B012369 - FOOD CHEMISTRY

The course is focused to illustrate the main physical and chemical characteristics of the macronutrients, and to describe the composition and the quality requirements of some common foods. A short summary on the principal methods applied to improve the shelf-life and an overview on food additives are also inserted.

The student has to acquire the knowledge on the composition and main chemical reaction of macronutrients (lipids, proteins and carbohydrates) in foods. The special section is focused to describe the composition and the quality requirements of selected foods widely present in our diet. The student have to acquire the ability to integrate the information from the general part and the special sections, to be able to read a label, and to recognize those foods with higher health potentialities. The course is also focused to induce sense of responsibility and attention to environmental problems linked to the food chemistry matter

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

The course consists of lectures with the possibility of inclusion of seminars with the involvement of external experts.

The course consists of lectures with the possibility of inclusion of seminars with the involvement of external experts

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 structured so as 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 and major products. Role of polysaccharides in the formulation of the foods.

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

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.

Celiac disease problem, raw 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 and their distribution in the diet; nutraceuticals effects associated with some phenols.

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

Chimica degli Alimenti di Cabras -Martelli, Piccin Editore, Padova 2004
Prodotti dietetici di Evangelisti Restani, Piccin Editore, Padova 2010
Food Chemistry di O. R. Fennema, Marcel Dekker NewYork, ,
La chimica degli Alimenti di Tom P. Coultate,, Zanichelli editore 2004
Principi di chimica degli Alimenti, conservazione e trasformazione e normativa, di Vannucchi Cappelli, Zanichelli editore 2016

The educational material will be provided at the beginning of year, with any additions during the semester. It is suggested to those who can not attend, to recover also the notes to supplement the slides.
The final exam will take place exclusively in the online dates indicated and it is mandatory request the on-line registration.