might have to carry out functions relating to consultancy,

education and training in the field of food policies, with a particular focus on food sovereignty and

related topics, the course will cover the following functions:

Consultancy, education and training activities.

Collecting, processing and organizing information and data in order to identify strategic

lines and make decisions.

Skills associated with the functions:

Analytical skills relating to the appropriateness of food systems with respect to socio-

ecological contexts.

Cultural competences relating to sustainability and food sovereignty.

Employment opportunities: National and international public and private organizations;

continuation of studies (graduate degree or Masters).

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of ancient and modern history and the history of science.

Contents

Program

The aim of the course is to analyze the basic modern concepts of private law (property, contracts,

citizenship). Students will be expected to acquire an awareness of how the evolution of the legal

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system has responded to power relationships between individuals and has evolved for centuries

independently of any consideration for the surrounding environment.

The theme of sovereignty will be deepened by evaluating the link between power and the creation

of law in history.

Course topics:

1. The laws of nature and the nature of the law

2. The development of legal institutions in Europe from the Middle Ages onwards

3. The idea of natural law: current influence and historical relevance

4. Science and law

5. The start and evolution of Western scientific thinking

6. The evolution of Western legal thinking

7. The Western paradigm of property/ownership

8. Individual rights and common goods

9. The tasks of a legal system in the 21st century

10. Meanings of “sovereignty” in the 21st century

11. How to recover a democratic exercise of sovereignty over the process of law production

Teaching method

Lectures and analysis (individual and in class) of scientific articles.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

The exam consists of a written test in English with:

25 multiple-choice questions

1 open question on a general theme, to be answered in an assigned number of lines. The

exam will take place after the end of the course. Students who for reasons beyond their

control cannot participate in the exam in the form described can take it orally during a

successive exam session.

Texts

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The Ecology of Law: Toward a Legal System in Tune with Nature and Community by Fritjof Capra

and Ugo Mattei (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2016).

Further papers and readings will be shared with the class using the Blackboard platform.

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Gastronomic Lab I

Elective courses | ECTS: 4

***

Linguistic Skills

Linguistic Skills – English

Professor: Mia Farone, Gary Waite | ECTS: 5

Objectives

The “Linguistic Skills - English” course will prepare students for any professional field by improving

and reinforcing their abilities to communicate in English.

After finishing the course, students will have:

improved their abilities to understand and communicate in English their ideas regarding

various topics, in particular in the field of gastronomy.

developed the necessary skills to analyze, review and discuss a wide range of arguments

using materials appropriate for their level.

developed and improved the necessary skills for effective written and verbal

communication in English.

Prerequisites

Students attending this course should already have at least an upper B2 level of English, according

to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

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Contents

Program

Listening, speaking, reading and writing skills will be developed using journal articles, academic

texts, videos and online materials with the aim of mastering stylistic differences in order to

communicate effectively in various contexts including the following: professional tasting and

writing restaurant/food reviews (sensory vocabulary), critical text analysis in sociology, report

writing and presentations (academic language).

Teaching methods

A variety of methods and materials are used in class:

exercises on sentence structure, composition and grammar in context

discussions, debates and brainstorming in class

research projects using the internet, journals and books

reading academic journal articles for critical analysis

educational videos

group work

individual and group presentations

self study and homework

Criteria, rules and exam procedure

Final marks will be calculated as follows:

30% PowerPoint presentation of research topic during final exam period

70% research report

Texts

Special teaching material regarding English for gastronomy has been developed for this course

which does not correspond to texts available on the market. Special materials include handouts,

written texts, videos and exercises chosen according to linguistic objectives or gastronomic topics.

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Lessons: The material relating to the lessons will be made available to the students in the form of

photocopies or computer files on Blackboard at the beginning of the course or during each lesson.

Exercises: The material will be provided by the lecturer before or during lessons.

Linguistic Skills – Italian

Professors: Monica Mosca, Paola Capellino | ECTS: 5

Objectives

The “Linguistic Skills – Italian” area consists of two different levels that take the student from an

A1 to a B2 competence (European Framework, CEFR), offering education in grammar and

communication (for the four abilities of speaking, writing, listening and reading) and skills aimed at

professions relating to the degree program.

The course is open to students who need to acquire basic literacy in Italian or who have a limited

knowledge of the language. The course teaches students to understand and use ordinary

expressions and formulas that satisfy practical needs. Students will learn how to ask and answer

simple personal questions. Special attention is given to grammar and vocabulary. During the

course students will learn to understand and formulate clear content in standard Italian with a

regular flow and write short texts about subjects related to their personal interests and their other

courses. As their skills evolve, students will be able to deal with different communicative

situations, including within the degree program.

The final objective is to reach the threshold and/or B1 level and progress to a fully intermediate

level (B2), with students able to describe experiences, events and personal ambitions and express

reasoning and opinions on a wide range of subjects. They will also be able to tackle higher CEFR

levels, enabling them to understand fundamental ideas expressed in complex texts, including in

their specific specialization area.

The course syllabus is based on the communication needs arising during university studies; it will

gradually develop linguistic and communicative skills and the ability to study both in general and in

specific subject areas, strengthening a specialized vocabulary, textual skills and communicative

abilities.

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Prerequisites

There are two different entry levels for the course: One has no prerequisite, although a minimum

A1 level is recommended, while the other is more advanced and requires at least a threshold or B1

level. The lecturer will assign students to the correct level.

Contents

Program

The course topics touch on the different linguistic and communicative levels set by the CEFR. All

levels increase the phonetic, orthographic and morphosyntactic skills in the target language, i.e.

the inflexion of nouns and their modifiers and verbs and their arguments. At the textual level, the

course will move from simple to complex sentences. The communicative contexts will be oriented

towards common situations, as well as towards the degree subjects. As skill levels develop, the

linguistic structures will be strengthened by reinforcing basic and specialized lexical knowledge,

without overlooking the formal description of the language and the interiorization of grammatical

structures following the CEFR. Students will also be taught the use of the appropriate linguistic

register based on the communicative situation. The development of communicative skills will be

encouraged through educational activities that reproduce real-life situations and interaction in the

classroom. Spoken and written extracts relating to the degree subjects will also be used.

