03596 - Food Chemistry

Learning outcomes

Basic knowledge about the chemical, physical-chemical and physical modifications of food components, due to processing and storage. In particular, the student will be able: to critically evaluate the diverse problems related to chemical, physico-chemical and physical modifications of food components and to suggest possible solutions to improve food quality. Specific applications in some food products will be faced to study more in depth and undertand these aspects.

Course contents

1) Introduction

2) Food composition: macro- and micro-components

3) Modifications of lipids: lipolysis, oxidation (fatty acids and sterols), hydrogenation and interesterification

4) Modifications of proteins: lipolysis and oxidation

5) Modifications of carbohydrates: dehydration, thermal degradation, caramelization, Maillard reaction and acrylamide

6) Effects of thermal treatments

7) Effects of storage

8) Main technological processes and treatments

9) Cooking treatments

10) Interactions among food components

11) Chemical analysis of some macro-components (water, lipids, proteins)

12) Technological process and quality of the following food products:

     a) Protein-containing food: fresh meat, meat products

     b) Carbohydrate-containing food: bakery products

     c) Particular products: fried products, chocolate

Readings/Bibliography

It is not necessary to buy specific textbooks: the teaching material will be provided to students through distribution list or AMS Campus.

Consultation textbooks:

- Cabras P., Martelli A., Chimica degli Alimenti , Piccin, Padova, 2004

- Cappelli P., Vannucchi V., Chimica degli Alimenti. Trasformazione e Conservazione , Zanichelli, Bologna, 2005.

- Coultate T.M., Chimica degli Alimenti , Zanichelli, Bologna, 2005.

- Damodaran S., Parkin, K. L., Fennema O. R. Fennema's Food Chemistry , 4th ed., CRC Press, USA, 2007.

- Guardiola F., Dutta P.C., Codony R., Savage G.P., Cholesterol and Phytosterol Oxidation Products: Analysis, Occurrence, and Biological Effects, AOCS Press, Champaign (Illinois), 2002.

- http://www.efsa.europa.eu/

- http://lipidlibrary.aocs.org/

- http://www.lipidhome.co.uk/

Teaching methods

Theoretical and practical lessons (lab)

Assessment methods

Course knowledge assessment can be carried out in one of the two following ways:

a) Two written partial exams, of 2-h length each. The tests are structured with 40% multiple choice questions and 60% open questions about the program topics; each of these written exams should be passed with a mark of 18/30 at least. If the student would like to improve the mark of the written exams, he/she can perform oral examination/s for each written exam, which will be focused on the mistakes/lacks of the written tests.

b) One written exam, of 3-h length each. The test is structured with 40% multiple choice questions and 60% open questions about the program topics; the written exam should be passed with a mark of 18/30 at least. If the student would like to improve the mark of the written exam, he/she can perform an oral examination, which will be focused on the mistakes/lacks of the written test.

The exams are focused on the students' assessment of knowledge acquisition of the program topics, as well as on the evaluation of the overall mentality and the skill acquired to face those topics.

Teaching tools

Text books, published articles, materials used during lessons, databases, websites, search engines, literature search techniques
Practical lessons (lab session)

Office hours

See the website of Maria Teresa Rodriguez Estrada