Q. Tell us about the lecture on “Food Safety Science”.

　In this class, we will understand the laws relating to domestic and overseas food hygiene and food safety, and learn social mechanisms such as how food safety in Japan and the rest of the world is supported. Currently, various foods are imported from abroad in Japan, and many businesses are involved, ranging from production of foodstuffs to processing, selling, and providing to consumers. Under these circumstances, in what standards foods are imported / exported in the international community? What kind of safety control is being implemented? We will think about what you can do as a member of society to gain information on such safety and maintain food safety.

Feedback from the students who took the course ■ When I asked questions about unclear points in the class, the professor explained the answers very carefully, so my motivation to learn steadily increased. ■ The professor’s writing on the blackboard is easy to read, so it is easy to summarize in my notebook. ■ It is fun to learn about various examples related to one’s own diet. ■ Since the professor instructs us to "please investigate about ○○ (something)” as homework for each class, and since we attend the next class with prior knowledge about the lesson, our understanding regarding each lesson is deepened. ■ As a result of taking this class, I started noticing food production places, producers, etc., when I go shopping.

Q. What is the meaning of learning "food safety" at the Faculty of Societal Safety Sciences?

　The Faculty of Societal Safety Sciences does not deal with scientific technologies such as food additives and genetically modified foods, but on the social systems that form the foundation of safety, such as the methods for evaluating the safety of the technology and how to maintain the safety. The circumstances surrounding the food are evolving with the times, and the legal systems involved in food are also changing at an astonishingly rapid pace. Even in the food industry, in addition to corporations focusing on raising corporate profits, the employment demand for organizations that check food safety and personnel who manage them is also increasing. The Faculty of Societal Safety Sciences is developing human resources with extensive knowledge on food and professional knowledge such as law who are capable of contributing to society.

Message to the candidates 　Since I want to constantly convey to students the latest information, I endeavor to gather information by reading academic journals on holidays, etc. My hobby is watching soccer (football) games. Soccer (football) was originally developed as a sport for British gentlemen. In fact, root origins of food hygiene and health science can also be traced back to the UK. Even seemingly unrelated things are often connected in some way. I would like to encourage students to be on the lookout for various connections between things and to learn ambitiously.

Comment of a seminar student 　If I were to describe the professor with a few words, I would refer to him as a "serious and gentle" teacher! Even at social gatherings of the seminar, the professor has shared about his life! In the study side of things, if you ask the professor a question, he will explain it in a concise and clear way, even if the question is a difficult one. The professor also provides guidance from various viewpoints for our graduation research, so the students in our seminar are able to conduct fulfilling research. *This article is as of March 2015.