Teaching method

Teaching on the course integrates lectures and work in groups. As well as looking at grammar, a

communicative approach will be taken, with different formats: lectures on grammar and

communicative abilities, use of audiovisual material, guided conversations and oral presentations

in class. A task-based teaching model with cooperation between peers will be used, with space for

meta-linguistic reflection.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

The examination consists of a written test and an oral conversation, during which the four abilities

and grammatical and communicative competences will be assessed.

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Texts

Textbook:

Iacovoni G., Persiani N., Fiorentino B., Gramm.it, Grammatica italiana per stranieri con esercizi e

testi autentici, Bonacci editore, 2009.

G. Pieraccioni Italiano Plus, Imparare l’italiano per studiare in italiano A2-B1/B2, Bonacci editore

Further material relating to lectures, exercises and teamwork will be distributed in class.

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Study Trips, Fieldwork Research and Film Techniques – 1st Year

Professors: Pietro Pagella, Dario Leone | ECTS: 6

Objectives

The “Study Trips Fieldwork and Research – 1st Year and Film Techniques ” course provides

students with practical, in-depth knowledge of production processes, different regional

gastronomic cultures of Italy, historical and social contexts linked to food production and a wide

range of foods and how they are processed and consumed, as a complement to classroom studies.

Through the Film Techniques course, students will learn how to narrate with images, learning the

rules and tools for telling an effective story through images, and will be given responsibility for

both shooting and editing.

By the end of the course, students will have an overall vision, as complete as possible, of the

Italian food system and will have acquired the theory necessary for textualizing reality with video

following a storytelling method, producing perspectives that recount events, changes and

transformation, with the aim of acquiring innovative planning skills and capacities that can be

applied within different gastronomic systems.

Prerequisites

Students taking this course should ideally already be familiar with some basic aspects of food

production. A good knowledge of Italian (for international students) and English are essential

requirements to successfully participating in the teaching activities.

Contents

Program

The course is divided as follows: classes on film techniques, three thematic study trips, two

regional study trips in Italy.

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Clips from films will be used to analyze narrative style, with attention paid to documentaries and

real-life cinema. The acquired knowledge will be confirmed with the lecturer and the shared

literacy will allow students to learn about the specific and interdisciplinary language.

Teaching method

The Film Techniques classes involve theoretical and practical lessons on shooting, editing and

creative screenwriting, with individual and group practical exercises. These classes aim to provide

the skills to be able to use video to narrate food traditions, the complexity of the contemporary

world, agricultural landscapes and transformations and to produce videos for the Granaries of

Memory research project.

The thematic study trips are aimed at an understanding of a specific product.

The regional study trips are aimed at a cultural and gastronomic understanding of a region in Italy

and include a range of different activities, including:

visits to businesses and meetings with local experts

research of products for inclusion in the Ark of Taste

filming of interviews for the Granaries of Memory project

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

Film Techniques classes are graded based on a practical test and an oral test. For each thematic

study trip students will receive a grade based on a multiple-choice test. For each regional study

trip students will put together a presentation with their travel group, which will be presented to a

committee of university lecturers.

Texts

Different teaching material will be provided based on the type, theme and destination of study

trip.

For the classes in Film Techniques, students will be provided with digital study materials that

synthesize the theoretical topics covered in class. The following text will also be provided:

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Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen by Steven Katz. Focal Press,

ISBN-10: 0941188108, ISBN-13: 978-0941188104

For each thematic study trip, study materials provided by the visited businesses will be uploaded

to the Blackboard platform. These materials will be needed to prepare for the test (the process is

explained in the “Thematic Study Trip Evaluation” regulations available on the university portal in

the Internal Regulations section).

For each regional study trip, study materials relating to the destination and planned activities will

be suggested, and will include printed texts, online texts and websites.

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II YEAR

Agroecosystems and Sustainability

Professors: Paola Migliorini, Silvestro Greco | ECTS: 10

Objectives

The "Agroecosystems and Sustainability" course prepares students to connect the quantity and

quality of food commodities to soil and climate factors (environment and year), cultivation needs

(genetic aspects) and management systems (anthropic aspects) through the adoption of

agricultural practices that are sustainable from a cultural, environmental, economic and social

point of view.

The course provides an overview of the principles of plant and animal food production and looks

at the disciplines of agricultural ecology, agronomy, crop cultivation and animal husbandry.

At the end of the course students will be able to:

promote and add value to food in terms of its links to different production and

consumption contexts, having acquired skills related to the identification of virtuous

models of quality production and analysis of food systems.

carry out consultancy, education and training activities in institutions and private entities in

the areas of gastronomic sciences, cultures and policies, having acquired the skills to

analyze the appropriateness of food systems with respect to socio-ecological contexts and

skills in agrifood sustainability.

become an expert in the buying and selling of food products, assessing their quality and

appropriateness with respect to specific ecological, cultural and social characteristics.

Prerequisites

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Students taking this course should ideally have taken the “Food Biodiversity and Human Ecology”

course.

They must meet the linguistic requirements in Italian for international students and in English for

Italians.

Contents

Program

Role of agriculture and plant and animal production in society; agricultural systems in the world

and their evolution; concepts of agricultural sustainability, agroecology and quality of plant and

animal products; agricultural production methods; climate and agriculture; natural resources: soil,

water, air, biogeochemical cycles; metabolism and plant growth; biological resources; classical

genetic improvement and GMOs; animal domestication; overview of genetics and animal

selection; sustainable management and practices: soil fertility and fertilization (organic and

chemical); irrigation systems; plant seeds; introduction to mechanization, management of abiotic

adversities, biotic and plant defense; welfare and health of farm animals.

The main groups of cultivated plants are introduced with attention to their botanical

characteristics, soil and climate requirements, cultivation techniques, yields and qualitative

aspects. The main groups of farmed animals are introduced (cattle breeds, pig breeds, poultry

breeds, sheep and goat breeds, rabbit breeds, fish, crustaceans and mollusks) with attention to

production characteristics, ethological requirements, breeding techniques and quality aspects.

Teaching method

Lectures in Italian using video and PowerPoint in English; exercises in the classroom (there will be

three tests during the course, held with the use of Blackboard); soil laboratory (an exercise in the

field and 12 demonstrations in class with field lab equipment); group work (role play on thematic

hot-button topics like GMOs); discussion in the classroom (guided workshops wit group

questions).

