Food Toxicology: Toxicity and Risk Assessment of Avoidable Chemicals in Food

To be able to participate in the course, you are expected to have at least a BSc level of education in Food Science and Technology or a related field, such as Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology.

The language of instruction of this course is English. Admission to the course requires a level of English as described at the webpage linked in the right-hand column.

• Understand the difference between avoidable and unavoidable chemicals of concern in food.
• Decide which types of avoidable chemicals are relevant to consider.
• Perform their own risk and safety assessment on avoidable chemicals in food.

This course will provide an overview of the basic avoidable chemicals in food that require toxicity data to support their safe use. This includes compounds like food additives, pesticides, flavours, veterinary medicines, nanomaterials, food supplements and compounds from packaging materials. The course will also explain how, based on this information a risk assessment can be performed for these avoidable chemicals in food.

The master's course consists of online knowledge clips, tutorials and e-learning. Reading material will be provided via Brightspace.

Upon successful completion, a digital micro-credentials certificate (EduBadge) with 3 study credits (ECTS) is issued. The EduBadge certifies the learning outcomes of short-term learning experiences, marking the quality of a course.

Participation in the remote proctored exam is optional. If you decide not to participate in the exam, you do not qualify for a certificate and/or micro-credentials. The exam is included in the course price. The date of examination is 2 April 2026.

After completion of two or more courses there is a unique opportunity to apply what you have learned. You can start a capstone project in consultation with a Wageningen expert in the field. It is a tailor-made project, where you will write a short paper about your results and conclusions. During this work you will be coached by the expert. Price: €1,230,-.