MSc FQM 2025/2026 Cohort Undertakes Practical Sessions at FST-KNUST
The 2025/2026 MSc Food Quality Management cohort, facilitators and technical staff during the practical sessions.
The 2025/2026 cohort of MSc Food Quality Management (FQM) students has completed a series of intensive laboratory practical sessions at the Department of Food Science and Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
The practical sessions were held on 3rd and 4th October 2026 and formed an important component of the programme's effort to strengthen students' practical competence in food quality assessment, food safety and laboratory analysis. Students were divided into four working groups and rotated through four specialised laboratory areas over the two-day period.
In the Chromatography Laboratory, students were introduced to chromatographic methods used in food analysis, with demonstrations covering High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography (GC). The sessions exposed students to the principles, instrumentation and applications of chromatographic techniques in the identification and quantification of food components.
The Food Microbiology practicals focused on basic microbiological skills, including the preparation of culture media, culturing of microorganisms and microbial enumeration. These activities gave students practical exposure to essential laboratory procedures used in assessing the microbiological quality and safety of foods.
In the Proximate Analysis Laboratory, students undertook demonstrations on the determination of key components of food materials, including moisture, fat, ash and protein. The practical exercises reinforced the importance of proximate composition analysis in food characterisation, quality evaluation and nutritional assessment.
The Spectroscopy Laboratory sessions covered rapid methods for detecting food adulterants, including spectroscopic analysis. Students were introduced to the use of rapid analytical approaches for screening and evaluating the authenticity and quality of food products.
The practical sessions were facilitated by academic staff and laboratory technicians of the Department of Food Science and Technology. Their demonstrations and guidance enabled the students to connect concepts studied during the MSc Food Quality Management programme with real laboratory procedures and analytical applications.
Through these hands-on sessions, the Department continues to strengthen the practical orientation of the MSc Food Quality Management programme, equipping students with analytical and technical skills relevant to food quality control, food safety management, regulatory work, research and professional practice in the food industry.
PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS
Scenes from the 2025/2026 MSc Food Quality Management laboratory practical sessions at FST-KNUST.
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Students during a laboratory demonstration at the Department of Food Science and Technology. |
Participants observing an analytical laboratory demonstration during the practical sessions. |
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Students and facilitators during one of the laboratory demonstrations. |
A demonstration session involving laboratory equipment and analytical procedures. |
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Students engaged in a hands-on laboratory practical session. |
Students working in groups during a practical laboratory exercise. |