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

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Final grade: weighted average between Agricultural Crop Systems (6 credits) with written

examination (both in Italian and English) and Animal Husbandry (4 credits) with oral examination

(in Italian).

Texts

Textbook for students:

Bocchi S., Spigaroli, R., Ronzoni S., 2012. Produzioni vegetali. A) Agronomia generale e

meccanizzazione (all except Chapter 11)

Lessons: The material related to the lessons will be made available to the students on Blackboard.

Exercises: The material will be provided by the lecturer via email. (Students are asked to read the

relevant chapter(s) of the textbook BEFORE class.)

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Travel Sciences, Society and Environments

Module 1 - Travel Cultures and Social Dynamics

Professor: Paolo Corvo | ECTS: 6

Objectives

The “Travel Cultures and Social Dynamics” course will prepare students to work as gastronomes

(in the fields of communication, education and local land management), as food and wine travel

experts and in sustainable tourism.

After finishing the course, students will be able to:

understand the main issues related to different travel cultures.

identify the fundamental social dynamics of contemporary reality.

use qualitative and quantitative social research methods, applying them to food and wine

tourism, local areas and food.

understand the social dimensions of food consumption and sustainable food.

promote and add value to food and gastronomic heritage.

analyze food systems and develop communication strategies.

provide education and training relating to food sovereignty and connected themes.

provide consultancy to institutions or private entities around gastronomic cultural issues.

process and organize information and data to identify strategic directions for public and

private entities with an international scope.

evaluate the quality of food products from a social and cultural perspective.

Prerequisites

Students taking this course will already be familiar with the discipline of sociology, having taken

the “Sociology of Cultures, Communication and Gender Differences” course in the first year of the

program.

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Contents

Program

Course topics: The meaning of travel, travel cultures, travel in contemporary society, sustainable

and slow tourism, food and wine tourism, social research methods, main sociological themes, the

thinking of contemporary sociologists, globalization and multiculturalism, sociology of food, food

consumption.

Teaching method

Interactive lectures, group exercises on specific themes and case studies and the use of Blackboard

forums, with the possibility of uploading videos, photographs and texts relating to the topics

covered in class.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

The exam can be taken in Italian or English, based on the student’s preferred language. The final

exam involves a compulsory written test and an optional oral test for those students who want to

improve the grade received for the written test.

The written test consists of four closed questions and four open questions. Each closed question

can receive a maximum score of 2.5/30. Each open question has a maximum score of 5/30.

The optional oral test consists of the presentation of a case study or in the in-depth examination

of a topic covered in class. If the oral test is taken, a final grade will be calculated by taking the

average of the written and oral test scores.

Texts

Special teaching material has been developed for this course which corresponds to texts available

on the market.

Teaching material for all students:

P. Corvo, G. Fassino (eds.), Viaggi gastronomici e sostenibilità, FrancoAngeli, 2018

P. Corvo, Food Culture, Consumption and Society, Palgrave MacMillan, 2015.

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Lessons: The material relating to the lessons will be made available to the student on Blackboard

during the course.

Exercises: The material will be provided on Blackboard.

Further reading: Provided on Blackboard during class.

Module 2 - Historical Ecology and Local Food Production

Professor: Roberta Cevasco | ECTS: 6

Objectives

The "Historical Ecology and Local Food Production" course prepares students to work as experts in

the promotion of gastronomic heritage through the identification and diachronic analysis of

virtuous production models.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

understand the interest of historical ecology, poised between environmental and human

sciences, to Gastronomic Sciences.

understand the complexity and temporal depth behind products and landscapes of local

food production.

understand the environmental processes and practices that build landscapes of local food

production ("biocultural landscapes") and products through time.

evaluate the historical paths of environmental and gastronomic sustainability.

identify local production systems that activate virtuous relationships with places

("environmental activation") and add value to their historical and environmental resources

(e.g. ancient trees, ancient grasslands, etc.).

Prerequisites

Students taking this course should ideally be familiar with the basics of biology and ecology, and

have a level of Italian that allows them to follow an academic course.

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Contents

Program

Course topics:

1. Introduction to the course: objectives, structure, methodology.

2. The historical ecology approach to the study of environmental systems of local production.

3. Research and analysis of documentary sources, iconographic sources (maps, photographs,

topographic views, etc.), toponymastic sources and field sources (palynology, anthracology, etc.)

to reconstruct the dynamics of biocultural landscapes and the historical routes of environmental

and gastronomic sustainability.

4. Fieldwork to explore food production landscapes.

5. Case studies: methodological examples focused on the relationships between food products,

biocultural landscapes and production practices. Discussion of the concepts of "activation

practices" of environmental resources and "positive environmental externalities."

6. Group research, synergies with the UNISG study trips, Slow Food Italy’s local projects, the

"Travel Cultures and Social Dynamics" course.

Teaching method

Lectures in Italian with slides in English, discussions, possibility of seminars (50%). Practical group

exercises on topographic cartography/iconography (e.g. IGM tavolette) and case studies:

elaboration, discussion, presentation (Italian and English) (50%).

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

The final exam consists of a written test, in Italian or English, with three to four open questions on

knowledge and application of skills (1 hour 30 minutes). The questions correspond to syllabus

topics covered in class and in exercises. One of the questions will be related to the compulsory

project chosen by the students discussed during the course. Students who want to improve their

final grade can present the appropriately developed case study in the form of a report.

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Texts

For this course, teaching material has been developed that does not coincide with available texts.

The material consists of PowerPoint presentations, whose structure partially follows the following

textbooks:

GROVE A.T. and RACKHAM O., 2001, The Nature of Mediterranean Europe: An Ecological

History, Yale University Press, New Haven (UNISG Library)

Philips R. and Johns J., Fieldwork for Human Geography, Sage Publishing, 2012 (UNISG

Library)

Koohafkan P., Altieri M.A., Forgotten Agricultural Heritage: Reconnecting food systems and

sustainable development, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017 (UNISG Library)

Lessons: The material relating to lessons will be made available to the students on Blackboard.

Exercises in class will be based on the teaching material provided to students.

Cartographic/iconographic material will be provided in digital form (shared on Blackboard) and/or

printed (handed out in class).

