CORSO DI DOTTORATO
Agro-Food System
Piacenza
Research addresses
The research fields are grouped into two macro-areas:
ORGANIC-AGRICULTURAL DISCIPLINARY AREA
The research course aims to study the various phases of the production chains, in order to ensure adequate safety of origin, processing and use of the various food products, as well as a high quality standard.
The existing skills within the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences concern:
- Contaminants in the food chain
- Control of contamination of feed, food and beverages with mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins (aflatoxins, ochratoxins, trichothecenes, zearalenones, etc.) and drug residues;
- Control of contamination from PCBs, heavy metals and radionuclides;
- Techniques for predicting the fate of contaminants at field, basin and regional scale and development of ecotoxicological indicators;
- Biotechnological interventions to reduce the risks associated with the presence of mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins in food.
- Plant health, plant protection products and their residues
- Risk assessment of residues of plant protection products in herbaceous and arboreal plants and ecotoxicological studies in soil, water and plants;
- Assessment of the risk to the consumer due to the ingestion of residues of plant protection products with the diet;
- Development of molecular and physiological methods and construction of microarrays to evaluate the response to attack by pathogens and parasites in cereals and for the identification of resistance genes;
- Integrated and biological pest management systems for agricultural crops aimed at reducing pesticide residues in agricultural products.
- Additives, products and substances used in animal nutrition
- Microbiological aspects of additives for animal nutrition: evaluation of safety and efficacy;
- Microorganisms used as additives: evaluation of pathogenicity and risks associated with the spread of antibiotic resistance;
- Evaluation of residues of additives in foodstuffs of animal origin;
- Evaluation of the effects of additives on productivity and animal welfare;
- Control systems for the animal production chain, from breeding to the processed product;
- Ecotoxicological studies of additives in soil, water and plants
- Genetically modified organisms
- microbial GMOs: systems for recognising and monitoring the spread and survival in the environment and in food;
- Safety assessment of GMMs and organisms derived from self-clone procedures;
- Plant GMO identification and traceability systems;
- Safety and welfare assessment of GMO-fed animals
- Information and communication - analysis of the processes and transformations taking place in the field of communication
- Observatory for Communication and Faculty of Sociology and Education;
- Joint expertise of experts in the field of risk assessment and in the communication sector;
- Socio-economic, regulatory and legislative aspects, such as:
- Analysis of the implications of information asymmetry on food safety issues and business strategies and assessment of the impact on the agri-food system of strategies to reduce this asymmetry (minimum standards, labelling, quality certification, traceability, etc.);
- Issues related to the quality and safety of food in the process of completing the Community free trade area;
- Perception of food risks and effects on consumer demand;
- Food safety issues for typical products.
- Integrated laboratories
- Chemical and biochemical analysis of water, air and soil, foodstuffs and foodstuffs, in order to prevent, identify and trace the origin of any contamination of toxic elements and compounds (heavy metals, pesticide residues, mycotoxins, PCBs, antibiotics, etc.) in food, and for the nutritional characterization of foods of animal and plant origin;
- Biological and molecular diagnostics along the food chain, for the purposes of prevention, identification of biological and microbiological contamination, evaluation of the presence of GMOs and the spread of genes for antibiotic resistance; molecular certification of the origin of food (traceability and traceability of feed and food) and the detection of fraud in the food sector;
- Quality and safety control along the agri-food chain, risk analysis and management; international regulations and legislation; implementation of GLP methods in analytical laboratories.
The research course aims to develop molecular methodologies applicable:
- to microbiology
- animal and plant physiology
with particular attention to the agri-food and veterinary sectors.
The research course is aimed at the study of fermented beverage processes (in particular wine and beer) and the innovative development of processes and plants in the food industry.
This address focuses on processes and plants in the agri-food industry in terms of the development of new technologies, optimization of production cycles and individual equipment, and process safety analysis.
The course aims to provide students with the fundamental knowledge and tools necessary to set up and carry out correctly and with independent contribution research, including applied research, essential for a growth of innovation in a sector, the agri-food sector, certainly a driving force for the economy of our country.
In this sense, particular emphasis will be given to study topics related to:
- Analysis and development of winemaking techniques, wine aging and optimization of winemaking equipment;
- Development of new processes for the food industry;
- Recovery and enhancement of by-products of the food industry: production of antioxidant substances;
- Packaging: analysis of closures for liquid foods, both cork-based and alternative to cork itself; study of materials for the food sector;
The topics will be dealt with through a theoretical-experimental study, initially based on the application of fundamental concepts of the phenomena underlying each transformation of the industrial sector and, subsequently, verifying both in the laboratory and in the field, the hypotheses assumed and developed in theory. Physical-mathematical modeling first and then experimental validation are, therefore, the basis of the research pertaining to the present PhD address.
In addition, and not least, attention will always be paid to food safety, through the application of typical Risk Analysis methodologies.
Operational and scientific structures to support the
The main operational and scientific structure of the PhD course is theInstitute of Oenology and Agri-Food Engineering, which has been carrying out research for several decades in the field of process innovation for the wine industry and for the food industry in general.
To this end, it has structured its laboratories to better carry out experimental research studies and control of the results obtained. It carries out its activities in close relationship with industrial realities and other research structures at university level in Italy and abroad.
In the international field it has relations with foreign universities:
- Facultè d'Oenologie, Universitè de Bordeaux 2 - France
- Universidad de Castilla, La Mancha, Escuela Tècnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnologia Agroforestal - Spain
- Ecole d'Ingènieurs de Changins and Nyon -Switzerland
- School of Food Biosciences, University of Reading - UK.
In Italy he collaborates with companies in the oenology, packaging and agri-food processing (primary, secondary and ingredients) sectors, also through direct experiments at Italian and foreign companies.
Finally, this address belongs to the national network of Food Technology Doctorates together with a dozen other universities.
The research course aims to study the conservation and improvement of soil productivity and quality in order to promote the quality and healthiness of agricultural production.
Given the growing need to preserve and improve agricultural productivity in the immediate future, the research track in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry intends to promote research capable of opening new perspectives for:
- the understanding of the processes related to the biogeochemical cycle of the elements, of the mechanisms underlying the acquisition of nutrients and tolerance to stressful situations, of the phenomena related to the establishment of beneficial or harmful interactions between the plant and microorganisms;
- deepen the knowledge of the chemical and biochemical processes and mechanisms that take place in the soil and in particular in the soil-plant system;
- identify the appropriate tools to assess pollution phenomena and study the possibility of developing strategies not only aimed at improving plant nutrition and pathogen defense, but also at the recovery of degraded soils, the protection of biodiversity and the definition of eco-compatible cultivation systems.
The course aims to provide students with the fundamental knowledge and tools necessary to set up and carry out correctly and with independent contribution research, including applied research, essential for the achievement of the training objectives indicated above.
In this sense, particular emphasis will be given to study topics related to:
- Conservation and improvement of soil productivity and quality
- The rhizosphere as a site of interaction between plant, soil and microorganisms
- Biomass recycling in agriculture
- Pollution of the soil-plant-water system
- Contaminated area decontamination techniques
- Bioindicators of the availability of nutrients and toxic elements for living organisms
- Transfer of pollutants to the environment and agricultural crops
- Residues of unwanted chemicals in food and risk assessment of contamination of food products
Operational and scientific structures to support the
The main operational and scientific structure of the doctoral course is theInstitute of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, which has been carrying out research activities in the field of agricultural chemistry for several decades. To this end, it has structured its laboratories to better carry out experimental research studies and control of the results obtained. It carries out its activities in close relationship with industrial realities and other research structures at university level in Italy and abroad.
At the national level, the address is consortium with:
- the University of Bologna
- the University of Florence
- the University of Tuscia
In the international field it has relationships with foreign universities such as:
- York University
- CSIRO in Adelaide (AU)
- Wageningen University
- Newcastle University
In Italy it collaborates with companies in the agrochemical and agri-food processing sectors also through direct experiments at Italian and foreign companies.
The research course aims to study the animal production system with attention to the intrinsic prerogatives of the animal (genetics) and to the environmental factors that can ensure optimal production responses in terms of quantity and quality, while guaranteeing the sustainability of the entire system.
The technical-scientific field of the doctorate concerns the animal production system, paying attention on the one hand to the intrinsic prerogatives of the animal (genetics) and on the other to the factors (nutrition, hygienic-sanitary conditions, structures and equipment, breeding technologies, etc.) that can ensure optimal production responses in terms of quantity and quality, while ensuring the sustainability of the entire system: in particular eco-compatibility and animal welfare, but nevertheless economic sustainability.
In particular, in addition to the best management and food techniques, the objectives pursued with greater attention will be those of optimizing living conditions for animals and safeguarding, both of the consumer and the environment.
With regard to the first aspect , the most relevant factors under study will be:
- the causes of the various metabolic diseases (puerperal collapse, ketosis-steatosis, breech diseases, mastitis, abomasum dislocation, etc.) and the effects that can be induced by the intake of toxic substances (pollutants, mycotoxins, etc.);
- the effects attributable to climatic (heat), physical and mental stress , as well as their prevention;
- the evaluation of animal welfare and the effects induced by management .
The significance of all this must be included in the prevention of events that are among the most common causes of loss of production, deterioration in the quality of milk and meat, greater risk to consumer safety and increased costs, as well as more or less marked suffering for animals.
With regard to environmental protection, issues aimed at obtaining animal feed in a more "friendly" way, reducing the incidence of greenhouse gases and manure, as well as reducing the effects on soil biotic systems can be addressed.
Finally, attention will be paid to the identification of increasingly suitable animals and to those tools suitable for tracing and/or certifying the goodness of the processes followed and the products thus obtained.
Operational and scientific structures to support the
The main operational and scientific structures of the PhD programme are:
- Institute of Zootechnics - Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Piacenza
The main instruments used for the PhD course are: autoanalyzer for clinical chemistry (ILAB 600), centrifuges, spectrophotometer, fluorometer, HPLC with autosampler, A.A. equipment with oven and ICP to determine the chemical elements, laboratory for the analysis of the main chemical-physical characteristics of food (mineralizer, Fibertech, Soxtech etc.), laboratory for the analysis of compositional parameters and characteristics chemical-technological of milk (Milkoscan, FT120, Formagraph, titrator, etc.), laboratory for the manipulation of radioactive isotopes used in hormone analysis. - Institute of Food and Nutrition Sciences - Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Piacenza
Series of HPLC chromatographs equipped with sampler and with different types of detectors (optical, fluorimetric, mass spectrometry, etc.) to determine toxic substances and their residues. Gas chromatographs for lipids, atomic absorption for mineral elements, centrifuges, basic equipment for evaluating food. Systems designed to reproduce rumen phenomena. - Animal Testing Enclosure - Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Piacenza.
Animal enclosure where part of the animal experiments (cattle, pigs, chickens, rabbits, rats) related to the doctorate are carried out; In particular, for dairy cows, continuous monitoring of environmental conditions, quantitatively controlled individual feeding, measurement of the milk produced, possible intravenous or other infusion of nutrients, etc., is allowed. - Department of Clinical and Veterinary Sciences - State University of Milan.
The main instruments used for the PhD course are: autoanalyzer for clinical chemistry (Monarch), centrifuges, spectrophotometer.
- Department of Animal Production - University of Tuscia of Viterbo.
The main instruments used for the PhD course are: autoanalyzer for clinical chemistry (Monarch), centrifuges, spectrophotometer, gas chromatograph, HPLC, cell culture laboratory (laminar flow hood, etc.), ELISA reader, atomic absorption. The department operates a large climate cell where animals can be subjected to unfavorable thermal conditions to study the effects of heat on physiology and production.
The research course aims to deepen the issues related to the production and pest control of herbaceous crops, trees and vines with attention to the protection of natural resources.
ECONOMIC-LEGAL DISCIPLINARY AREA
The research track is characterized by the focus on the following areas:
- economics of the agri-food sector, with reference to the evolution of consumption behaviour, changes in the competitive scenario, effects of national and supranational regulations;
- Innovation Management, which proposes a focus on the application of innovation management issues to specific problems in the agri-food sector;
- models for the evaluation of policies in which multisectoral models for the evaluation of trade policies on the agri-food chain and their implications will be studied
The didactic offer for this address, grafted onto the common didactic path of the Doctoral School, will cover topics related to the economics and management of the agri-food system and the quantitative tools necessary for its analysis.
Research strands
The research is characterized by the focus on the following areas:
- economics of the agri-food sector, where the factors and directions of change in the different stages of the agri-food system (evolution of consumption behaviour, changes in the competitive scenario, effects of national and supranational regulations, etc.) and the effects this has on vertical relationships within the agri-food supply chains, considered in a supply chain management logic, will be explored.
The topics of greatest focus will be:- food consumer, product quality and information asymmetry;
- food safety, risk management and communication;
- vertical relationships and supply chain management;
- differentiation and enhancement of agri-food products;
- organisational structure and competitive strategies of companies in the agri-food system.
- Innovation Management, in which a focus is proposed on the application of innovation management issues to the specific problems of the agri-food sector with particular reference to the strategic value of innovation, the life cycle of technology, the critical aspects related to the diffusion of innovation and technology transfer processes in SMEs. The course aims to develop the characteristics of business models and the prerogatives of organizational structures capable of fostering and supporting the development of skills systems oriented towards innovation and change as factors necessary to develop lasting competitive advantages;
- models for the evaluation of policies, in this area the focus is mainly oriented on multisectoral models aimed at measuring the impacts on the structure of production, on the structure of consumption and on the distribution of income and models for the evaluation of regulatory policies.
The topics of greatest focus will be:- multi-sectoral models with applications to developing countries and developed countries;
- models for evaluating international trade policies;
- models for assessing the distributional impact of agri-food sector policies in developing countries and developed countries;
- Models for the evaluation of regulatory policies.
The research track is characterized by the focus on the following areas:
- food legislation;
- comparative analysis of security systems at European level, in the different continental areas, in the organization of the WTO;
- certification systems, self-certification, authorities for the certification of organic production, fair trade, quality food;
- innovation of regulatory policies in the food sector, with particular reference to the agency system, from a European and national perspective.
Within the Economic-Legal Disciplinary Area, the following Areas are contained:
Private Area:
- principles of food law;
- agrarian bargaining, the protection of the weaker contractor, the responsibility of the producer;
- the agricultural enterprise;
- the markets of agricultural goods;
- social security and assistance for workers and agricultural entrepreneurs;
- regulation of employment relationships in the agricultural sector;
- quality foods, foods regulated according to geographical origin (PDO, PGI), organic farming;
- certification, traceability, self-certification systems, authorities for the certification of special productions;
- fair trade regulations;
- patentability of genetically modified animals, plants and food;
- the protection of new plant varieties;
- collective marks as a tool for protecting geographical origin, quality, the use of raw materials, compliance with technical, health and ethical rules.
Public and Criminal Law Area:
- innovation of regulatory policies in the food sector, from a European and national perspective;
- the system of agencies and independent administrative authorities;
- the system of relations between national and European Union legal systems, with particular regard to agri-food regulations;
- the system of controls on agri-food production and administrative organisation;
- the protection of the right to health and the precautionary principle in the Italian legal system;
- the food system and the responsibility of the Public Administration;
- criminal legislation and administrative sanctions in the field of food: the legislation in force, with particular regard to the system of liability and sanctions;
- economic analysis of the impact of sanctions;
- criminal legislation on food matters and 'common' criminal law: positions of guarantee, culpable liability and production/trade of food substances;
- criminal food legislation and EU/international constraints;
- evidentiary problems and ascertainment of responsibility and procedural profiles;
- disorders/disorders/food choices and the right to health (also with regard to minors): criminal problems (consent to health treatment, parental responsibilities, doctor's liability, etc.);
- use of food substances for doping purposes;
- breeding and consumption of animals and criminal protection of feelings for animals;
- criminal protection and modification of the 'living matter';
- perspectives for the reform of criminal law in the agri-food sector and new models of liability.
Internationalist area:
- the international regulation of agricultural production, in particular in the WTO Agreement on Agriculture; the role of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO);
- the international regulation of trade in foodstuffs, especially in WTO law (in particular: the Agreement on Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary Measures) and FAO law (the Codex Alimentarius);
- the Community regulation of agricultural production, in the framework of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy; the Community fisheries policy;
- the Community regulation of trade in agri-food products, and the limits on the movement of products on the EU market;
- the problems of food safety, the precautionary principle, genetically modified organisms in international legislation (especially WTO and FAO) and in Community legislation;
- the relevance in international and EU law of the problems of environmental protection and workers' rights in relation to the market of agri-food products;
- trade in agricultural products and preferences for developing countries (developing countries) in WTO law and UNCTAD acts; the Community policy of support for trade in agricultural products with developing countries.
Ethical-legal and historical area:
- the management of the territory and food in the historical-legal perspective;
- famine in the ancient, medieval and modern world;
- the right to food sovereignty in FAO conferences;
- principles of uncertainty assessment in the agri-food system: precautionary principle, risk assessment, principle of substantive/non-substantial equivalence (ethical-legal aspects);
- innovation in the field of genetics and ethical limits;
- fair trade (ethical-legal aspects);
- religious freedom and food: right to respect religious dietary prescriptions, religious prohibitions and maintenance obligations;
- ethical principles in animal breeding and consumption;
- principles of environmental ethics, sustainability, biodiversity.