Course syllabus for Food chemistry

The students will be trained to understand and discuss the main principles, theories and concepts underlying established knowledge in food chemistry. On completing this course, students should be able to:

• describe reactions and mechanisms important in food chemistry
• explain the chemistry of the most important food components, including their properties and reactions
• develop and distinguish how individual food components contributes to the overall quality of foods
• explain the major chemical reactions that occur during food handling, processing and storage, including those that limit food shelf life
• demonstrate knowledge on the relationship of chemical markers and key chemical compounds that relate flavour and colour attributes to thermal processing, chemical reactions (e.g. oxidative changes, Maillard reaction) and product quality
• demonstrate sufficient knowledge of food chemistry to control reactions in foods.
• implement a selection of laboratory techniques common to basic and applied food chemistry
• apply their knowledge and laboratory skills to measure, control and modify the chemical and physical properties of food
• explain the principles behind some of the most common analytical techniques used in food analysis (primarily chemical and physical analyses)
• be capable of designing and conducting experiments and interpreting data to understand important food chemistry principles
• In oral presentations, debate and written documentation, discuss and critically analyse literature data and food product information within a selected food chemistry topic.
• seek and acquire information, and to conduct independent studies in order to advance the personal knowledge within the area
• based on study vist(s), have brief knowledge about how a food production company operates.

The course includes lectures with the following content:

1. Water and its interaction with food components and food stability
2. Carbohydrates:
   Mono-, di-, oligo-, and polysaccharides
   Decomposition - reducing and non-reducing sugars
   Starch - granule structure and properties, native and modified
   Heteropolysaccharides - pectic substances and seed gums
   Sweeteners
3. Lipids:
   Fatty acids and triglycerides
   Phospholipids
   Lipid oxidation (rancidity)
   Rancidity - hydrolytic and oxidative
   Hydrogenation - mechanisms and catalysts, trans fatty acids
   Interesterification
   Polymorphism
   Synthetic fats
4. Proteins:
   Amino acid chemistry
   Protein structure
   Protein changes during processing
   Vegetable, milk, cheese and meat/fish proteins
5. Browning reactions:
   Maillard reaction - formation and control
   Enzymatic browning
6. Emulsions
7. Colours and colorants
8. Food additives
9. Flavours
10. Toxic substances
11. Biopolymer structures
    

Compulsory parts:

1. Laboratory practicals will cover topics such as, Lipid oxidation, Enzymatic browning of vegetables and fruits, Protein processing.
2. Seminar work where the students should critically go in depht within a food chemistry topic.The outcome should be presented in an oral presentation and a written documentation.