Learning objectives
The course aims to enable the student to know and understand the general organization of a chemical-bromatological analysis laboratory.
The second objective of the course is to provide in-depth knowledge on the technical-practical aspects of chemical-physical analyzes for the evaluation of the composition, quality and safety of food, of animal origin and of zootechnical interest.
D1 - KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING ABILITY
At the end of the training the student will have to demonstrate:
1. a good degree of autonomy in food analysis laboratories, in particular in the management of some types of analysis.
2. a good degree of autonomy for the management of food samples within a laboratory preliminary to the application of the analysis (sampling methods, conservation).
D2 - ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the training the student will have to demonstrate to be able to prepare solutions with a known title, to use the common laboratory equipment and the instrumentation for the determination of pH, water activity, centesimal composition. The student must also demonstrate knowledge of the mineralization, extraction, separation, purification, digestion, distillation, titration systems.
The student must also demonstrate that he is able to present the analytical results correctly.
D3 - AUTONOMY OF JUDGMENT
At the end of the training activity, the student will be able to:
1. interpret the analytical results obtained from the application of analytical procedures aimed at determining the composition of foods and the search for specific analytes.
2. evaluate the appropriate analytical method to be applied for the determination of food composition, food quality and safety, of animal origin and of zootechnical interest.
D4 - COMMUNICATION SKILLS
At the end of the training activity, the student must demonstrate to be able to express himself clearly and with appropriate technical terms in the description of concepts concerning chemical-bromatological analysis of food.
D5 - LEARNING SKILLS
At the end of the training activity, the student will be able to:
1. finding and independently learning the new guidelines on methodologies, techniques and analytical instruments for chemical-bromatological analysis of foods;
2. provide support in the management of the chemical-bromatological analysis laboratory based on the knowledge concerning the composition, quality and safety analysis of food, of animal origin, but also for zootechnical use.
Prerequisites
Adequate knowledge of organic and inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, with particular reference to the chemistry of proteins and lipids, the properties of acids, bases and organic solvents.
Course unit content
General organization of a food analysis laboratory: Technical Furniture - Basic and Special Equipment - Glassware - Management of chemical substances and waste - Notes on laboratory safety - PPE and DPC.
• Definitions of: Matrix - Analyte - Interfering - Reference standards - Qualitative and quantitative analysis (examples) - Detection limit - Quantification limit - Sensitivity - Linearity - Accuracy - Accuracy.
Preparatory activities for food analysis. Methods of expression of concentrations and calculation activities for the preparation of saline, acidic, basic solutions of organic compounds with known titre and dilutions. Selection criteria for solvents. Nutrients, components and food contaminants: ways of expressing their concentrations.
• Principles of food sampling, conservation and sample preparation for analysis. Principles and techniques of extraction, isolation and purification of analytes from the food matrix.
Expression and processing of analytical results; calculation of measurement uncertainty. Calibration curves for quantitative analysis: processing and use.
• Measurement of pH and water activity of food of animal origin: theoretical principles, operational aspects and applications.
Centesimal composition of food for zootechnical use, of meat and food fats: theoretical principles and operational aspects.
• Spectrophotometric methods: theoretical principles, dedicated equipment and applications for the evaluation of the quality and safety of foodstuffs for zootechnical use, of animal / plant origin with particular regard to essays on vegetable oils.
• Chromatographic methods in liquid and gaseous phases: theoretical principles, dedicated equipment and applications in food analysis with particular reference to assays for determining the quality of lipids (cholesterol and sterol analysis in HPLC) and vitamin A in feed.
Full programme
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Bibliography
Analisi dei prodotti alimentari
Autori Cabras P e Tuberoso C.I.G.
Ed. Piccin Nuova Libraria Spa (Padova) Edizione 2014
Teaching methods
The course includes lectures in classroom, delivered with the support of audio-visual projection systems, and in two laboratories with basic laboratory devices and analytical equipments adequate to view the procedures outlined in theoretical form in the classroom. The activity that involves the use of spreadsheets will be carried out both in the classroom and in the laboratory. Practicals will be arranged for groups of students and will be scheduled so that the student can solve practically the solutions of the problems outlined during lectures.
Assessment methods and criteria
The verification of the expected learning results, described by the indicator D1, D2 and D3, is carried out by performing an oral test.
- This will consist of questions aimed at verifying the degree of basic knowledge and terminology acquired, about the nomenclature of technical furniture, equipment and glassware, as well as to assess the critical ability of the student to face problems related to the analytical method to be applied, to the type of equipment to be used for determining the chemical composition of foods, identification of specific analytes, (food quality and safety indicators), but also in the application of control methods on the analytical results obtained.
- The exam can also include questions related to the resolution of calculation exercises to verify the acquired knowledge of the preparatory activities for food analysis (preparation of known solutions, dilutions, calibration lines), and correct expression of analytical data.
- Some of the expected learning outcomes described by the D4 and D5 indicators are not a direct object of evaluation, but part of the classroom lessons and of the exercise activities are structured in such a way as to place the students in front of practical problems, with respect to which the students themselves must carry out an analysis, an evaluation and a discussion with the Teacher.
The evaluation of the student's preparation is carried out on a scale expressed in thirtieths.
Other information
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