Trust in Our Food: Understanding Food Supply Systems
How much do you trust your food? Learn about food supply systems, safety, sustainability and nutrition and quality.
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
3 hours
Trust in Our Food: Understanding Food Supply Systems
This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.
Explore how your food reaches you
Please note this course runs without facilitation
How does your food reach your plate? Can you trust your food? Find out with this online course that will help you understand global food supply systems.
You’ll explore the challenges and responsibilities of different people in the food system, including the role of the consumer. You will assess the information available to consumers relating to issues of food safety, nutrition and quality, sustainability of production methods and how these affect consumer trust. You’ll leave the course knowing more about where your food comes from and how you can make a difference in the food supply chain.
Syllabus
Week 1
Food systems
Welcome
Find out about what you will be learning, who will be guiding you and how the course is taught.
Consumer and trust
Do you trust your food? Find out what we mean by exploring the levels of trust people have with their food, and the effects that marketing can have on a consumer when buying food.
Food supply systems
An introduction to the global food system. Take a closer look at the journey food takes to reach you, find out who is involved, and the factors that determine consumers' trust in the processes in place.
Review and reflect
Reflect on what you've learnt this week about the food supply system, consumer behaviour and the term 'trust' when it comes to food. Assess your knowledge and begin to think about how you can take action.
Week 2
Food safety
Welcome
Find out what will be covered this week when you focus on ‘food safety’. Hear people’s thoughts about what it means to them as well as exploring your own ideas.
What is food safety?
What are the risks involved with the food you eat? Find out over the next few Steps what food safety means, and explore the measures put in place to make your food safe through our first case study: bagged salad.
Food scandals
Take a look at the food scandals that pushed for a response in food safety, and explore the regulations that are now in place that aim to protect your health when consuming food.
Review and reflect
Reflect on what you've learnt this week about food safety and how it affects your own trust in food. Assess your knowledge and think about how you can take action.
Week 3
Nutrition and Quality
Welcome
Find out what will be covered this week with trust in food, when we focus on ‘nutrition and quality’. Hear people’s thoughts about what it means to them as well as exploring your own ideas.
What is nutritional value?
Are you more conscious of what you eat? Is cheaper better or worse? Through our next case study, take a look at what a food label can really tell you to help you make more informed decisions when choosing what to eat or drink
Who to listen to?
With an array of information readily available about what’s good to eat and what isn’t, how do you make an informed decision about what food works for you? In the next few Steps we explore the options available to you.
Review and reflect
Reflect on what you've learnt this week about nutrition and quality and how it affects your own trust in food. Assess your knowledge and think about how you can take action.
Week 4
Sustainability
Welcome
Find out what will be covered this week with trust in food, when we focus on ‘sustainability'. Hear people’s thoughts about what it means to them as well as exploring your own ideas.
What is sustainability?
In the next few Steps you explore what sustainable and ethical food production means through our last case study: meat steak.
The framework
In the next few Steps you take a closer look at the assurance schemes that set out unique set of standards that food products have to meet, which help reassure consumers and help build trust when buying food.
Review and reflect
Reflect on what you've learnt this week about sustainability and ethical production and how it affects your own trust in food. Assess your knowledge and think about how you can take action.
Agents of change
In this final activity, let’s review what you’ve learnt over the entire course and we leave you with our final thoughts to your next steps.
Who is this accredited by?
The CPD Certification Service was established in 1996 and is the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the CPD policies of professional and academic bodies.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and learn at your own pace. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Describe the complexity of the global food system and the issues that affect consumer trust in food
- Explain the key factors involved in food safety
- Critically evaluate different sources of nutritional information
- Explore the different food labels that provide assurances to consumers
- Reflect on the role of the consumer in influencing the food supply system
Who is the course for?
This course is for anyone interested in learning about where their food comes from.
The Educator team won’t be available to answer questions or respond to your comments during this course. However, we encourage you to interact and support each other by posting your thoughts and comments and sharing your knowledge with other learners
Who will you learn with?
I am a Senior Research Fellow in the School of
Agriculture, Policy and Development at the University of Reading.
My research focuses on sustainable agriculture and enhancing fieldwork learning.
I’m a professor in food microbiology at the University of Torino, Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences. My research focuses on food safety and microbial ecology of fermented foods.
I am a Senior Manager at the European Food Information Council. My role is creating science-based content on nutrition and health whilst leading communication activities for EU research projects.
Who developed the course?
EIT Food
EIT Food is Europe’s leading food initiative, working to make the food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted.
University of Reading
The University of Reading has a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and enterprise.
European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
This activity has received funding from EIT Food, the innovation community on Food of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the EU, under the Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
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- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
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- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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