Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding: the course aims to enable the student to acquire knowledge for a deepen understanding of factors influencing macroscopic properties, stability and microstructure of food products and analytical techniques for the physical characterization of food matrices.
Applying knowledge and understanding: the course aims to make the student able to apply the acquired concepts in food industry for the evaluation and control of physico-chemical stability and structure of foods.
Making judgments: based on the information acquired, the course intends to provide students with the tools useful to critically discuss food structure in relation to their stability, and the choice of proper analytical techniques to study such factors.
Communication skills: the course intends to provide the student with a proper technical-scientific language useful for the communication to the sector experts and not experts.
Learning skills: the course aims to provide the student with the learning skills necessary to study in a widely autonomous way, by searching for case studies that are discussed in class.
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
Food as complex and multi-phases systems: crystalline and amorphous status, phases, first and second order phase transitions, phase transition in food, phase transitions in food products and processes.
Water and food stability
Analytical techniques: thermal analysis (DSC, TGA, DMA), microscopy (light, electronic, confocal, atomic force), image analysis, texture, rheology
Food microstructure: the role of main food components in the construction/transformation-destruction of “food structures”, “food structures” assembly, stability and characterization
Physical properties, microstructure and characterization of food products (i.e. dairy products, chocolate, bread, ice cream, .)
Full programme
Bibliography
Food texture and viscosity, concept and measurement, 2nd edition, Bourne, Academic Press, Food Science and Technology, International Series
Non-Equilibrium States and Glass Transitions in Foods, 1st Edition, Processing Effects and Product-Specific Implications, Eds. Bhesh Bhandari Yrjö Roos.
Food Materials Science: Principles and Practice (Food Engineering Series), Aguilera, Lillford, 2008, Springer
Phase Transitions In Foods, Roos, 1995, Academic Press
Physical properties of foods: novel measurement techniques and applications Arana, 2012, CRC Press.
Teaching methods
Lectures
Scientific articles: individual reading and class discussion
Assessment methods and criteria
Written exam with open questions that will verify the acquired knowledge on the class subject and the ability to apply such knowledge to the solution of case studies.
Other information