Further reading:

RUSSELL E.W.B., People and the Land through Time: Linking Ecology and History, Yale University

Press, New Haven and London, 1997

Kirby K., Watkins C. (eds.) Europe’s Changing Woods and Forests: From Wildwood to Managed

Landscapes, CAB International, 2015

Rackham O. and Moody J., The Making of the Cretan Landscape, Manchester University Press,

1996

Watkins C., Trees, Woods and Forests: A Social and Cultural History, Reaktion Books, 2014

Plieninger T. et al., Wood-pastures of Europe: Geographic coverage, social–ecological values,

conservation management, and policy implications, Biological Conservation 190, 2015, pp. 70–79

(PDF)

Håkansson N.Thomas and Widgren Mats, Landesque Capital: The Historical Ecology of Enduring

Landscape Modifications, New Frontiers in Historical Ecology series, Routledge; 1st edition (June

25, 2016)

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Food History from Prehistory to the Middle Ages

Professor: Antonella Campanini | ECTS: 6

Objectives

The “Food History from Prehistory to the Middle Ages” course prepares students to work in the

cultural promotion of food and gastronomy heritage and in professions linked to publishing and

food journalism. Thanks to an overview of their long-term historical evolution, knowledge about

essential sources like cookbooks and an ability to interpret them will allow students to take a

conscious approach to the contemporary issues of the sector. Out of this will develop the

possibility of developing communication strategies for the promotion of a product based on

historical factors, moving towards promotion based on solid foundations.

By the end of the course, students will first and foremost be able to analyze a cookbook, putting it

into a historical context and identifying its distinctive features; however, the aim is also to provide

a critical analysis tool that can be applied more broadly. As well as cookbooks, therefore, students

will also learn how to use and correctly contextualize other types of historical sources, such as

medical treatises and product inventories.

Prerequisites

Students taking this course should have at least a passive understanding of Italian.

Contents

Program

Food history from prehistory to the Middle Ages

Gastronomic writing

Teaching method

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Traditional and interactive lectures (in Italian), analysis of written documents.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

Oral exam. Each student is asked to develop at least two topics, one more historical and one more

modern. The knowledge acquired from the reference texts and course attendance will be assessed

(max. 15 points), as well as the ability to contextualize information at a historical level (max. 10

points) and a critical analysis of the information (max. 5 points).

Texts

The list of texts will be available later. Each topic will be supported by a PowerPoint presentation,

which will be made available to the students on the portal after the topic has been covered. Each

PowerPoint contains reading recommendations relating to the individual topics covered, which

should be considered as texts for further study and not obligatory for the examination.

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Food Product Sciences

Module 1 - Sensory Analysis and Consumer Science

Professor: Luisa Torri | ECTS: 6

Objectives

The “Sensory Analysis and Consumer Science” course will prepare students to be able to manage

the evaluation of quality and sensorial appropriateness of food ingredients and semi-processed

and finished products.

After finishing the course, students will be able to plan and carry out sensory tests; collect,

organize and process sensory data and interpret results and draft analysis reports, producing

information useful for the selection of ingredients and processed products and the evaluation of

food product quality and the appropriateness of production methods and contexts.

Prerequisites

Students taking this course will already be familiar with the theoretical principles of molecular and

taste science. They should ideally be able to use spreadsheet software (e.g. Excel). They should

know enough English to be able to consult and study the educational materials provided in

English.

Contents

Program

Sequence of topics (the presented program can be approximate; minor changes can be made

later):

Introduction to sensory sciences and perception

Recruitment, selection and training of sensory judges

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Sensory lab requirements

Discrimination, descriptive, similarity and affective tests

Management of sensory tests

Statistical analysis of data

Teaching method

The course, taught in Italian, involves theoretical lectures, practical exercises in the lab and a

group project. Teams of between four and six students will define the objective of the sensory

evaluation, choose a food on which to work, carry out appropriate sensory tests, collect and

analyze the data, interpret the results and draw up an analysis report.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

The exam consists of an experimental project and an individual written test. For the experimental

project, groups of four to six students will select a food product type, define the aim of the

evaluation, plan and carry out the appropriate sensory tests, analyze the data, interpret the results

and write a technical report (in Italian/English).

An individual written test (Italian/English) of 2 hours, without the use of educational materials, will

verify the acquisition of knowledge and abilities. The written test consists of five questions (two on

knowledge and three on the application of skills) corresponding to the integration of different

topics covered in class or examples of the interpretation of results or problem solving similar to

those developed during the exercises.

The final grade (out of 30) will be calculated from the mark given to the group project (25%) and

the mark given to the written test (75%).

Texts

Special teaching material has been developed for this course which corresponds to a handout of

the slides used by the lecturer in class and a textbook available on the market.

Textbook for all students:

M. Meilgaard, G. Civille, and B.T. Carr. Sensory Evaluation Techniques. 5 ed. Boca Raton,

Florida: CRC Press, 2015.

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Lessons: The material relating to the lessons will be made available to the students in advance on

Blackboard.

Exercises: The lecturer will provide the material used during the laboratory exercises. The material

necessary for data analysis will be provided by the lecturer on Blackboard via a link from which it

will be possible to download the free software for data analysis, spreadsheets with the dataset for

data analysis and written instructions for analyzing the data.

(Students are asked to download or print the material that lecturers will used in the classroom in

advance, so as to facilitate note-taking.)

Further reading:

SISS-Società Italiana Scienze Sensoriali. Atlante sensoriale dei prodotti alimentari. Tecniche

Nuove, Milan, 2012.

H.T. Lawless, and H. Heymann. Sensory Evaluation of Foods: Principles and Practices. 1 ed.

New York: Chapman & Hall, 2010.

E. Pagliarini. Valutazione Sensoriale. Aspetti teorici, pratici e metodologici. Milan: Hoepli,

2002.

Scientific papers focusing on the topics presented in class.

Module 2 - Food Technology

Professor: Maria Piochi | ECTS: 6

Objectives

The “Food Technology” course teaches students about different food production technologies,

providing the knowledge needed to operate and manage production processes that guarantee

quality products within businesses that produce, process or conserve food products and consortia

and cooperatives in the food and agriculture sector.

At the end of the course, students will be able to analyze and evaluate the quality and

appropriateness of production methods and contexts and to intervene and resolve potential

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problems in the food production process and/or with raw materials, semi-processed products and

finished products.

Prerequisites

Students taking this course will already be familiar with the theoretical principles of molecular

sciences and food microbiology. They must know enough English to be able to consult and study

the teaching materials provided in English.

