FOOD CHEMISTRY
Academic year and teacher
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2022/2023
- Teacher
- NICOLA MARCHETTI
- Credits
- 6
- Didactic period
- Secondo Semestre
- SSD
- CHIM/10
Training objectives
- The course aims to address General aspects of Food Chemistry, which relate to the different classes of macro- and micro-nutrients that constitute foods and how they interact (i) biochemically with physiological and metabolic processes within human body and (ii) each other and how they are transformed by food processing or food degradation. Discussion will focus on energetic components (carbohydrates, proteins and lipids), on non-energetic ones (minerals and vitamins) and on molecules that characterize the organoleptic sphere. The course will discuss also the use of specific substances for technological purposes (eg food additives) as well as the chemical properties of those substances that derive from food transformation, responsible for organoleptic characteristics. The different topics will be tackled in order to highlight possible food security issues that are increasingly relevant to both the producer and the consumer. Additionally, students will be able to correlate chemical-functional information given with human metabolism and understand the molecular basis of nutrition and functional food itself. At the end of the course the student will be able to understand the rationale behind the composition of a food and will have the ability to discuss functional and anti-nutritional components of food according to the regulating processes for the health status of human body.
Prerequisites
- The following concepts and the knowledge are mandatory:
•basic concepts of organic chemistry related to sugars and proteins;
•knowledge of the basic concepts of biochemistry and of human physiology Course programme
- REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: legislation related to food, health foods, supplements, novel-food, functional foods. claims regulation.
FOOD AND NUTRITIONAL NEEDS: composition and digestion of food, energy needs, metabolism.
CARBOHYDRATES; LIPID; PROTEIN; VITAMINS and MINERALS: chemical structures; chemical and biochemical functions; molecular basis of nutrition; dose in foods; symptoms of macro and micronutrients deficiency; food supplements.
WATER AND ITS ROLE IN FOODS.
CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATION OF NUTRITIONAL COMPONENTS.
SPECIFIC NUTRITIONAL NEEDS: EATING DISORDERS; PRODUCTS FOR SPORT.
FOOD BORN ALLERGIES; GLUTEN FREE PRODUCTS.
METABOLISM OF AMINO SCIDS, SUGARS AND LIPIDS.
FOOD ADDITIVES.
PROBIOTICS AND PREBIOTICS.
DIETARY FIBERS.
SECONDARY METABOLITES IN FOOD AND NUTRACEUTICALS.
ANTIOXIDANTS Didactic methods
- The course consists of lectures on all topics of the course with the aims of focuses on specific arguments related with agrifood products, industrial processes of food transformation, body of laws in the food industry sector and molecular basis of nutrition.
Learning assessment procedures
- The aim of examination is to test the level of achievement of the previously mentioned educational goals.
The exam consists of a oral examination in which will be evaluated the ability to link and compare different aspects covered during the course. Reference texts
- - P. Cabras, A Martelli - Chimica degli alimenti - Piccin, Padova.
- P. Cappelli, V. Vannucchi - Principidi di Chimica degli alimenti - Zanichelli, Bologna.
- F. Evangelisti, P. Restani – Prodotti dietetici – Piccin, Padova.
- G. Mazza - Functional foods. Biochemical & Processing Aspects - Technomic, Lancaster, USA.
- P. Cabras, C. Tuberoso – Analisi dei prodotti alimentari – Piccin, Padova.
- Slide used for lessons
