66048 - Quality and innovation of primary prodcutions

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student is expected to be able to analyse the role of food crops in different geographic and cultural contexts, and to critically evaluate quality factors of food crops in relation to the perceptions of food chain stakeholders

Course contents

a) Revision of the concepts and definition of food plant raw material quality. Preliminary, experience and information quality perceptions. Quality in chain. sensory and non sensory acceptance factors.

b) Historic evolution of the quality perception approach and present impact. Agricultural development, centres of origin, dispersion and present distribution of cultivated plants. Principles of human demography, also in relation to crop production. The green revolution, biotechnologies, sustainable agriculture. Role and significance of plant food biodiversity.

c) Quality perception cues. External appearance, shape, size and determining factors. Colour: plant pigments: role nature and principles of biosynthesis.

d) Experience quality characters. Texture: determining factors; role of cell wall; sensory perception of texture in different food crops and relations to other quality traits. taste / aroma: role for quality; determining components; secondary metabolites: phenolics, terpenes, glucosinolates, cysteine sulphoxides, capsacinoids; role, distribution an principles of biosynthesis.

e) credence quality characters. Health promoting properties. Elements and problems of plant derived functional foods and nutraceuticals. Dietary fibre: general aspects; inuline and oligofructose, resistant starch, other reserve carbohydrates, cell wall components.  Phytoestrogens. Antioxidants. Glucosinolates. Possible contrast between health promoting and sensory properties. Organic agricultural products. GMOs.

f) Aspect of quality keeping. Element of post harvest physiology: water losses, respiration, chilling injury, senescence, enzymatic browning; scalding and self ignition. Yield and retention factors of nutritional and bioactive components following processing or cooking.

g) Aspect of by-products utilisation. Traditional uses: animal feed, compost,. energy. Non traditional uses: fractioning and extraction of individual components.

Readings/Bibliography

Notes from lectures and material supplied during lectures

Teaching methods

Traditional classroom lectures. Critical discussion of specific topics assigned or selected by students.

Assessment methods

The exam is oral and consists of:

1. an individual  Power pint presenation on a subject chosen by the students among the ones related to the program. It should last max 15 minutes and contain: presentation of the subject; development of the subject; conclusions; reference citation.

2. Oral questions on the topics taught during lectures.

The weight of the two parts is 50%. The exam is passed only if  both the two parts obtain the minimum mark for sufficience (18). In case one of the two parts is not sufficient, it is possible to repeat only this part.

Teaching tools

Digital slide projector, PCs, laboratory equipments for practical.

Office hours

See the website of Luigi Filippo D'Antuono