Contents

Program

Course topics:

Heat treatment of milk for commercial use; transformation of milk into dairy products such

as butter, cream, yogurt and cheese

Extraction of oil and chemical-physical qualities for oil classification

Product classification of flours and pasta production

The production of bread and baked goods such as cakes and cookies

Cured meats, cooked and uncooked: production technologies and classification

White and red wine production

Teaching method

The course will be taught in Italian, with theoretical lectures alternating with group work.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

The exam comprises a written test (taken in English or Italian) with four open questions on the

topics covered in class and a teamwork project (4-6 students per group). The final grade (out of

30) will be the sum of the mark given to the group project (25%) and the mark given to the written

test (75%).

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Texts

Special teaching material has been developed for this course which corresponds to a handout

composed of the slides shown in class and a textbook available on the market.

Teaching material for all students (TO BE CONFIRMED):

Stephanie Clark (Editor), Stephanie Jung (Co-Editor), Buddhi Lamsal (Co-Editor), Food

Processing: Principles and Applications, 2nd Edition. 2014. ISBN: 978-0-470-67114-6.

Lessons: The material relating to the lessons will be made available to the students on Blackboard.

(Students are asked to download or print the material that lecturers will used in the classroom in

advance, so as to facilitate note-taking.)

Further reading:

Patrizia Cappelli, Vanna Vannucchi, Principi di chimica degli alimenti. Conservazione

trasformazioni normativa, Zanichelli 12/2015, ISBN: 9788808621238.

Scientific papers relating to the topics covered in class.

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Gastronomic Design Sciences

Professors: Franco Fassio, Antonio Montanari | ECTS: 8

Objectives

The “Gastronomic Design Sciences” course prepares students to take on professional roles in

which they analyze markets on a range of different scales, including identifying targets; plan new

strategies for sales within B2B, B2C, C2B and C2C contexts and the management and promotion of

products along their entire life cycle; develop environmentally effective and efficient catering

services; and design the use and communication of food products with specific ecological, cultural

and social characteristics.

The aim of the course is to contribute, through a systematic explanation of the principles of eco-

design and food-service technologies, to forming a capacity for critical analysis of the production

and distribution context from a problem-solving perspective, with a consequent development of a

proposal for innovation of the system.

By the end of the course, students will be able to express opinions and develop scientific

evaluations in relation to the food system and specific situations as well as develop initial

innovation hypotheses applied to scenarios on a micro or macro scale, acquiring the capacity to

take on responsibility in managerial and operational roles and in research and development.

Prerequisites

Students taking this course must be very familiar with food production as a whole and show clear

critical and analytical skills as well as having a basic knowledge of meal production technologies

and food hygiene and safety. National and international scientific articles in Italian and English will

be used to illustrate innovative solutions in the sector, so students should have a good mastery of

these languages.

Contents

Program

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Topics covered:

SECTION 1

Analysis of the food system

Principles of eco-design of gastronomy

Food packaging: quality of content and container

Design thinking

SECTION 2

Food places

Food service categories and actors

Production techniques and the primary elements of the food-service system

Specific production units, equipment and constituent components in food service

SECTION 3

Critical analysis of case histories

How to present a project proposal

Thematic workshop

Teaching method

Lectures in Italian, supported by slides with scientific data, project presentations and further

documents in various languages, plus the participation of UNISG partner companies and group

exercises based on sources distributed by the lecturers.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

The final examination will ascertain the acquisition of knowledge and skills through an oral test

lasting around 30 minutes, in which the student will respond to around five questions relating to

specific topics covered in the course.

The student must also submit a written report (an extended essay) relating to the objectives

discussed in the thematic workshop. This document will be evaluated for the complexity of the

themes dealt with and the completeness of the information provided. The final grade will be an

average of the marks for the oral test and the written report.

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In the case of absence from class of over 30%, an additional written paper will be required,

arranged with the lecturers.

Texts

Special teaching material has been developed for this course which does not entirely correspond

to texts available on the market. The material relating to lessons will be made available to

students on the Blackboard platform.

Textbook for all students:

Franco Fassio and Nadia Tecco – Circular Economy for Food – Ed. Ambiente –2018

Textbooks for Italian speakers:

Antonio Montanari – Mangiare Fuori – Edifis – 2008

Salvatore Ciappellano – Manuale della Ristorazione – Casa Editrice Ambrosiana – 2009

Textbook for English speakers:

Manfred Rohatsch, Fritz Lemme, Peter Neuman, Frank Wagner – Professional Kitchens –

F.C.S.I. (Foodservice Consultants Society International) – 2007

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Contemporary Food History

Professor: Simone Cinotto | ECTS: 6

Objectives

The “Food History” course prepares students to bring specialized knowledge to professions in

food, teaching, communication, production, marketing and business in general. Gastronomic

Sciences and Cultures graduates working as experts in modern and contemporary food history

carry out functions relating to promoting and adding value to food in regards to its link with

different production and consumption contexts, developing communication strategies for the

promotion of food quality and working in publishing and communication on the promotion of

gastronomic heritage.

The course is designed to be an essential part of the education of Gastronomic Sciences and

Cultures graduates who will go on to work or teach in the field of food systems governance,

carrying out functions relating to consultancy, education and training in food policies, with

particular attention towards food sovereignty and connected themes.

By the end of the course, students will be able to understand the history of food and agriculture as

a dynamic process, based on transformation, mobility and exchange, and to appreciate the history

of individual food products as part of these transformational processes. The expected learning

results include the ability to contextualize forms of food production and consumption within their

historical contexts and to understand contemporary food policies and cultures as the development

of events and processes in the past.

Prerequisites

Students taking this course should be able to read texts in English and ideally have a basic

knowledge of world history from 1492 on.

Contents

Program

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1. The Columbian Exchange, the plantation system, and the early globalization of food

2. The modernization of agriculture and industrialization of food production in the “long 19th

century”

3. Guns and butter: Food, agriculture and crisis in the age of the two world wars, 1900-1945

4. Food, migrations and diaspora

5. The Green Revolution and the globalization of food in the late 20th century

6. Slow Food Land: Social history of food in Italy since unification

Teaching method

The course will cover the most important themes in modern and contemporary food history

through lectures, readings to be completed before class and commentary in class on texts and

screened documentary films.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

The exam consists of a written test with open questions on the main topics covered during the

course, taken in the presence of the lecturer or other invigilator. In the 3 hours available, students

must respond to three questions, chosen out of six, covering around 4 pages. The only materials

allowed in the exam room are the readings assigned during the course.

