Yearbooks

Programme: BScAgric Food Science and Technology

Kindly take note of the disclaimer regarding qualifications and degree names.
Code Faculty
03130370 Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
Credits Duration
Duration of study: 4 years Total credits: 588

Admission requirements

  •   In order to register NSC/IEB/Cambridge candidates must comply with the minimum requirements for degree studies as well as the minimum requirements for the relevant study programme. 
  •  Life Orientation is excluded in the calculation of the Admission Point Score (APS).
  • Grade 11 results are used for the provisional admission of prospective students. Final admission is based on the Grade 12 results.

 

Minimum requirements for 2016
Achievement level
Afrikaans or English Mathematics Physical Sciences APS
NSC/IEB HIGCSE AS-Level A-Level NSC/IEB HIGCSE AS-Level A-Level NSC/IEB HIGCSE AS-Level A-Level
5 3 C C 5 3 C C 5 3 C C 30
 
Candidates who do not comply with the minimum admission requirements may be considered for admission to the BScAgric or the BSc (Four-year Programme) based on the results of the NBT. Please note that students who are placed in the BSc (Four-year Programme) will take a minimum of five years to complete the BSc Agric study programme.

 

 

Other programme-specific information

Students may enrol for AIM 111 and AIM 121 instead of AIM 101 (the same content presented over 2 semesters)

Please note: Students must successfully complete all their third-year modules to continue with the final (fourth) year of this degree programme.

 

Electives are chosen as follows:

Second year – 12 credits

Compilation of curriculum
Students must register for elective modules in consultation with the head of department who must ensure that the modules do not clash on the set timetable.

The Dean may, in exceptional cases and on recommendation of the head of department, approve deviations from the prescribed curriculum.

Promotion to next study year

A student will be promoted to the following year of study if he or she passed 100 credits of the prescribed credits for a year of study, unless the Dean on the recommendation of the head of department decides otherwise. A student who does not comply with the requirements for promotion to the following year of study, retains the credit for the modules already passed and may be admitted by the Dean, on recommendation of the head of department, to modules of the following year of study to a maximum of 48 credits, provided that it will fit in with both the lecture and examination timetable.

Pass with distinction

The BScAgric degree is conferred with distinction if a student obtains a weighted average of at least 75% in the modules of the major subjects in the third and the fourth year of study, with a weighted average of at least 65% in the other modules of the third and the fourth year of study.

Minimum credits: 140

Fundamental modules

Core modules

  • Module content:

    Simple statistical analysis: Data collection and analysis: Samples, tabulation, graphical representation, describing location, spread and skewness. Introductory probability and distribution theory. Sampling distributions and the central limit theorem. Statistical inference: Basic principles, estimation and testing in the one- and two-sample cases (parametric and non-parametric). Introduction to experimental design. One- and twoway designs, randomised blocks. Multiple statistical analysis: Bivariate data sets: Curve fitting (linear and non-linear), growth curves. Statistical inference in the simple regression case. Categorical analysis: Testing goodness of fit and contingency tables. Multiple regression and correlation: Fitting and testing of models. Residual analysis. Computer literacy: Use of computer packages in data analysis and report writing.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Basic plant structure and function; introductory plant taxonomy and plant systematics; principles of plant molecular biology and biotechnology; adaptation of plants to stress; medicinal compounds from plants; basic principles of plant ecology and their application in natural resource management.

