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Details of Programs & Courses

February 2021 - January 2022

Enrollment open until: October 31, 2021

Online Program: 3 months from students' start date
Specialized Courses: 1 month from students' start date

All programs and courses must be completed by January 2022

Language: English

Certified course by the INC

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PROGRAMS & COURSES

The INC Academia is the best executive education for the nut and dried fruit industry. This year, students will have the option to choose between two self-paced training tracks for a more personalized learning experience.

General Industry Track
The track is presented as a full package that combines online lessons, with reading materials, videos and self-assessment tests, plus an optional intensive On-site course that includes technical visits, networking and learning through case studies. It is possible to only undertake the online portion of the full package.

Online Program:
The Executive Program on Nuts and Dried Fruits is a 3-month online educative program covering the basics of the nut and dried fruit industry. The duration of the 3 months begins at the students' start date. The course must be finished by January 2022. The program consists of 10 required units, totaling 50 hours, including reading materials, PDF summaries, more than 40 videos and self-assessment tests. Additionally, the program requires students to select 2 specialized elective courses from the specialized elective track.

On-site Course:
The On-site course is a 3-day hands-on intensive course which consists of more than 10 hours of preparatory tasks and readings, along with networking sessions, case studies, and technical visits. The location changes every year to provide students with a global perspective of the entire nut and dried fruit industry. This course is not only available for new students, but also for alumni, at a discounted price. Please note, that to attend the On-site course, students must have completed the online program beforehand. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions will we confirm future on-site courses accordingly.

Specialized Elective Track
This track is organized into 4 online specialized courses. All the courses in this track are electives and can be taken individually. Each course consists of reading materials, PDF summaries, and self-assessment tests.

Online Courses:
The elective courses within this track incorporate key skills that individuals will find beneficial for their professional careers within the nut and dried fruit industry. The duration of the courses will be 1 month from the students' start date. The course(s) must be completed by January 2022. The online courses are presented by respected authors from global companies and organizations. Students will have the opportunity to choose their courses from a list of 4 specialized courses. There is no requirement to partake in the Executive Program on Nuts and Dried Fruits beforehand.

GENERAL REQUIRED UNITS

Discover the 10 required units of the Executive Program on Nuts and Dried Fruits

Unit 1 | Origin and description: Introduction to the long history of nuts and dried fruits, their description and physiology
In this first unit, students will learn the general features of nuts and dried fruits; major species; domestication and distribution; floral and reproductive biology; and flower and fruit anatomy. It also contains some of the knowledge and skills required for successful and sustainable orchard management.

Prof. Dr. Uygun Aksoy

Unit 2 | Soil and climate: Which climates nuts and dried fruits are adapted to, soils, water demand and how climate conditions may affect the crops
This unit examines the main factors that determine the growth of nuts and fruits; what climates nuts and dried fruits are adapted to; water demand; range of temperatures; and how climate conditions may affect the crops. It also identifies what soils are best to grow nuts and fruits, and key factors for their optimum growth.

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Unit 3 | Varieties and uses: An overview of the main varieties and geographical distribution of species, as well as traditional and recent products and uses
In this unit, students will learn about the main species/varieties of nuts and dried fruits, their geographical distribution and main producing countries. It also provides an overview of traditional and recent products, and their uses.

Prof. Dr. Uygun Aksoy

Unit 4 | Nutrition facts: A review of the nutritional value and evidencebased health benefits of nut and dried fruit consumption
This part of the course summarizes the nutritional value and potential health benefits of nut and dried fruit consumption, their contribution to nutritional intake, and how they aid in protecting against de development of chronic diseases.

Assoc. Prof. Cesarettin Alasalvar

Prof. Jordi Salas-Salvadó

Unit 5 | Harvesting & Processing
Main processing operations that can take place during and after harvest, including shelling, drying, sorting, pasteurization, frying, flavoring and storage.

Mr. Vincent Rieckmann (Unit 5 Coordinator)

This unit includes 10 subunits.
- Harvest
  The different harvesting systems of each nut and dried fruit are described in this subunit. Although there are many common elements, operations differ according to the type of crop. This subunit also covers the basic hygiene practices for the elimination of potential sources of contamination during harvesting.
  
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- Shelling
  This subunit gives a historical background of shelling, from ancient times to current technologies and trends. The main mechanical cracking systems for several types of nuts are briefly described in this section.
  