Texts

- Simone Cinotto, The Italian American Table: Food, Family, and Community in New York City

(Urbana, Ill.: University of Illinois Press, 2013).

- Jeffrey Pilcher, Food in World History. 2nd ed. (New York: Routledge, 2017).

Readings in PDF (in English) prepared by the lecturer will be uploaded to Blackboard.

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Gastronomic Lab II

Elective courses | ECTS: 4

***

Study Trips and Fieldwork Research – 2nd Year

Professor: Pietro Pagella | ECTS: 4

Objectives

The “Study Trips Fieldwork and Research” course provides students with the skills necessary to

understand the gastronomic cultures of Italian regions. The trips offer them a chance to complete

and integrate their classroom learning with direct observation of the practices linked to

production processes and historical and social contexts linked to food production, from basic

foodstuffs to their processing and styles of consumption.

By the end of the course, students will have an overall vision, as complete as possible, of the

Italian food system.

Prerequisites

Students taking this course should ideally already be familiar with some basic aspects of food

production. A good knowledge of Italian (for international students) and English are essential

requirements to successfully participating in the teaching activities.

Contents

Program

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The course is divided between three thematic study trips and two regional study trips in Italy. Clips

from films will be used to analyze narrative style, with attention paid to documentaries and real-

life cinema. The acquired knowledge will be confirmed with the lecturer and the shared literacy

will allow students to learn about the specific and interdisciplinary language.

Teaching method

There will be theoretical and practical lessons with individual and group practical exercises.

The thematic study trips are aimed at an understanding of a specific product.

The regional study trips are aimed at a cultural and gastronomic understanding of a region in Italy

and include a range of different activities, including:

visits to businesses and meetings with local experts

research of products for inclusion in the Ark of Taste

filming of interviews for the Granaries of Memory project

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

For each thematic study trip students will receive a grade based on a multiple-choice test. For

each regional study trip students will put together a presentation with their travel group, which

will be presented to a committee of university lecturers.

Texts

Different teaching material will be provided based on the type, theme and destination of study

trip.

For each thematic study trip, study materials provided by the visited businesses will be uploaded

to the Blackboard platform. These materials will be needed to prepare for the test (the process is

explained in the “Thematic Study Trip Evaluation” regulations available on the university portal in

the Internal Regulations section).

For each regional study trip, study materials relating to the destination and planned activities will

be suggested, and will include printed texts, online texts and websites.

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III YEAR

Food and Health

Professor: Lorenzo Bairati | ECTS: 7

Objectives

The “Food and Health” course will prepare students to combine the knowledge acquired in the

first two years of study with the scientific evidence available on the course topics, in particular in

relation to the following activities:

selection and purchase of raw materials, semi-finished products and processed products for use

in food service.

development of recipes and innovative products or recovery of traditional gastronomic

processes, considered from a food science perspective.

While a gastronomic perspective will be taken, the course will also offer ways of interpreting and

understanding the available data on the metabolism of nutrients, nutrients and foods and public

health indicators linked to nutrition and lifestyle.

By the end of the course students will be able to read and understand guidelines and policy

documents on the subject of food and health, using their content within programs for health

promotion and education for the future. They will also be able to introduce criteria of evaluation

of individual and collective food habits in relation to health and well-being.

They will also be able to compile and read nutritional labels.

Prerequisites

Students taking this course should already be familiar with the basic principles of food chemistry.

Contents

Program

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Course topics:

Chemical, biological and physiological aspects of nutrition

Macronutrientis: carbohydrates, proteins and lipids

Water

Energy metabolism

Body weight regulation

Diet and physical activity

Micronutrients: water- and fat-soluble vitamins, minerals and trace elements

Diet and prevention: diabetes, chronic-degenerative diseases, tumors

Life-cycle nutrition

Food security

Eco-environmental implications of food choices

Teaching method

Lectures alternated with exercises in small groups on the nutritional labels of widely consumed

products. Course taught in Italian.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

Written exam in two parts: 32 multiple-choice questions and four open questions.

Oral test for students with marks of less than 20/30 for the written test or students who wish to

improve their grade.

Texts

Teaching material for all students:

McGuire Beerman, Nutritional Sciences: From Fundamentals to Food, 3rd edition (2017)

Lessons: The material relating to the lessons will be made available to the students before class on

Blackboard.

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Food Systems and Global Law

Professor: Lorenzo Bairati | ECTS: 7

Objectives

The “Food Systems and Global Law” course prepares students to work as consultants and

educators in the field of food policies, with particular attention to food sovereignty and related

issues, in NGOs, international organizations, businesses (particularly in the Corporate Social

Responsibility sector), public entities and the social private sector.

By the end of the course, students will be able to analyze the most relevant aspects of global and

comparative food law. There will be a particular focus on issues around intervention by public and

private regulators on food systems, and on the relationships between these and the contexts of

reference from the perspective of food sovereignty, understood as the right of every community

to design and put in place appropriate food production and consumption systems for their specific

ecological, cultural and social characteristics.

Prerequisites

Students taking this course should ideally have a basic knowledge of the foundations of European

law and the ecology of law. Additionally, an advanced knowledge of English and Italian will be

required for the study of documents in these languages (legal texts, academic articles, national

and European judgments).

Contents

Program

FIRST PART

1) Food security and sovereignty: an introduction

2) Public policies in the food sector

3) The role of private regulators in food policies

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SECOND PART

1) Global food law

2) The international community

3) The birth of European food law

THIRD PART

1) Definitions and classifications in food law

2) Food security and food sovereignty

3) Food safety and risk analysis

4) Product and quality

5) Food consumers and their right to be informed

Teaching method

Teaching language: Italian. The teaching method consists of lectures, in which the active

participation of students will be requested during the discussion of texts and documents provided

in advance. Practical case studies will be looked at in class, including with the participation of

experts from the sectors being explored.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

The exam procedures are slightly different depending on whether the student has had an absence

rate of more than 30%, in line with the university’s regulations.

For students with a higher than 70% attendance, there is an exam based on the topics covered.