    View more

  • Module content:

    General introduction to inorganic, analytical and physical chemistry. Atomic structure and periodicity. Molecular structure and chemical bonding using the VSEOR model. Nomenclature of iorganic ions and compounds. Classification of reactions: precipitation, acid-base, redox reactions and gas-forming reactions. Mole concept and stoichiometric calculations concerning chemical formulas and chemical reactions. Principles of reactivity: energy and chemical reactions. Physical behaviour gases, liquids, solids and solutions and the role of intermolecular forces. Rate of reactions: Introduction to chemical kinetics.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Theory: General physical-analytical chemistry: Physical behaviour of gases, liquids and solids, intermolecular forces, solutions. Principles of reactivity: energy and chemical reactions, entropy and free energy, electrochemistry. Organic chemistry: Structure (bonding), nomenclature, isomerism, introductory stereochemistry, introduction to chemical reactions and chemical properties of organic compounds and biological compounds, i.e. carbohydrates and amino acids. Practical: Molecular structure (model building), synthesis and properties of simple organic compounds.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Chromosomes and cell division. Principles of Mendelian inheritance: locus and alleles, dominance interactions and epistasis. Probability studies. Sex determination and sex linked traits. Pedigree analysis. Extranuclear inheritance. Genetic linkage and chromosome mapping. Chromosome variation.

    View more

  • Module content:

    The module will introduce the student to the field of Microbiology. Basic Microbiological aspects that will be covered include introduction into the diversity of the microbial world (bacteria, archaea, eukaryotic microorganisms and viruses), basic principles of cell structure and function, microbial nutrition and microbial growth and growth control. Applications in Microbiology will be illustrated by specific examples i.e. bioremediation, animal-microbial symbiosis, plant-microbial symbiosis and the use of microorganisms in industrial microbiology. Wastewater treatment, microbial diseases and food will be introduced using specific examples.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Introductory study of the ultra structure, function and composition of representative cells and cell components. General principles of cell metabolism, molecular genetics, cell growth, cell division and differentiation.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Units, vectors, one dimensional kinematics, dynamics, work, equilibrium, sound, liquids, heat, thermodynamic processes, electric potential and capacitance, direct current and alternating current, optics, modern physics, radio activity.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Students will not be credited for more than one of the following modules for their degree: WTW 134, WTW 165, WTW 114, WTW 158. WTW 134 does not lead to admission to Mathematics at 200 level and is intended for students who require Mathematics at 100 level only. WTW 134 is offered as WTW 165 in the second semester only to students who have applied in the first semester of the current year for the approximately 65 MBChB, or the 5-6 BChD places becoming available in the second semester and who were therefore enrolled for MGW 112 in the first semester of the current year.        Functions, derivatives, interpretation of the derivative, rules of differentiation, applications of differentiation, integration, interpretation of the definite integral, applications of integration. Matrices, solutions of systems of equations. All topics are studied in the context of applications.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Animal classification, phylogeny, organization and terminology. Evolution of the various animal phyla, morphological characteristics and life cycles of parasitic and non-parasitic animals. Structure and function of reproductive, respiratory, excretory, circulatory and digestive systems.

    View more

Minimum credits: 144

Core modules

  • Module content:

    Structural and ionic properties of amino acids. Peptides, the peptide bond, primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of proteins. Interactions that stabilise protein structure, denaturation and renaturation of proteins. Introduction to methods for the purification of proteins, amino acid composition, and sequence determinations. Introduction to enzyme kinetics and enzyme inhibition. Allosteric enzymes, regulation of enzyme activity, active centres and mechanisms of enzyme catalysis. Examples of industrial applications of enzymes. Practical training in laboratory techniques and Good Laboratory Practice. Techniques for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of biological molecules. Processing and presentation of scientific data.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Biochemistry of carbohydrates. Thermodynamics and bioenergetics. Glycolysis, citric acid cycle and electron transport. Glycogen metabolism, pentose-phosphate pathway, gluconeogenesis and photosynthesis. Practical training in study and analysis of metabolic pathways and enzymes. Scientific method and design: Hypothesis design and testing, method design and scientific controls.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Biochemistry of lipids, membrane structure, anabolism and catabolism of lipids. Nitrogen metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis and catabolism. Biosynthesis of neurotransmitters, pigments, hormones and nucleotides from amino acids. Catabolism of pureness and pyrimidines. Therapeutic agents directed against nucleotide metabolism. Examples of inborn errors of metabolism of nitrogen containing compounds. The urea cycle, nitrogen excretion. Practical training in scientific writing skills: evaluation of a scientific report. Techniques for separation and analysis of biological molecules

    View more

  • Module content:

    Biochemistry of nutrition and toxicology. Proximate analysis of nutrients. Review of energy requirements and expenditure. Respiratory quotient. Requirements and function of water, vitamins and minerals. Interpretation and modification of RDA values for specific diets, eg growth, exercise, pregnancy and lactation, aging and starvation. Interactions between nutrients. Comparison of monogastric and ruminant metabolism. Cholesterol, polyunsaturated, essential fatty acids and dietary anti-oxidants. Oxidation of fats. Biochemical mechanisms of water- and fat-soluble vitamins and assessment of vitamin status. Mineral requirements, biochemical mechanisms, imbalances and diarrhoea. Biochemistry of xenobiotics: absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME); detoxification reactions: oxidation/reduction (Phase I), conjugations (Phase II), export from cells (Phase III); factors affecting metabolism and disposition. Toxic responses: tissue damage and physiological effects, teratogenesis, immunotoxicity, mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. Examples of toxins: biochemical mechanisms of common toxins and their antidotes. Antibiotics and resistance. Natural toxins from fungi, plants and animals: goitrogens, cyanogens, cholineesterase inhibitors, ergotoxin, aflatoxins  Practical training in analyses of nutrients, fatty acids separations, antioxidant determination, and enzyme activity measurements, PO ratio of mitochondria, electrophoresis, extraction, solubility and gel permeation techniques.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Lectures: Food Science as a discipline. Activities of Food Scientists and Nutritionists. How food is produced, processed and distributed (food pipeline). World food problem. Human nutrition and human food requirements. Constituents of foods: Functional properties. Food quality. Food deterioration and control (food preservation). Unit operations in food processing. Food safety, risks and hazards. Principles of food packaging. Food legislation and labelling. Food processing and the environment. Practicals: Group assignments applying the theory in practice; practical demonstrations in pilot plants; guest lecturers on the world of food scientists and nutritionists; factory visit/videos of food processing.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Lectures: Food preservation technologies: concept of hurdle technology; heat (blanching, pasteurisation and sterilisation); cold (refrigeration and freezing); concentration and dehydration; food irradiation; fermentation; preservatives; new methods of food preservation. Effect of various food preservation technologies on the microbiological (shelf-life and safety issues), sensory and nutritional quality of foods. Practicals: Practical applications of above processes. Physical, chemical and sensory evaluation of processed foods. Assignment: Application of hurdle technology concept to a specific food product.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Introduction to financial management in agriculture: Farm management and agricultural finance, farm management information; analysis and interpretation of farm financial statements; risk and farm planning. Budgets: partial, break-even, enterprise, total, cash flow and capital budgets. Time value of money. Introduction to production and resource use: the agricultural production function, total physical product curve, marginal physical product curve, average physical product curve, stages of production. Assessing short-term business costs; Economics of short-term decisions. Economics of input substitution: Least-cost use of inputs for a given output, short-term least-cost input use, effects of input price changes. Least-cost input use for a given budget. Economics of product substitution. Product combinations for maximum profit. Economics of crop and animal production.

    View more

  • Module content:

    The agribusiness system; the unique characteristics of agricultural products; marketing functions and costs; market structure; historical evolution of agricultural marketing in South Africa. Marketing environment and price analysis in agriculture: Introduction to supply and demand analysis.
    Marketing plan and strategies for agricultural commodities; market analysis; product management; distribution channels for agricultural commodities, the agricultural supply chain, the agricultural futures market.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Growth, replication and survival of bacteria, Energy sources, harvesting from light versus oxidation, regulation of catabolic pathways, chemotaxis. Nitrogen metabolism, iron-scavenging. Alternative electron acceptors: denitrification, sulphate reduction, methanogenesis.  Bacterial evolution, systematic and genomics. Biodiversity; bacteria occurring in the natural environment (soil, water and air), associated with humans, animals, plants, and those of importance in foods and in the water industry.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Organisation and molecular architecture of fungal thalli, chemistry of the fungal cell. Chemical and physiological requirements for growth and nutrient acquisition. Mating and meiosis; spore development; spore dormancy, dispersal and germination. Fungi as saprobes in soil, air, plant, aquatic and marine ecosystems; role of fungi as decomposers and in the deterioration of materials; fungi as predators and parasites; mycoses, mycetisms and mycotoxicoses; fungi as symbionts of plants, insects and animals. Applications of fungi in biotechnology.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Nutrition in the context of growth, development and composition of organisms. Metabolic processes and control in the body. Overview of nutritional processes. The study of the fundamental principles of nutrient metabolism (including macro- and micro-nutrients and water) and digestion physiology. Applications are made regarding man and animals.
    Practical work: Experimental work and problem orientated tasks.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Primary sources of migroorganisims in food. Factors affecting the growth and survival of microorganisms in food. Microbial quality, spoilage and safety of food. Different organisms involved, their isolation, screening and detection. Conventional approaches, alternative methods rapid methods. Food fermentations: fermentation types, principles and organisms involved.

    View more

Minimum credits: 144

Core modules

  • Module content:

    Literature studies and seminar presentations on topics in food science, nutrition and health.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Lectures - Chemistry of major food components: Carbohydrates. Proteins. Lipids. Water. Chemical and nutritional aspects of food processing: implications of different processing techniques on the major food components. Functional properties of the major food components. Modification of functional properties of the major food components. Food analysis methodology. Practical work: Food analysis.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Lectures - Basic food analysis and chemistry of the minor food components: Basic food analysis, vitamins, minerals, additives, contaminants. Chemical and nutritional aspects of food processing: implications of different processing techniques on minor food components. Functional properties of the minor food components. Food analysis methodology. Practical work: Food analysis.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Lectures: Mass and energy balance. Heat transfer theory: Convection, conduction and radiation. Energy for food processing. Fluid flow and rheology. Unit operations: materials handling, cleaning, sorting, grading, peeling, disintegration, separation (e.g. membrane technology), pumping, mixing and forming, heating, concentration, drying, extrusion, refrigeration, freezing. Tutorials/practicals: Calculations on mass and energy balances, psychrometry, refrigeration and freezing.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Cereal and legume grains, oilseeds and fruits and vegetables: Composition and
    structure. Quality assessment and grading. Post-harvest storage and physiology.
    Cleaning and sorting principles and technologies. Milling – principles and technologies, and their effects on product functionality and nutrient composition. Juice and oil extraction – principles and technologies, and their effects on product functionality and nutrient composition. Bread and baked goods making – principles and technologies, and their effects on product functionality and nutrient composition. Practical work: Laboratory analyses of components and products of cereals, oilseeds, legumes and fruits and vegetables; Determination of quality; Factory visits.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Dairy science: Composition of milk; some physical properties of milk; factors affecting composition of milk; microbiological aspects of milk production; lactation; mechanical milking; milk defects; nutritive value of milk and milk products. Practical work: Chemical and microbiological tests of milk. Demonstration of the cheese-making process. Meat, poultry, fish and egg science: The composition, nutritional value and quality of meat, poultry, fish and eggs; factors affecting quality from slaughter or harvesting to consumption. Practical work: Visits to red meat and poultry abattoirs; quality determinations, egg quality and protein functionality.

    View more

  • Module content:

    The modern food and agribusiness system. Key drivers in the global context. Whole farm planning and budget development The financial analysis of farm financial, financial modelling, the financing decision: capital acquisition, creditworthiness, different capital sources, capital structures. The investment decision and working capital management. Value chains in agribusiness. Risk management. Strategic management and marketing principles in agribusiness. Operational management and human resources management. Business planning for agribusiness.

