Christophe Lacroix: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2021

Name Prof. em. Dr. Christophe Lacroix
FieldLebensmittelbiotechnologie
Address
Inst.f. Lebensm.wiss.,Ern.,Ges.
ETH Zürich, LFV C 20
Schmelzbergstrasse 7
8092 Zürich
SWITZERLAND
Telephone+41 44 632 48 67
Fax+41 44 632 14 03
E-mailchristophe.lacroix@hest.ethz.ch
DepartmentHealth Sciences and Technology
RelationshipProfessor emeritus

NumberTitleECTSHoursLecturers
752-2302-00LMilk Science Information 1 credit1VJ. Berard, C. Lacroix
AbstractThe course provides information on synthesis and composition of milk, and the effects of various factors. Furthermore, specific hygienic and microbial problems of milk and fermented milk products, as well as basics on processing of milk into dairy products will be presented and discussed. The course is conceptually oriented towards the agri-food chain.
ObjectiveStudents attending this course get a comprehensive overview on milk and important milk products both from an agricultural and a food science perspective. In this way they earn competence at this borderline which is a pre-requisite for an efficient collaboration between milk producers, processors and consumers.
ContentTopics (contact hours)
- Milk synthesis and composition (Joel Berard): 6 h
- Milk processing and hygienic aspects of milk and milk products (Christophe Lacroix): 6 h
Total contact hours: 12 h
Self-study within semester: 16 h (especially preparation for the examination)
Lecture notesDocumentations, links and other materials will be provided by each lecturer at the start of his part of the course. Additionally, an extensive German documentation for the part of Joel Berard can be downloaded via Moodle in "Kurs Nutztierwissenschaften". The access code will be communicated during the course.
LiteratureInformation on books and other references will be communicated during the course.
Prerequisites / NoticeA special point for this course is that it is taught by professors from food and agricultural sciences and is aimed to integrate both fields and provide a clear illustration of this important duality for the production of high quality, and safe dairy food.

This course is a core element of the Minor in Food Quality and Safety for students of the Master in Agroecosystem Science. It is optional (i) in the Major of Animal Science, (ii) for students selecting Majors in Crop Science or Food & Resource Economics. No specific qualification is demanded to attend the course.

Performance control is done by a final written examination of 60 min duration of the open-books type (all paper files can be brought and used).
752-5002-00LFermented Milk Products Restricted registration - show details 3 credits2VC. Lacroix
AbstractThis integration course addresses the production processes for important fermented milk foods. The production and application of food cultures (starter and secondary cultures) in fermented milk products will be examined. The ecology and central role of microorganisms forming the cheese ecosystems and the effects of important process parameters for high product quality and safety will be explained.
ObjectiveTo understand the principles for utilization and the important roles of microorganisms and ecosystems in the production, quality and safety of fermented milk foods, by integrating basic knowledge in food microbiology, microbial physiology, biochemistry, technology and engineering.
ContentThis course will present complex production processes for important fermented milk foods (cheese, yoghurt and fermented milks), with focus on the important roles of microbes and ecosystems and processing factors on the quality and safety of the products. The production of food cultures used to initiate and control fermentations will be explained as well as recent developments in this area. A special emphasis will be devoted to processing of milk into cheese, for which basic and applied knowledge is most advanced. Emphasis will be placed on complex processing, effects of important raw material and process parameters for high product quality and safety, and central role of microorganisms and microbial metabolites in the elaboration, quality and preservation of fermented milk products.
Lecture notesA complete course document and/or copy of the power point slides from lectures will be provided, depending on the topic.
LiteratureA list of references will be given at the beginning of the course for the different topics presented during this course.
Prerequisites / NoticeA prerequisite to this course is a) previously taken the course 'Food Biotechnology I (752-5001-00) and/or (b) previous courses supporting equivalent knowledge.
752-5002-01LFermented Plant and Meat Products Restricted registration - show details 2 credits2GC. Lacroix, F. Constancias, A. Greppi
AbstractThis integration course will address the production processes for important fermented plant and meat foods. The central role of microorganisms and the effects of important process parameters for high product quality and safety will be explained.
ObjectiveTo understand the principles for utilization and the important roles of microorganisms in production, quality and safety of important fermented plant foods and meat products, by integrating basic knowledge in food microbiology, microbial physiology, biochemistry, technology and engineering.
ContentThis course will present complex production processes for important fermented foods produced from different plant and meat materials. This course will build on knowledge on food cultures and microbial mechanisms presented in the course Fermented Milk Products, which is therefore a prerequisite for attending this course. Emphasis will be placed on complex processing of raw materials into fermented foods (such as sausages, sauerkraut, sourdough, vinegar, soy products), effects of important process parameters for high product quality and safety, biochemical processes, and central role of microorganisms and microbial products in the elaboration, quality and preservation of fermented plant and meat foods. Then short presentations will be made on topics selected by groups of students to illustrate the great diversity of traditional and new applications of microorganisms in fermented milk, plant and meat foods.
Lecture notesA complete course document and/or copy of the power point slides from lectures will be provided, depending on the topic.
LiteratureA list of references will be given at the beginning of the course for the different topics presented during this course.
Prerequisites / NoticeA prerequisite is the course "Fermented Milk Products" [752-5002-00] in the first half of the same semester or previous courses supporting equivalent knowledge.
This course is taught mainly in English.
752-5004-00LFood Biotechnology Laboratory Course Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 48