For students with a lower than 70% attendance there will be an additional task, consisting in the

study of a section not covered during the course and arranged with the lecturer.

The exam consists of an oral test (which can be taken in Italian or English) lasting 20 minutes,

without the use of books or notes, aimed at verifying the acquisition of knowledge on food law

and policies from both a theoretical perspective and in terms of the analysis and resolution of

practical case studies.

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Texts

For this course, special teaching material has been developed which does not coincide entirely

with the texts available on the market.

The textbook recommended for all students is:

Costato L., Albissini F. (eds.), European and Global Food Law, Cedam, Padua, 2016.

The textbook will be supplemented by readings which will be made available to students before

class through Blackboard.

Exercises: Before each class, the lecturer will inform the students of the material to be studied so

that the exercise can take place during class.

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Business Economics for Food Companies

Professors: Carmine Garzia, Damiano Cortese | ECTS: 8

Objectives

The “Business Economics for Food Companies” course prepares students to work as experts in the

area of purchasing and sales in the food sector and as experts in food production activities, in

hospitality and food-service activities and in retail sales, and in carrying out the following specific

functions: analyses of food markets and strategic management of sales in B2B and B2C contexts.

By the end of the course, students will be in possession of the analytical and operational tools of

business economics useful for the definition of business strategies and marketing policies within

companies in the food sector.

Prerequisites

There are no specific requirements.

Contents

Program

The course is dedicated to teaching the tools that constitute the typical “baggage” of a business

economist and which can be used for the evaluation of business performance, the analysis of the

macro-environment and the sector, the definition of business strategies and in support of

marketing decisions.

The empirical part of the course is dedicated to the study of businesses operating in the food

sector.

Teaching method

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The course is taught with an active approach, based on the discussion of business case studies

from the food sector. A typical class will involve the illustration of an analytical model, followed by

its application to a business case study. In order to benefit from this teaching method, students

must read the business case study before coming to class.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

During the course, group exercises will allow students to earn bonus points which will be added to

the mark given for the written test. The written test is based on the application of concepts,

models and theories to a specific case. Detailed information about the exam will be communicated

during the course via the e-learning platform.

Texts

Favotto F., Bozzolan S., Parbonetti A., Economia Aziendale. Modelli, misure, casi, 2012,

McGraw-Hill, Milan, ISBN: 9788838666919.

Case studies, readings and slides will be made available in electronic format on the online

platform for the course.

For international students who are not native Italian speakers, a collection of readings in

English will be provided.

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Philosophy of Food and Gastronomic Communication

Module 1 - Gastronomic Communication

Professors: Francesco Mangiapane| ECTS: 5

Objectives

The “Gastronomic Communication” course prepares students to understand and critically

elaborate on the main perspectives regarding language and communication theories with

particular reference to the possibility of applying such knowledge to the promotion of gastronomic

products and their brands.

The course will teach the following:

Capacity to structure an organic reflection on the commercial and cultural identity of

gastronomic products, taking their communication as a starting point.

Capacity to analyze the functioning of various communicative artifacts with promotional

purposes with the aim of evaluating their effectiveness and developing new ones.

How to recognize, understand and control the mechanisms of production of meaning linked to

a wide number of forms of textuality in the food and wine sphere with the aim of developing

strategies for acting in specific contexts.

Possible professional applications include consultancies for advertising agencies and in the

communication offices of food-service businesses.

Prerequisites

Students taking this course will already be familiar with the historical background of food and

gastronomy. Basic semiotic knowledge is not required, as this will be taught during the first part of

the course. Knowledge of English and Italian is required. The teaching materials can be provided in

both languages.

Contents

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Program

The course offers an overview of the main models and categories of analysis useful for explaining

the different communication phenomenons relating to gastronomy. The objective is to provide an

original perspective on the construction of the commercial and social identity of food and wine

products. Communicative artifacts commonly used for this purpose will be analyzed, from

advertising to logos, packaging to the web. Lectures will be complemented by the collective

analysis of case studies.

Course topics:

The concept of brand

The sign in publicity: brands and trademarks

Advertising strategies

Advertising as narration

Analysis tools: promotions of consumption

Analysis tools: advertising genres

Advertising and subjectivity

Subjectivizing and objectivizing strategies

Styles of life and forms of life

Teaching method

Lectures and workshop activities. The topics will be supported by specific materials (schemas,

images, photocopies of articles and book chapters) which will be distributed during the course.

The course is taught in Italian.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

The exam consists of a test with open questions, to verify the expected learning results and

specifically: a) the knowledge acquired; b) the capacity to develop and apply the knowledge to

specific examples; and c) the possession of adequate expository skills. The exam will be held in

Italian.

Texts

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Textbooks:

1) G. Marrone, Il discorso di marca, Laterza

2) G. Marrone (ed.), Buono da pensare. Cultura e comunicazione del gusto, Carocci

3) A selection of essays will be included in the program. This handout will be supplied at the

end of the course in digital format.

Module 2 - Philosophy of Food

Professors: Nicola Perullo| ECTS: 7

Objectives

The “Philosophy of Food” course prepares students to work in gastronomy and taste criticism and

fields relating to the communication, publishing, promotion and culture of taste. In particular, they

will be able to contribute to the development of communication strategies for the promotion of

food quality and to work in publishing and communication in the field of gastronomic heritage

promotion.

By the end of the course, students will be able to take a critical approach to the identification of

virtuous models of quality production; to work in the contexts of food communication and

promotion, with the aim of conceiving and conceptually developing events and conferences; and

work to promote the cutting edge of food and wine culture and quality. The will also be able to

take on managerial responsibilities in the field of fine dining and professional food and wine

communication.

Prerequisites

Students taking this course will already have a basic knowledge of the history of food and

gastronomy. A basic knowledge of philosophy and semiotics is not required, because this will be

provided during the first part of the course. Knowledge of both English and Italian is required,

because teaching materials can be provided in both languages.

Contents

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Program

The course provides philosophical knowledge in relation to food, with particular reference to the

contemporary situation. The main interpretative models and categories will be presented and

discussed, with the aim of analyzing different aspects inherent in gastronomy understood as a

cultural process. In particular, questions of taste as a value and the relationship between food,

creativity and art in everyday life will be looked at.

