Packaging in the Wine Industry: Performance, Safety and Sustainability

A.Y. 2024/2025
5
Max ECTS
44
Overall hours
SSD
AGR/15
Language
English
Learning objectives
This class aims to provide students with fundamental concepts related to the most common packaging materials used in the food sector, with special emphasis on the wine industry. In addition, students will gather the technical skills necessary to design properly the final packaging system according with the sought performance, with particular attention toward recent hot topics such as sustainability, consumer's safety, and "active" and "intelligent" features.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the class, students will be asked to be acquainted with most important and representative packaging materials. They should demonstrate the ability to distinguish different materials based on the most relevant functional properties. Moreover, students should exhibit full competence about fundamental concepts linked to phenomena such as permeation, migration, compostability, biodegradability, etc. Students will be encouraged to develop an adequate criticism enabling them to perform a careful assessment of the environmental, economic, and social impact of any packaging system they will deal with, based on the topics covered within the course.
Single course

This course can be attended as a single course.

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
Different topics will be covered within the course, such as:
· Functional suitability of materials intended for the packaging of wine
· Food suitability of materials intended for the packaging of wine
· Main configurations intended for the packaging of wine
· Cork and cork stoppers
· "Active" and "Intelligent" packaging
· Packaging design - shelf life extension and sustainability
· Main packaging innovations in the wine world
Prerequisites for admission
Basic knowledge of chemistry and physics.
Teaching methods
Frontal classes and lab experiments. Frontal classes will allow to cover and develop the topics of the course starting from a deep analysis of theoretical and basic concepts by means of practical examples from the industrial world. The laboratory exercises will give students the opportunity to put into practice some theoretical aspects examined in class, with particular reference to the analytical techniques for characterizing wine packaging materials. Information on the organization of the classes will be always made available in Ariel: students are thus encouraged to have a look regularly.
Teaching Resources
Slides of the course.
Books:
Robertson, G. Food Packaging - Principles and Practice. CRC Press: Boca Raton, Florida, 2013.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The final exam will include an oral interview in presence. The final grade will be expressed in /30ths. The oral exam is deemed in line with the expected learning outcomes because it will serve the purpose to verify the comprehension and use of the students of the main principles for the characterization of packaging systems in the winery sector in a critical and aware thinking way.
AGR/15 - FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - University credits: 5
Laboratories: 8 hours
Lessons: 36 hours
Professor: Farris Stefano
Shifts:
Turno
Professor: Farris Stefano
Professor(s)
Reception:
By appointment
Office (Building 21040 - entrance below the metallic staircase to Aula 4 - ground floor)