Prerequisites: Participation in the courses Food Biotechnology (752-5001-00L) and Fermented Milk Products (752-5002-00L).
3 credits5PA. Greppi, C. Lacroix, B. Pugin
AbstractStudents carry out processes for the production of fermented foods and bioingredients. Experimental blocks: fermentation in state of the art bioreactors; cheese production in a modern pilot cheese plant and microbial and metabolites analysis during cheese ripening; yoghurt production and protective cultures; impact of functional food ingredients tested in an in vitro intestinal digestion model.
ObjectiveTo demonstrate the operation of complete fermentation processes for the production of selected fermented foods and bioingredients; running of small fermenters to understand the effects of important parameters of fermentation processes, including raw materials, and their control; to better understand the effects of functional ingredients on the human gut microbiota in vitro; to analyze the effects of defined fermentation conditions on the quality of final products; to scientifically present experimental approaches and data in a complete report.
ContentThis laboratory course includes four experimental blocks:

- Fermentation in state of the art bioreactors: preparation of equipment, media and starter culture, monitoring and control of the productive phase, analysis of samples for biomass and metabolic products, data interpretation and calculation of kinetics, comparison of different fermentation conditions;

- Cheese production in a modern pilot cheese plant and cheese ripening: manufacturing of model cheeses at Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux, cheese ripening, monitoring of metabolites and microbiological composition and hygienic quality of cheese, estimation of process efficiency and yield calculation, comparison of different fermentation conditions;

- Yoghurt production at small scale with different starter cultures, assaying the principle of biopreservation by using protective cultures against yeast and mould growth and microbial analysis of their efficacy during storage of the fermented products.

- Impact of different prebiotic food ingredients on the microbiota in a in vitro small scale intestinal model fermentation.
Lecture notesA complete course document will be provided.
LiteratureReferences will be indicated in the lab course manual
Prerequisites / Notice1. Absolvierung der Vorlesung "Food Biotechnology I" (752-5001-00).

2. Absolvierung der Vorlesung "Fermented Milk Products" (752-5002-00) parallel zum Kursbesuch.
752-5102-00LFood Fermentation Biotechnology3 credits2VC. Lacroix, F. Constancias, M. Stevens
AbstractFor this integration course, selected and current topics in bioprocess technology as applied to food will be selected to complement the teaching program in Food Biotechnology. Special emphasis will be given on downstream processing, bioprocess development, and metabolic engineering with current applications of microorganisms for producing high quality and safe food and food ingredients.
ObjectiveThe presentation and discussion of selected topics of food fermentation biotechnology:
- to present the main strategies for the downstream processing of fermented media
- to provide examples of recent process developments and future trends for production of high quality foods and food ingredients.
- to develop experience for formulation and design of research and development projects relating to food fermentation technologies

This course will integrate knowledge of bioprocess technology, as well as microbiology and microbial physiology.
ContentThis course will address selected and current topics on bioprocesses applied to foods and food ingredients. As well, this course will allow the integration of concepts in food biotechnology through literature search and presentation of topics by students. Specialists from the Laboratory of Food Biotechnology will contribute to the selected topics as follows:

• New technologies for food fermentation
• Downstream processing treatments
• Metabolic engineering

Students will be required to complete a group project on a selected aspect of bioprocesses and process evaluation. The project will involve information research and analysis followed by an oral presentation.
Lecture notesCopy of the power point slides from lectures will be provided.
LiteratureA list of references will be given at the beginning of the course for the different topics presented during this course.
Prerequisites / NoticeThis course is taught in English.