B012369 - FOOD CHEMISTRY

The course focuses on the illustration of the main physical and chemical characteristics of macronutrients and on a detailed description of the composition and quality requirements of some common foods. The course includes a summary of the main methods used to improve the shelf life of food, as well as an overview of food additives.

Chimica degli Alimenti di Cabras -Martelli, Piccin Editore, Padova 2004
Prodotti dietetici di Evangelisti Restani, Piccin Editore, Padova 2010

The student must acquire both basic knowledge on the main physical and chemical characteristics of macronutrients and on the reactivity between different macronutrients in food. The special part provides knowledge of the composition and quality characteristics of some foods widely used in our diet. The student must acquire the ability to correlate and integrate the contents of the general part of the course and the monographic topics dedicated to specific foods, the ability to process information on the label, the ability to identify foods with greater health potential. The course also aims to induce a sense of responsibility, and respect for ethical and environmental issues related to the theme of food.

Basic knowledge of general chemistry, organic chemistry and biochemistry is required.

The course consists of lectures with the possibility of one or two seminars with external experts

The teaching material will be provided at the beginning of the year, with possible additions during the semester. It is necessary to integrate the slides with the notes of the lessons.
The final exam will take place exclusively on the online dates indicated and online registration is mandatory.

The examination consists of a single test, oral or written; the written test consists of open questions. Registrations for examinations will be made online. The student can choose to take the written test or the oral examination, but the written tests will take place only during the first days of June, in February and September, when there is availability of classrooms.
The oral examinations will be held throughout the year usually in the last week of the month, with the exception for January, April, August and November months.
The test is focused to verify that the student has acquired specific knowledge but also the ability to correlate and integrate information between the general and special part.

Lipids: classification, chemical structure and auto-oxidation process. Role and mechanisms of action of antioxidants, evaluation methods of the state of oxidative an edible fat. Comparison between the different characteristics of dietary fats: cooking effects on lipids.

Proteins: definition, main physical and chemical characteristics, solubility and surface properties, denaturation, protein nutritional indices; use of enzymes in the food field.

Carbohydrate (oligo-and polysaccharides) main chemical and physical characteristics. The Maillard reaction in food, main products , undesiderable molecules and risk in human.

Dietary Fiber: definition and types, soluble fiber and fermentable and SCFA; distribution in food and fiber physiological functions.

Cow's milk, composition; comparison with other milks; major thermal treatments and effects on the final milk’s composition. Characteristic of infant milks . Main methods applied for quality control. Lactose intolerance

Butter and “margarine”: methods of productions, composition and comparison among their characteristics.

Cheese: composition, main production methods; effects of aging and the main classification criteria. Examples certain types of cheese.

Vegetable oils: crushing methods for the obtaining of virgin olive oils, the composition in macro and micronutrients of the oils deriving from the olive. unsaponifiable composition; the phenolic fraction and its health effects on human. Extraction processes for seed oils; and refining process . Comparison of the different vegetable oils with respect to extra virgin olive oils; a focus on palm oil.

Cereals: description of rice and wheat kernels, distribution of macro and micro components. Methods of obtaining and characteristics of the wheat flour.

Materials used and banned in food for celiac; normative references, examples of products on the market.

The phenolic molecules in plant foods: main functions, chemical classes, distribution in the diet; nutraceuticals effects of some phenols, effect of processing.

Main causes of food degradation: brief description of the main chemical and physical methods of food preservation.
Food additives: normative references, definition of ADI examples of additives for conservation purposes, and food coloring.