Food Science and Safety

Food Science and Safety Certificate of Achievement

The Food Science and Safety Program will prepare students for careers in food quality control, sanitation, safety, processing, and product development. Upon completion of this program, employment opportunities include positions with food processing operations, local, state and federal food inspection services, food sanitation and public health services, and food research and development ventures. The HACCP curriculum in this program is accredited by the HACCP Alliance. Students completing the program coursework will receive a certificate with the International HACCP Alliance seal and also earn the Association of Food & Drug Officials (AFDO) Preventative Control Qualified Individual for Human Food (PCQI) Certificate. 

Upon completion of the program, the student will be able to:

  • Students will obtain Preventive Control Qualified Individual and Hazard Analysis Critical Controls certifications.
  • Students will have a broad knowledge of food science and food safety, handling and processing principles to include best practices for risk avoidance and sanitation. 
  • Students will understand basic food safety concepts including verification and validation of Preventative Controls, Produce Safety Rule, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCPs), Good Manufacturing Processes (GMPs) and Good Agricultural Practices. 
  • Students will have a broad understanding of the laws and regulations affecting agriculture and food processing industries.

Program Requirements

Course # Title Units
Required Core Courses (14 units
FSS 005 Food Safety Management With Application To Production Systems 3
FSS 020 Agriculture Laws and Regulations 2
FSS 025 Principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control 3
FSS 030 Audits, Preventive Controls and Produce Safety 3
FSS 040 Facility Food Safety Management 3
Select one Course (minimum 3 units)
FSS 035 Principles of Food Science 3
FSS 010 Food Chemistry 3
FSS 015 Microbiology of Foods 4
Total 17-18