952160 Human nutrition and food

Type
Lecture and seminar
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Keutgen, Norbert , Keutgen, Anna , Osterkamp, Susanne
Organisation
Offered in
Sommersemester 2025
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

Nutritional science deals with main nutrients, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals and with human energy and water balance.

This knowledge leads to several recommendations for a healthy diet.

Based on this particularities of the nutrition of specific population groups are examined, e.g. of children, seniors, pregnant women and athletics.


Beyond the dimension health that is usually considered in nutritional science the dimensions environment and society are included equivalently.

Therefore the field of nutritional ecology belongs to the course.

The complex relationships within the nutrition system - from agricultural production of commodities to processing, packaging, transportation and retail up to consumption and waste disposal will be demonstrated.



Goal of nutrition ecology is the development of realisable, sustainable, future oriented nutrition concepts as base for a more conscious dietary behaviour.

During the course "Ernährungslehre" subjects/aspects like "proportion of foods of animal or plant origin in the diet, degree of processing of food items, regionality and seasonality, packaging of food items, organic plant or animal production, genetic engineering as well as Fair Trade will be dealt with and considered for an assessment of food items and dietary patterns.

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Previous knowledge expected

Open for agricultural sciences, life sciences, science of human nutrition, ecolo-trophology, management of bio-ressources.
Students need the will to work in small groups on selected topics and share their findings with the other groups.
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Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

The students should be able to assess food items and dietary patterns concerning their health, environmental and social compatability.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.