Dietary Supplements – Science and Critical Perspective

Data

Official data in SubjectManager for the following academic year: 2026-2027

Topic

Food safety is no longer just a public health issue, but an area of ​​global economic and clinical importance. The course provides a comprehensive overview of the scientific foundations of risk analysis and the functioning of international regulatory systems. We present the European model, with particular attention to the role of the European Food Safety Authority and the precautionary principle. We compare the American system, where the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture operate in different jurisdictions. We discuss the specificities of Asian regulatory models and the challenges of rapidly developing markets.

We examine the harmonization role of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in global food trade. We discuss in detail the toxicological assessment of additives, pesticide residues and novel foods. We analyze the authorization processes of GMOs and novel foods. We examine the consequences of foodborne infections, resistance and chronic exposure from a clinical perspective. We also address the consumer protection aspects of food labeling and health claim regulation.

The course presents the operation of the system and its failure points through real food safety incidents. During interactive simulations, students assess risks in the role of official decision-makers. By the end of the course, participants will be able to interpret the health significance of food safety issues in clinical practice.

Lectures

• 1. Risk analysis, microbiological, chemical, physical hazards - Raposa László Bence
• 2. Food safety - European model - Raposa László Bence
• 3. American food safety strategy - Raposa László Bence
• 4. Asian systems, challenges of rapidly developing markets - Raposa László Bence
• 5. International harmonization - Raposa László Bence
• 6. Food additives, new toxicological challenges, nanoparticles - Raposa László Bence
• 7. GMO and "novel foods" - Raposa László Bence
• 8. Pesticide residues - Raposa László Bence
• 9. Foodborne infections - Raposa László Bence
• 10. Importance of food labeling - Raposa László Bence
• 11. Some food scandals - Varjas Tímea
• 12. Simulation exercises, decision-making, communication - Varjas Tímea

Practices

Seminars

Reading material

Obligatory literature

Literature developed by the Department

Slides from lectures

Notes

Recommended literature

Conditions for acceptance of the semester

Minimum attendance and writing of the final course test

Mid-term exams

final exam

Making up for missed classes

based on individual assessment

Exam topics/questions

Teams, Neptun

Examiners

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars