2023-2024 / VETE3013-1

Prevention and management of health crises in the food sector, including communication; case review and integrative exercises

Duration

4h Th, 16h Mon. WS, 28h TAE

Number of credits

 Advanced Master in Management of Food Chain Safety4 crédits 

Lecturer

Antoine Clinquart, Georges Daube, Véronique Delcenserie, Caroline Douny, Philippe Houdart, Nicolas Korsak Koulagenko, Mike Krantz, Claude Saegerman, Marie-Louise Scippo, Jean-Sébastien Walhin

Coordinator

Claude Saegerman

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The course consists of a theory lesson, homework and supervised work.

  • Theory lesson:
The theory course provides an understanding of the general principles to be applied in crisis management, whether food-related or not. It is important to show students that when it comes to crisis management, a good method must be applied in order to bring the crisis under control as soon as it occurs. It is also important to show students that the target groups concerned (consumers can be the target groups but not the only ones) must be at the centre of the communication process. Teachers will draw on previous incidents to learn lessons and improve crisis communication and transparency in future episodes. They will also insist on early intervention and on the multidisciplinary nature of interventions. This course will be fortunate to have among its teaching pool a manager and a communications director from the FASFC, an industrialist and an academic who have already evaluated a food crisis management exercise at European level. These speakers will share their experience with the audience.

  • Homework:

Homework is essential for students to realise the need for connections between the various players involved in decision-making. In this respect, there is a clear link with the content of the "Specific supplements to the sectoral, institutional and legal aspects of food risk management" UE, which the student must have taken beforehand in order to fully understand what will be taught in the UE6.

The practical exercises will involve an example of a crisis in the field of biological risks or one in the field of chemical risks. The students will have to use a portfolio of elements provided by the teachers to imagine the course of crisis management and its outcome. The examples will be chosen by the teachers on the basis of available data (e.g. nitrofurans in eggs, fipronil crisis, Salmonella in chocolate eggs, etc.). Students must manage risks in the broadest sense (e.g. fraud) and contribute to saving the brand image of the sector or Agency.
 

  • Supervised work:
The feedback session following the homework will aim to :

1. Define the problem encountered (characterize the matrices affected, the spatial and temporal scale)
2. List the associated health risks
3. Identify management options to mitigate health risks
4. How was the crisis managed?
5. Take a critical look at this management
6. Suggest improvements to crisis management based on the type of players involved: authorities, companies, other stakeholders.
7. Prioritize proposals for improvement and translate them into a concerted action plan with a timetable.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

At the end of this course, students will be able to implement a crisis management procedure and understand the need for interconnections between foodstuffs, the animal sector, the human sector and the plant sector.

He/she will understand the complexity of risk management during acute crisis episodes and the need to collaborate across different bodies, whether national or international.

They will be given keys to the emotional management of a food crisis.

They will understand the importance of communication in managing a food crisis.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

A basic knowledge of biology and chemistry as well as a knowledge of the main types of operators in the food chain are necessary for a good understanding of the teaching.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Blended learning


Additional information:

Combination of face-to-face and distance learning activities

Additional information:
It is a hybrid education combining theoretical courses, remote support consultations and
homework completed by collegial presentation sessions by the students.

Recommended or required readings

The teaching materials will all be accessible via eCampus fom before the start of the cursus.
The reference websites will also be communicated on the eCampus platform. The website of the FASFC must be regularly visited by the students (https:www.afsca.be).

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

oral exam

Out-of-session test(s)


Additional information:

Exam(s) out session, in person

Oral examination

Additional information:
The evaluation of the students will be carried out during the two sessions of restitution of the
work carried out at home by all the teachers present on the

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

Repeated unjustified absences may lead to the refusal of the presentation of the final oral
test.

Contacts

Prof. Claude Saegerman, in charge of the teaching and coordinator of the teaching unit

Dr. Nicolas Korsak, in charge of the teaching

Dr. Philippe Houdart, in charge of the teaching

Mr Jean-Sébastien Walhin, in charge of the teaching

Dr. Mike Krantz, in charge of the teaching

 

Prof. Antoine Clinquart, teaching resource person

Prof. Georges Daube, teaching resource person

Prof. Véronique Delcenserie, teaching resource person

Prof. Marie-Louise Scippo, teaching resource person

Dr. Caroline Douny, teaching resource person

 

Contact person :

Logistic aspects :

Mme Christine Bal

Tel. : 04/366-40-40

Mail : Christine.Bal@uliege.be

Academic aspects :

Prof. Claude Saegerman :

Tel. : 04/366-45-79

Mail: claude.saegerman@uliege.be

 

Association of one or more MOOCs