    View more

  • Module content:

    With an integrated focus on animal and plant food commodities, this module considers food properties and processing operations that impact on the growth, survival and biochemical activity of microorganisms as they relate to spoilage, safety and fermentation. Temperature effects on microbial growth and survival including thermal destruction and cell and spore injury. Microbial stress response (adaptation) during processing. Selection for stress resistant and more virulent pathogenic variants and virulence mechanisms (toxin structure/function) of food-borne pathogens during food processing. Theory and practice of new advances in microbial detection and identification methods. Tools for the production of safe foods including food safety objectives (FSOs) and risk analysis. Practicals will include advanced microbial detection and identification methods applied to animal and plant foods as well as the food supply chain.

    View more

Minimum credits: 160

Core modules

  • Module content:

    Lectures and assignments: Research methodology. Literature study and seminar presentations on topics in food science and/or technology. The student must also pass an oral examination at the end of the module.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Dairy technology: The technology of fluid, concentrated, dried, frozen and fermented dairy products and starter cultures. Requirements for milk supply and other ingredients. Principles for the manufacturing of products in this category. Possible defects, causes and prevention. Practical work: Preparation of condensed milk, custard, ready-to-eat milk-based desserts, flavoured milk beverages, dairy-fruit juice mixtures; ice cream and other frozen desserts; yoghurt and cultured milk products; cheeses. Evaluation and analysis of the products. Effect of processing on nutritional value of dairy products. Factory visits. Meat, poultry, fish and egg technology: Meat, poultry, fish and egg processing and equipment. Meat emulsion, curing, dehydration and fermentation technology. Preservation and storage. Packaging. Legislation. Quality control and hygiene. Effect of processing on nutritional value of meat products. Practical work: Manufacturing of dried, cured, fermented and emulsion type products. Visits to processing factories.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Plant food functionality: Starch, non-starch polysaccharides, protein. Advanced
    rheology and texture. Malting and brewing. Ready-to-eat (RTE) technologies and their impact on functional and nutritional quality. Plant oil processing. Minimal processing of fruits and vegetables. Practical work: Pasting properties of starch; Dough rheology; Isolation of legume and cereal proteins; SDS-PAGE electrophoreses of legume and cereal proteins; Malting and mashing of sorghum and barley malt; Extraction of essential oils; Extraction and identification of phenolic compounds; Minimal processing of fruits and vegetables.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Principles and applications of sensory evaluation. Types of panels, tests and test conditions and their functions. Selection and training of panellists for descriptive sensory evaluation. Instrumental sensory quality measurements. Statistical analysis and interpretation of data. Practicals: Practical aspects and execution of sensory evaluation techniques, analysis and interpretation of data. Instrumental sensory quality measurements.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Lectures: Principles involved and steps that are followed to develop new food products that are safe, tasty, nutritious and cost effective. Application of the theory of food product development. Quality management systems with specific reference to Good Manufacturing Practices, HACCP and ISO 9000. National and international standards, Codex Alimentarius, FDA. Application of food legislation. Food Packaging. Practicals: A product development project will be planned, conducted and presented. Application and implementation of HACCP.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Discusion classes in advanced level food chemistry, food microbiology, food engineering, food processing and nutrition. Problem solving and literature discussion.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Planning, execution and reporting of a research project on a selected Food Science and/or Technology subject.

    View more


The information published here is subject to change and may be amended after the publication of this information. The General Regulations (G Regulations) apply to all faculties of the University of Pretoria. It is expected of students to familiarise themselves well with these regulations as well as with the information contained in the General Rules section. Ignorance concerning these regulations and rules will not be accepted as an excuse for any transgression.

Copyright © University of Pretoria 2024. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 Corona Virus South African Resource Portal

To contact the University during the COVID-19 lockdown, please send an email to [email protected]

FAQ's Email Us Virtual Campus Share Cookie Preferences