Teaching method

Lectures, class discussions and possible group work.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

There will be one final exam in which the acquisition of knowledge and skills will be verified with a

written test lasting 2 hours, aimed at ascertaining the students’ knowledge and understanding of

the course topics. It will consist of five open questions and ten closed multiple-choice questions.

Each open question will be marked from 0 to 4, and each closed question will be marked 0 (wrong

answer) or 1 (right answer). The final grade can receive a “distinction” based on the responses to

the open questions. There may also be exercises during the course on specific topics and projects,

involving the discussion of a relevant text chosen by the student and approved by the lecturer.

Texts

1) N. Perullo, Il gusto come esperienza, Slow Food Editore, Bra, 2016; for non-Italian students,

the English translation: N. Perullo, Taste as Experience, Columbia University Press, NY,

2016.

2) D. Kaplan, The Philosophy of Food, University of California Press.

3) The Taste of Art: Cooking, Food, and Counterculture in Contemporary Cuisine, edited by

Bottinelli-D’Ayala Valva, University of Arkansas Press, 2017.

4) N. Perullo, Il gusto non è un senso ma un compito, Mimesis 2018 (English translation

provided in PDF).

5) Handouts prepared by the lecturer.

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Ethnobiology and Food Scouting

Professors: Andrea Pieroni| ECTS: 6

Objectives

The “Ethnobiology and Food Scouting” course will prepare students to carry out professional roles

relating to the documentation and promotion of traditional local food products at risk of

extinction and to work in consultancy, education and training in gastronomic sciences, cultures

and policies at institutions and private entities.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• understand and add value to the ethnobiological (i.e. ethnobotanical, ethnozoological and

ethnoecological) practices of human cultures and populations.

• understand the complex relationships that exist between human cultures and the

surrounding environments.

• carry out ethnobiological and food scouting research.

• understand the history, principles and conceptualizations underlying the complex

relationships between the environment and human societies, with a focus on food systems.

• be familiar with the methods for studying these interactions in the field.

• develop and carry out a group research project with fieldwork on topics relating to

ethnobiology and food scouting.

Prerequisites

Students taking this course will already have a basic knowledge of biology and anthropology from

their first-year studies.

Contents

Program

Across history, different human populations and cultures have developed practices, knowledge

and social systems that have adapted to the surrounding natural world and co-evolved with it. The

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discipline of ethnobiology studies these interconnections, while food scouting is concerned with

documenting food biodiversity in the field. This course is therefore based on the study of the

inextricable link between humans and the natural world and on the study of traditional systems of

knowledge related to food, which include the recognition, naming, categorization, use and

management of different “natural entities” and “environmental systems.” In doing this, the course

addresses the potential relevance of ethnobiology for local communities and their sustainable

rural development, as well as for small-scale food and herbal markets and biodiversity

preservation and promotion strategies. The students will have to plan an ethnobiological and food

scouting study in an area or community of their choice, with the specific aim of studying

trajectories of change in the perceptions, traditional knowledge and practices associated with one

or more ingredients at risk of extinction and to reflect on the results obtained in light of the

scientific literature and theoretical ethnoecological and ethnobiological conceptualizations.

Teaching method

Lectures, workshops, presentation of research projects in class, tutorials during the project.

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

The exam will ascertain the acquired knowledge and skills (learning results) with an individual

paper of about 5,000 to 10,000 words that explains the objectives, methods and results of the

fieldwork project and includes a discussion (with recommendations) of the results, with detailed

academic references (at least 20).

Texts

For this course, teaching material has been developed that does not coincide with available texts.

The material consists of the PowerPoint presentations of the course. Students will use PDFs that

they will receive from the lecturers, based on the few texts on ethnobiology/ethnoecology

available on the international market and on scientific articles published in recent years.

Recommended reading (available from the UNISG Library):

Anderson et al. (eds.), Ethnobiology, Wiley-Blackwell, 2011

Albuquerque & Alves, Introduction to Ethnobiology, Springer, 2016

Newing, Conducting Research in Conservation: A social science approach, Routledge, 2011

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Lessons: The material relating to lessons will be made available to the students in advance on

Blackboard.

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Gastronomic Lab III

Elective Courses| ECTS: 6

***

Study Trips and Fieldwork Research - 3rd Year

Professor: Pietro Pagella| ECTS: 6

Objectives

The “Study Trips Fieldwork and Research” course provides students with the skills necessary to

understand the gastronomic cultures of Italian regions. The trips offer them a chance to complete

and integrate their classroom learning with direct observation of the practices linked to

production processes and historical and social contexts linked to food production, from basic

foodstuffs to their processing and styles of consumption.

By the end of the course, students will have an overall vision, as complete as possible, of the

Italian food system.

Prerequisites

Students taking this course should ideally already be familiar with some basic aspects of food

production. A good knowledge of Italian (for international students) and English are essential

requirements to successfully participating in the teaching activities.

Contents

Program

The course is divided between three thematic study trips and two regional study trips in Italy. Clips

from films will be used to analyze narrative style, with attention paid to documentaries and real-

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life cinema. The acquired knowledge will be confirmed with the lecturer and the shared literacy

will allow students to learn about the specific and interdisciplinary language.

Teaching method

There will be theoretical and practical lessons with individual and group practical exercises.

The thematic study trips are aimed at an understanding of a specific product.

The regional study trips are aimed at a cultural and gastronomic understanding of a region in Italy

and include a range of different activities, including:

visits to businesses and meetings with local experts

research of products for inclusion in the Ark of Taste

filming of interviews for the Granaries of Memory project

Criteria, rules and procedures for the exam

For each thematic study trip students will receive a grade based on a multiple-choice test. For

each regional study trip students will put together a presentation with their travel group, which

will be presented to a committee of university lecturers.

Texts

Different teaching material will be provided based on the type, theme and destination of study

trip.

For each thematic study trip, study materials provided by the visited businesses will be uploaded

to the Blackboard platform. These materials will be needed to prepare for the test (the process is

explained in the “Thematic Study Trip Evaluation” regulations available on the university portal in

the Internal Regulations section).

For each regional study trip, study materials relating to the destination and planned activities will

be suggested, and will include printed texts, online texts and websites.

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Final Thesis

ECTS: 5

***

Meetings and Conferences

ECTS: 4

As specified in the Academic program, students earn course credits for “Meeting and conferences”

by attending at least the number of activities established each academic year by the Faculty

Council.