BIOL 345Microorganisms in Foods
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Science
- Subject
- Biology
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 3 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
Food preservation, spoilage, poisoning and modern concepts in quality assurance programs are studied. The aim is to understand factors governing microbial changes in foods. Problem solving in the food industry is emphasized. Laboratory work will reflect current practices in quality control and testing.
Prerequisites
- Complete all of the following
- Must have completed the following:
- Complete 1 of the following
- Must have completed the following:
- BIOL241 - Introduction to Applied Microbiology (0.50)
- Complete all of the following
- Students must be in level 3A or higher
- Enrolled in H-Biochemistry, or H-Biochemistry - Biotechnology Specialization
- Must have completed the following:
Antirequisites
None listed.
Leads to
No course lists it as a requisite.
Fall 2026 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 7108 | 95 / 96 | MW 11:30–12:20 |
| LAB 101 | 7109 | 31 / 32 | Sep 21 14:30–17:20 Oct 5 14:30–17:20 Oct 26 14:30–17:20 Nov 9 14:30–17:20 Nov 23 14:30–17:20 |
| LAB 102 | 7110 | 32 / 32 | Sep 21 14:30–17:20 Oct 5 14:30–17:20 Oct 26 14:30–17:20 Nov 9 14:30–17:20 Nov 23 14:30–17:20 |
| LAB 103 | 7111 | 32 / 32 | Sep 21 19:00–21:50 Oct 5 19:00–21:50 Oct 26 19:00–21:50 Nov 9 19:00–21:50 Nov 23 19:00–21:50 |
Reviewed on UW Flow
76% liked it48% easy88% useful
From 17 ratings and 4 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
Interesting knowledge on food and food spoilage, but difficult to study for due to the sheer volume of information involved.
Apr 2019 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Interesting and engaging class, however, the slides are a little vague (better than overbearing I guess). The labs are fun! However, the assessments use thinking-based questions and you get a cheat sheet for knowledge questions but do not think that you do not need to study. I had Prof. Jacqueline MacDonald, she is friendly and not boring. She has an interesting academic background.
Dec 2023 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
This course used to be easy I heard, now it is not as much. Be prepared to have difficult multiple choice exams with very little questions if you have Prof MacDonald. Textbook is not really necessary.
Jan 2023 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
a summary for each lab and midterms no lab reports from my memory. quizzes every week (you must study very well for them!!) and an assignment. wonderful course amazing prof average difficulty. the lab books were horrendous and very difficult to read compared to biol 240 so make sure you can take notes to digest the steps and information.
Jan 2022 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
19 posts and comments in 15 threads mention BIOL 345, September 2011 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Fall 2022
BIOL 345 Labs 1 point, 0 comments
u/monsterintheforest: “This one’s for anyone taking BIOL 345. I’m in Lab Section 1 (not the night time one), but the time slot for that section is creating some difficulties for me. Is anyone in Section 2 willing to swap with me?”
Fall 2021
What are your favourite classes at UW 56 points, 87 comments
u/Dannnniii: “Biol 211, Biol 345 and any pinheiro class”
Spring 2021
biol 354 vs biol 462 0 points, 0 comments
“ive realized im insane to take more than 6 courses so im narrowing it down. biol 354 and biol 462 seem pretty similar so which one is really worth taking?”
u/mari0499: “I've taken both so if you prefer to focus on lecture content without writing lab reports, biol 462 is nice. …”
u/buttercupbeuaty: “… 3) So far my eco/env courses have been Biol 150, 120, 165, 433, 346 I’ll be taking biol 345, 443, 469 in the fall is this good for general biology careers? …”
Am I crazy? 0 points, 17 comments
u/buttercupbeuaty: “My course selection for the fall Biol 309: analytical methods of molecular biology Biol 345: microorganisms in food BLND Biol 469: genomics Biol 443: fermentation biotech BLND CS 115: intro to computer science Italst 265: thé mafia PD 5: project management Waiting on approval …”
Fall 2019
BIOL 345 Final 1 point, 0 comments
u/lemon369_life: “Has anyone ever taken 345 (with butler) and is willing to share any previous final exam questions? Thank you!!!!!!”
Spring 2019
biol 443 and 345 2 points, 2 comments
u/stclabghost: “Could anyone please have mercy on me with biol 443 (fermentation technology) course outline and biol 345 (microorganisms in foods) course outline? Thank you. Please help me.”
u/violetiris: “PM me your email! I have BIOL-345 from Fall 2016 when I took it with Butler :)”
Fall 2018
Biol 469 or Biol 345 1 point, 2 comments
u/alleles1994: “I'm looking for a third biology course and I've been considering biol 469 or biol 345. I'm mostly interested in genetics but have a slight interest in food microbiology. I'm just wondering how applicable these courses are in say a lab related job.”
Spring 2018
Maintaining a high average in 300/400 level biology courses 1 point, 14 comments
u/alleles1994: “… This fall I'm taking BIOL 308, BIOL 309, STAT 202 and I'm trying to decide whether I should take BIOL 301, BIOL 345 or BIOL 469 and some chem 200 course. From what I've heard, BIOL 309 and BIOL 308 are really difficult to matinain a high average in. …”
Fall 2017
Any way to disable UWCourseLinker from posting? 16 points, 26 comments
“posting a reply to my comment I find the bot annoying.”
u/Jackhofmann: “PSYCH 483 PSYCH 484 PSYCH 485 PSYCH 486 PSYCH 490R PSYCH 499A PSYCH 499B PSYCH 499C PSYCH 621 PSYCH 630 PSYCH 677A PSYCH 704A PSYCH 704B PSYCH 707 PSYCH 710 PSYCH 714 PSYCH 717 PSYCH 720A PSYCH 721A …”
u/Jackhofmann: “… BIOL 273 BIOL 301 BIOL 303 BIOL 308 BIOL 309 BIOL 310 BIOL 323 BIOL 325 BIOL 335L BIOL 342 BIOL 345 BIOL 349 BIOL 350 BIOL 354 BIOL 359 BIOL 370 BIOL 376 BIOL 377 BIOL 416W BIOL 434 BIOL 439 BIOL 443 BIOL 444 BIOL 447 BIOL 448 BIOL 452 BIOL 456 BIOL 462 BIOL 469 BIOL 470 BIOL …”
BIOL 447 - Environmental Microbiology 2 points, 4 comments
“Hello, was just wondering whether there happen to be fellow BIOL 447 peeps, or people who have took this course in the past. …”
u/darwinbitch: “… If you've taken BIOL 345 or BIOL 443 basically any Barb course you should be able to figure out her test style. There will certainly be definition questions. As far as I remember there was a question on lake stratification (?). …”
u/UWCourseLinker: “BIOL 345 - Microorganisms in Foods BIOL 443 - Fermentation Biotechnology”
Spring 2017
WHAT COURSE IS EASIER: BIOL 345 or BIOL 439? Does anybody have the syllabuses for these courses? 0 points, 3 comments
u/chumbawumbnah: “Yo i need some bio GPA booster courses in the 300 and 400 level. Lend me some sugar. I am ur neighbor.”
u/KateGosselin: “… also the way he tests is really easy too so it's just memorization biol 345 is more work due to also having a lab and is a typical Butler micro course. …”
Spring 2016
BIOL 345 and BIOL 448 (microorganisms in foods and microbial physiology and biochemistry) 2 points, 3 comments
u/darwinbitch: “Has anyone taken any of the following classes. Who taught them and how did you guys find them? heard BIOL 345L is pretty tedious, any thoughts on the matter?”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
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