Learning objectives
- Providing knowledge about composition and main constituents of certain foods
- Providing knowledge about chemical transformations in food upon processing, their effects on food quality and potential consequences on health
- Providing fundamentals of taste and aroma chemistry
- Developing autonomous judgement and communication skills about the fundamentals of novel food and food authenticity
- Developing autonomous judgement and communication skills about the main emerging challenges in food safety with emphasis to the major food contaminations under analysis by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
Prerequisites
Fundamentals in chemistry and organic chemistry
Course unit content
- Chemical composition of foods
- Low molecular weight molecules with biological activity (vitamins, contaminats and other xenobiotics of food origin)
- Chemical reactions upon food processing
- Principles of authenticity, novel food, food safety and risk assessment
- Xenobiotics relevant to food safety area
- Mitigation strategies to reduce the content of contaminants along the food chain
Full programme
1. Introduction to Food Chemistry and xenobiotics relevant to food area
2. Water in food and its properties; mineral
3. Carbohydrates, lipids and proteins: properties, function and reactivity
4. Taste chemistry: chemical basis of taste and aroma perception
5. Definition, composition, structure and properties of foods of animal and plant origin; bioactive compounds from plants
6. Fundamental reactions of food components and constituents
7. