Course syllabus for Nutritional Toxicology

Specific entry requirements

At least 90 credits from courses within the Bachelor's programme in Nutrition Science, Including 22.5 credits in chemistry courses (of which at least 7.5 credits in biochemistry), and at least 15 credits from the course Cell and Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Genetics. In addition, at least the grade Pass in the course Physiology, Anatomy and Histology is required.

Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• describe the occurrence, sources and routes of exposure to common toxic substances in the diet, including environmental contaminants, naturally occurring toxins, food additives and contaminants arising from storage, preparation, packaging materials and pesticides.
• explain the properties, mechanisms of action and health risks of key groups of toxic substances in foods, including biological toxins (from fungi, plants and bacteria), as well as heavy metals and endocrine-disrupting compounds.
• explain fundamental toxicological principles, including dose–response relationships, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity and endocrine-disrupting effects.
• describe ADME processes and basic toxicokinetics, and relate these to exposure to xenobiotics, including food toxins, pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements.
• explain how toxic effects are studied (in silico, in vitro, animal studies and epidemiology), as well as principles of risk assessment, including the establishment of regulatory limits within the EU (EFSA) and in Sweden.
• analyse and evaluate the balance between risks and benefits associated with exposure to toxic substances in otherwise healthy foods.
• reflect on ethical aspects related to methods used in risk assessment.
• apply toxicological, toxicokinetic and mechanistic principles to analyse, discuss and evaluate exposure and risk scenarios related to dietary intake.

Content

The course addresses the occurrence, exposure and health effects of toxic substances in the diet. Central toxicological principles, including dose–response relationships, toxicokinetics and mechanisms of action, are examined in relation to different types of food toxins and other xenobiotics. The course also covers methods for studying toxic effects, as well as principles of risk assessment and the evaluation of risk–benefit, including ethical aspects.

Teaching methods

Teaching forms include lectures, discussions and group work.

Examination

Examination consists of a written examination (graded Pass with Distinction/Pass/Fail).

In the case of a fail, the examination may be retaken a maximum of five additional times. If a student has failed an examination six times, no further examination opportunity will be offered for that examination. A student who has failed an examination twice is entitled to have another examiner appointed unless there are special reasons to the contrary.

Compulsory participation:

Group work is compulsory. The examiner assesses if and, in that case, how absence from compulsory parts can be compensated. Before the student has participated in all compulsory parts or compensated absence according with the examiner's instructions, the student's study results cannot be finalized. Absence from a compulsory activity may result in that the student cannot compensate absence until the next time the course is given.

If there are special reasons, or need for adaptions for a student with a disability, the examiner may decide to depart from the syllabus's regulations on examination form, number of examination opportunities, possibility of complementation of or exemption from compulsory activities, etc. Content and learning outcomes as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities must not be altered, removed or lowered.

Other directives

Parts of the teaching may be conducted in English.

Literature and other teaching aids

Mandatory literature:

• Kotsonis, Frank N, Mackey, Maureen A. Nutritional Toxicology, 2nd Edition. CRC Press, 2019. ISBN: 9780367396671

Recommended literature:

• Klaassen, Curtis D. Casarett and Doull's toxicology: the basic science of poison, 9th edition. McGraw-Hill Education, 2018. ISBN: 9781259863745, ISBN: 1259863743