  Mr. José Roig Borrell
- Blanching
  This subunit gives a historical background of blanching, and describes the differences between dry blanching (only applicable to peanuts and hazelnuts) and wet blanching -a more complicated technique.
  
  Mr. José Roig Borrell
- Drying
  This subunit describes the objectives and importance of drying, how the process works and what steps are involved. Existing types of dryers and methods are also explained.
  
  Mr. Thomas Barber
- Sorting Technologies
  This subunit discusses the benefits of optical sorting and provides an overview of the different types of sensor technology commonly used in the nut and dried fruit business, as well as available platforms.
  
  Mr. Steven Hiel
- Pasteurization
  This subunit describes the different pasteurization processes currently available to eliminate pathogens and the validation process to demonstrate the effectiveness of the process.
  
  Dr. Cameon Ivarsson
- Fumigation with phosphine
  This section sets out the minimum requirements for safe and effective fumigation using phosphine gas, from pest prevention through preplanning of the treatment, transportation and storage of the fumigant, application, monitoring, ventilation, gas-free release, disposal of degassed carrier material and record keeping.
  
  Mr. Klaus Ihrig
- Storage
  As nuts and dried fruits are non-perishable commodities which can be stored for a long time, proper storage conditions are crucial to preserve the safety and quality of the products. This subunit describes the main food-safety and quality concerns that might arise during the storage period, as well as the major factors influencing quality and shelf life.
  
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- Frying and Dry Roasting
  This chapter describes the most important industrial processes to alter and enhance the flavor of peanuts and tree nuts -frying and roasting. It includes an overview of the available methods and the differences between them.
  
  Dr. Ing. Malte Ahrens
- Flavoring
  This subunit addresses the importance of seasoning –developing a flavored snack from a base product. The components of seasoning and the different application systems are described here.
  
  Mr. David Woollard

Unit 6 | Retail packing and allergen management
Essential knowledge of packaging process and packaging materials, including contaminant detection and allergen management.

Mr. Vincent Rieckmann (Unit 6 Coordinator)

This unit includes 7 subunits.
- Multihead Weighing and Bag Forming
  Explanation of the multihead weighing system, elements, speed, installation, maintenance and general advice on buying are addressed in this section.
  
  Mr. Rudolf Ernst
- Modified Atmosphere Packaging
  This chapter addresses the Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) used to preserve the quality and shelf life of nuts and dried fruits. The concept, advantages, mechanisms, gases used, physical aspects and quality control are explained in this section.
  
  Mr. Rudolf Ernst
- Vacuum Packing
  In this section, vacuum packaging and Modified Atmosphere Packing (MAP) techniques, their applications and formats, and associated risks and problems are described.
  
  Mr. Stefano Massari
- Packaging Materials
  This subunit highlights the importance of packaging, which must protect the product, guarantee ease of use and provide a differentiation. The choice of materials and design shall be oriented to fulfill these three objectives.
  
  Mr. Wilfried Thobe
- Contaminant Detection and Removal
  This subunit addresses the sorters currently available for nuts and dried fruits, and explains the different sorting solutions according to the processor’s needs.
  
  Mr. Marco Azzaretti
- Allergen Management
  This section covers allergen management key aspects in the nut and dried fruit industry, explaining the different steps of the evaluation of the risk and preventive measures.
  
  Mr. Carlos de Pablos
- Nut Allergies - an update on current evidence and practice
  Within this chapter, students will gain an understanding of how nut allergies occur, how they are diagnosed and treated, and the new treatments on the horizon to “cure” nut allergies.
  
  Dr. Vicki McWilliam

Unit 7 | Food safety and quality standards: Review of the essential aspects of food safety, quality standards and best practices
This unit focuses on the essential aspects of the food safety and quality of nuts and dried fruits as well as the best practices in order to avoid, or at least minimize, the potential hazards and factors resulting in a decrease of quality throughout all stages of the food chain.

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Unit 8 | Production, trade and consumption: Global review of industry statistics, including production, trade and consumption volumes
This part of the course summarizes which are the most produced, traded and consumed nuts and dried fruits worldwide, as well as their volume ranges. Students will also be able to recognize the main producing countries, exporters, importers and consumers both globally and by product.

