The course is organized with a preliminary part during which various crops are illustrated in terms of the relative qualitative aspects, with greater in-depth analysis of wheat, the problems relating to traceability , along with the biochemical and molecular techniques whose knowledge is necessary for the understanding of the specific topics that will be addressed in the second part.
Specifically, this preliminary part of the program includes:
• Definition of crop quality and description of the main qualitative characteristics
• Possibility of intervention to improve quality characteristics
• Legislation in regard to traceability and tracking in supply chains, certification and labeling, individual and collective marks, certification of quality
• Definition of food fraud
• Analytical methods: proteomics, standards and quantitative PCR (RT-PCR), chromatography, ELISA test, molecular markers, including DNA barcoding

In the second part specific problems related to plant-based products are presented. Stable subjects are wheat-based products and genetically modified plants. According to the time necessary to carry out exhaustively these two major issues, other issues are treated, on the basis of the preferences expressed by the students, such as, for example, vegetable oils and wine traceability.
Concerning wheat-based products, bread and pasta, with the relevant legal definitions and the processes that lead to their realization are illustrated. A few typical breads are also described and case studies in which biochemical and molecular techniques are used for their traceability are presented.
Part of the course is devoted to adverse reactions to wheat (in particular allergies, celiac disease and non-celiac wheat sensitivity).
With regard to genetically modified plants, the substantial equivalence issue is developed, along with legislation issues. The main methods of traceability and risk assessment, are discussed by presenting specific case studies.

All case studies are presented in order to stimulate the students critical skills. Every case study is presented by giving particular importance to the aim of the work, the procedure to be followed to achieve the proposed objective, the critical discussion of the results.

The practical classes provided are:
• SDS-PAGE of pasta products to control the varietal composition declared on the label, through the comparison of the electrophoretic profiles obtained by extracting proteins from pasta products, with that from the declared wheat varieties
• SDS sedimentation test for the prediction of dough technological properties. Two durum and two bread wheats with opposing technological properties are usually compared in order to highlight differences
• SE-HPLC for the prediction of dough technological properties. Two durum and two bread wheats with opposing technological properties are usually compared in order to highlight differences
• ELISA test on pasta for celiac people to control the effective absence of gluten using polyclonal antibodies against gluten proteins

The teacher makes the slides and the bibliographic materials available