Food Spoilage Fungi & Preservation
Recognise the yeasts and moulds that spoil foods and drinks, and apply preservation strategies that extend shelf life safely.
Programme identification
- 1.1Programme name
- Food Spoilage Fungi & Preservation
- 1.2Type of qualification
- Course
- 1.3Provider / endorsing institution
- Fungaris – International Institute of Mycology, School of Fungal Fermentation & Food Science. A Fungaris programme of its own, not endorsed by a university.
- 1.4Mode of study
- Online, with live sessions in a small group, recordings and a virtual campus.
- 1.5Duration (hours / ECTS credits)
- 3 months (12 weeks) · 72 hours in total · 6 modules of 12 hours · 12 live sessions of 2 hours. ECTS credits: not applicable (Fungaris own programme, not an official university degree).
- 1.6Language
- English
- 1.7Start and end dates / intake
- Next intake: 11 January 2027 to 2 April 2027. Enrolment closes on 4 January 2027. Following intake: 8 March 2027. How intakes work →
Overview
2.1Programme description
Yeasts and moulds are responsible for a significant share of food waste, product recalls and customer complaints, from mouldy bread and swollen yoghurt pots to fermenting juices and soft drinks. This course helps you recognise the fungi that spoil foods and drinks and understand why they succeed where other microbes fail. You will study spoilage of bakery, dairy and fruit products, the yeasts that thrive in beverages, and the heat-resistant and preservative-resistant species that defeat standard controls.
You will then learn how preservatives, hurdle technology and packaging can be combined to extend shelf life safely, and how to design shelf-life studies and challenge tests that give reliable answers. The course suits food technologists, QA staff and product developers working with products that are vulnerable to fungal spoilage, particularly as companies reduce sugar, salt and preservatives. The tutor, selected for industry experience, shares real cases and investigations. For your final project, you will investigate a spoilage risk in a chosen product and propose a preservation strategy with a shelf-life study design.
2.2Why it matters / what need it meets
It meets a practical need: applied, up-to-date knowledge in fermentation, useful in areas such as food manufacturing, beverage production, food ingredients and preservatives, analytical laboratories.
Mycology is moving fast and good practical training is still scarce. This programme gives you a structured path, taught live by people who work in the field, so you can apply what you learn with judgement and safety.
Objectives and competences
3.1General objective
To finish the programme able to apply its content professionally and with judgement. In short:
Recognise the yeasts and moulds that spoil foods and drinks, and apply preservation strategies that extend shelf life safely.
3.2Specific objectives
- Build the foundations: Economic and safety impact of fungal spoilage; Spoilage of bakery, dairy and fruit products.
- Put them into practice: Spoilage yeasts in beverages; Heat-resistant and preservative-resistant fungi.
- Apply everything to a real case: Preservatives, hurdle technology and packaging; Shelf-life studies and challenge tests.
- Complete a final project reviewed by your tutor.
3.3Competences you will gain
- Identify likely fungal spoilage organisms in different food categories.
- Explain how heat and preservative resistance arises in fungi.
- Combine preservation hurdles to extend shelf life safely.
- Design a shelf-life study for a food or drink product.
- Plan and interpret a fungal challenge test.
Student profile
4.1Who it is for (entry profile)
Food technologists and qa staff.
4.2Entry requirements
Basic food science or microbiology knowledge is recommended. No laboratory access is required.
4.3Career paths (exit profile)
- Food technologist in product reformulation
- Quality assurance specialist
- Shelf-life and microbiology technician
- Product developer for bakery, dairy or beverages
- Food spoilage investigation consultant
Outcomes depend on your experience and on your local market.
Study plan
5.1Overall structure (modules and workload)
| Module | Title | Phase | Topics | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Economic and safety impact of fungal spoilage | Foundations | 3 | 12 |
| 02 | Spoilage of bakery, dairy and fruit products | Foundations | 3 | 12 |
| 03 | Spoilage yeasts in beverages | Practice | 3 | 12 |
| 04 | Heat-resistant and preservative-resistant fungi | Practice | 3 | 12 |
| 05 | Preservatives, hurdle technology and packaging | Application & project | 3 | 12 |
| 06 | Shelf-life studies and challenge tests | Application & project | 3 | 12 |
| Total | 72 |
6 modules × 12 hours = 72 hours: 24 hours of live sessions, and the rest for campus study, exercises and the final project.
5.2Content by module
Hover or tap a module to follow the path from the first session to the final project. Open a module to see the topics it covers.
- Food waste and fungal spoilage
- Recalls and consumer complaints
- Safety versus quality spoilage
- Moulds on bread and bakery products
- Yeasts and moulds in dairy
- Spoilage of fruit and fruit products
- Zygosaccharomyces and preservative tolerance
- Spoilage of juices and soft drinks
- Yeasts in beer, wine and spirits
- Heat-resistant ascospores
- Byssochlamys, Talaromyces and Neosartorya
- Weak-acid preservative resistance
- Sorbates, benzoates and natural options
- Combining hurdles
- Modified atmosphere and active packaging
- Designing a shelf-life study
- Challenge testing with fungi
- Interpreting and documenting results
5.3Company placement
This programme does not include a company placement. Practice is built into every module through exercises, case studies and the final project.
