Nutritional sciences

School of Specialisation for medical doctors current degree course regulations D. I. 68/15

The School of Specialisation in Nutritional sciences trains specialists who have developed theoretical, scientific and professional knowledge in the field of food and nutrition, composition and structural and "functional" properties of foods, methods for analysing the main food components, assessment of the hygienic and nutritional quality of foods, identification of food-borne diseases and knowledge of the relevant legislation. They must also know the definition of energy and nutrient needs for the individual and for the population, the role of foods in meeting human energy and nutrient needs, the assessment of nutritional status and energy and nutrient requirements for the healthy individual and for the population across the various age groups, the study of eating disorders, hereditary nutritional diseases, food allergies, surveys on the food consumption of the individual and the population; procedures for assessing and testing food production processes with regard to biological aspects (quality certification) and critical control point monitoring (HACCP system), as well as the organisation of services concerning food and human nutrition. The medical graduate specialising in medicine and surgery will undertake training activities concerning the assessment of nutritional status and energy and nutrient needs for the ill individual, the diagnosis and dietary and clinical nutritional treatment of diseases with a strong nutritional component, and the organisation of hospital dietetic services. Specific areas of expertise for the School of Specialisation in Nutritional sciences include: food safety for communities and the population; identification and control of goods of biological origin; assessment of composition and methods of analysis of the main components of foods and waters, sensory analysis of foods, assessment of the nutritional characteristics of foods and of the changes induced in them by technological and biotechnological processes; analysis of nutrient bioavailability in foods and of interactions between nutrients and drugs; assessment of the adequacy of nutrition in relation to the recommended levels of energy and nutrients. It will also have expertise in the prevention of diseases related to dietary regimes (obesity, arterial hypertension, dyslipidaemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases, neoplasms, gastrointestinal diseases, osteoporosis, dental caries, diseases related to alcohol abuse, etc.), surveys on the food consumption of the individual and the population, and the organisation of nutritional surveillance and collective catering services; and in information and education addressed to institutional operators and the population.

Training activities take place at the facilities of the School's Training network, subject to the finalisation of the agreements between the University of Padua and the relevant health authorities.
The inclusion of facilities in the Training network requires both ministerial accreditation and the completion of the agreement process with the University: only after the agreement has been formally executed is the facility to be considered effectively part of the Network. To verify whether a facility has actually been included in the training network and to obtain updated information on the status of agreements, it is necessary to contact the Specialisation Schools Office.

The School adopts a Quality Policy that ensures the delivery of training activities through an approach aimed at meeting the needs of doctors in training, teaching and non-teaching staff, with a view to innovation and continuous improvement.

On 15 December 2020, the School of Specialisation in Nutritional sciences obtained certificate of conformity with UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 no. Q-2868-20 for the implementation of the Quality Management System at the site in Via Giustiniani, 2 - 35128 Padua. Following the certification audit, the School's Quality Management System was found to be well implemented and not subject to any improvement observations or recommendations. The certificate was issued by Quality Certification Bureau Italia, an international certification body, and its validity is subject to annual surveillance and the full review of the corporate management system every three years.
In 2023, the School underwent the renewal audit with TÜV AUSTRIA ITALIA S.p.A. with a positive outcome.
Certificate of conformity with ISO 9001:2015 - Nutritional sciences

The School has adopted a Teaching regulations specifying the organisational aspects of the Degree Programme, defined in accordance with the provisions of Art. 6 of the Regulations of the Specialisation Schools in the healthcare area with access reserved for graduates in Medicine and surgery issued by Rector's Decree no. 4208 of 5 December 2019, pursuant to D.I.68/2015.