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Unit 9 | Consumption trends: Understanding purchase behavior and capturing opportunities from emerging trends
The objective of this unit is to help understand purchase behavior to unlock growth; key components of growth and opportunities. It also provides insight into emerging trends: healthy eating, snacking occasions and rise of Millennials.

Ms. Myla Tadulan-Santos

Unit 10 | Negotiation: Essential strategies and skills for successful negotiations
Because you have already developed a negotiation style through your own experiences, we cannot expect radical changes, but we can expect to formalize your experiences and take some time to think critically about what may now be an intuitive process for you. This unit will help you increase your learning every time you are involved in a new negotiation.

Prof. Dr. Kandarp Mehta,

SPECIALIZED ELECTIVE COURSES

Choose from 4 specialized courses

ARBITRATION RULES | Overview of arbitration rules, procedures and tribunals
In this course, students will have a look at the legal aspects you might come along in the course of your business relationship. It is not so much about looking at legal aspects in great detail, but being aware of the actions you have to take with great care – simply because they have a legal impact. In addition, students will have a closer look at the new INC Short Form Contract for the sale and purchase of nuts and dried fruits.

Ms. Claudia Toussaint

INTERNATIONAL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES | Communicating nuts and dried fruits to a contemporary consumer
In this course, students will learn about recent consumer trends related to health and wellness through a trend research conducted by the INC and Ogilvy. The course provides research and survey data to present which health categories provide the most opportunity and how to communicate these benefits to consumers.

Ogilvy

CROSS-CULTURAL NEGOTIATIONS | Understanding how to negotiate across cultural barriers
Why do cultures have a strong impact on negotiations? In this course, students will understand what happens in a negotiation and how culture influences both the individual’s style of negotiation and the way negotiators interpret situations and their counterparts’ behavior.

Prof. Dr. Kandarp Mehta,

RISK AND INSURANCE | Essential knowledge of the hot topics of most concern in the food and beverage industry.
In this course, the main elements of risk related to the Food & Beverage industry will be discussed. Following the completion of this course you will have a greater understanding of how each risk may be relevant to your industry and measures you can take to minimize or mitigate this risk, with a guide to the main types of insurance: property insurance, public liability insurance, product contamination insurance, directors and officers (D&O) insurance, and cyber insurance.

Ms. Ciara Jackson

AUTHORS

The contents of the Executive Program on Nuts and Dried Fruits have been designed and created by top experts of the world’s most prestigious institutions and companies.

Ms. Ciara Jackson
Aon Insurance Company, Ireland

Mr. Rudolf Ernst
August Töpfer & Co., Germany

Mr. José Roig Borrell
Borrell ®, Spain-USA

Mr. Thomas Barber
Bühler Aeroglide, USA

Dr. Ing. Malte Ahrens
Former Process Engineer at Bühler Aeroglide, USA

Prof. Dr. Uygun Aksoy
Consultant, Turkey

Mr. Klaus Ihrig
Detia Degesch, Germany

Prof. Dr. Kandarp Mehta,
IESE Business School, Spain

Mr. Marco Azzaretti
Key Technology, USA

Mr. Wilfried Thobe
Mondi Consumer Goods Packaging, Austria

Dr. Cameon Ivarsson
Napasol, Switzerland

Ms. Myla Tadulan-Santos
Nielsen, Australia

Mr. Stefano Massari
Oltremare, Italy

Prof. Jordi Salas-Salvadó
University Rovira i Virgili, Spain

Mr. Carlos de Pablos
Silliker Ibérica SAU, Spain

Dr. Vicki McWilliam
The Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia

Mr. David Woollard
TNA Solutions Pty Ltd, Australia

Mr. Steven Hiel
Former Sales Manager at TOMRA, Belgium

Assoc. Prof. Cesarettin Alasalvar
TUBITAK, Turkey

Ms. Claudia Toussaint
Waren-Verein der Hamburger Börse e.V., Germany

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the authors for their collaboration in providing the information needed for the course, and the support of the INC Academic Committee in the good development of the program.

We would also like to thank Dr. Ana Bermejo, Food Safety and Law Specialist at the INC, Dr. Julia Cartelle, Statistician and International Trade Specialist and Maria Pascual, former Consultant Nutritionist at INC, for their participation in content creation in those Units the INC has developed.