5.4Final project
Investigate a fungal spoilage risk in a product and propose a preservation strategy with shelf-life study design.
Methodology
6.1How it is taught
- Live online sessions, usually weekly, with a working professional and a small group.
- Recordings of every session, so you can catch up if work or time zones get in the way.
- Exercises and real case studies in every module.
- Tutoring: your tutor answers questions and gives feedback on your exercises and project.
6.2Platform and resources
A Moodle virtual campus with session recordings, readings, exercises and forums for each module. You need a computer, an up-to-date browser and a stable connection; a webcam and microphone are recommended.
Technical requirements →6.3Estimated weekly workload
About 6 hours a week for 12 weeks: one 2-hour live session on a weekday evening, plus study and exercises on the campus at your own pace.
Assessment
7.1Assessment system and weighting
Progress is assessed through participation in live sessions and case-study exercises in each module. The tutor reviews the final project with feedback.
7.2Requirements to pass
- Complete every module, by attending the live sessions or watching the recordings.
- Hand in the module exercises.
- Have your final project approved by your tutor.
Teaching team
8.1Academic direction
At Fungaris, the Fermentation school coordinates the content and quality of this programme. The academic director of each intake is named in the intake guide.
8.2Faculty
Taught by professionals who work in the field. The tutor for each intake is confirmed before the start.
Meet our faculty →Certificate
9.1Certificate awarded
Course Certificate
On completing the programme and its project, Fungaris issues a Course Certificate. Fungaris certificates are the institute's own. Whether an employer, school or authority recognises them depends on that organisation and on local rules in each country.
9.2Issuing body / recognition
Issued by Fungaris (operated by Nexora Generation, S.L.) as a digital certificate. It is a Fungaris certificate of its own: it is not an official university degree and does not award ECTS credits.
About our certificates →Admission and enrolment
10.1Admission process (steps)
- Send your request through the form or write to admissions.
- Admissions reviews your profile and confirms the start date, the session schedule and the fee.
- You secure your place with full payment or a 40% reservation.
- You receive your campus access and welcome guide before the first session.
10.2Documents required
- A valid identity document.
- Contact and billing details (personal or company).
10.3Deadlines
Enrolment for the intake starting on 11 January 2027 is open until 4 January 2027, or until the group is full (maximum 20 students).
10.4Fee and payment options
Fee: £340
- Full payment before the start: £272 (20% reduction).
- 40% reservation (£136) and 3 monthly instalments of £68.
10.5Grants, discounts and funding
Discounts: 10% for Fungaris alumni and 15% for groups of three or more people from the same organisation. Discounts cannot be combined with each other or with the full-payment reduction.
Your employer can pay for the programme and receive the invoice in the company name. Whether a public or employer training budget can cover the fee depends on your country, so check with them.
10.6Cancellation policy
The conditions for cancelling, withdrawing or moving to a later intake are explained in our cancellation policy and in your enrolment confirmation. Nothing there limits your rights under the consumer law that applies to you.
Cancellation and refunds →Additional information
11.1Frequently asked questions
Do I need experience to study Food Spoilage Fungi & Preservation?
Basic food science or microbiology knowledge is recommended. No laboratory access is required.
How is Food Spoilage Fungi & Preservation taught?
Live online, in 6 modules with a working professional, a small group and a final project.
How am I assessed?
Progress is assessed through participation in live sessions and case-study exercises in each module. The tutor reviews the final project with feedback.
What is the final project?
Investigate a fungal spoilage risk in a product and propose a preservation strategy with shelf-life study design.
What certificate do I get?
On completing the programme and its project, Fungaris issues a Course Certificate. Fungaris certificates are the institute's own. Whether an employer, school or authority recognises them depends on that organisation and on local rules in each country.
What can I study after Food Spoilage Fungi & Preservation?
The natural next step is Diploma in Koji & Japanese Fermentation.
11.2Alumni testimonials
We only publish verified testimonials from real students. This programme does not have any published yet; they will appear here once its first intakes finish.
11.3Admissions contact
Write to info@fungaris.institute or use the contact form. Admissions answers in your language.
Read before you start.
FermentationHow to Make Tempeh at Home: Rhizopus, Incubation, SafetyTempeh is one of the easiest mould ferments to master at home. Here is how Rhizopus works, how to incubate it and how to tell good tempeh from bad.Read the article 
FermentationKoji Fermentation Guide: Miso, Shoyu, Amazake and GarumKoji is the mould behind miso, soy sauce and sake. Learn how it works, how to grow it safely at home and how chefs use it today.Read the article Keep branching.
From our species guide.
Join the next intake.
Pay in full with a 20% reduction, or reserve your place with 40% and pay the rest in monthly instalments. All prices are stated in pounds sterling (GBP).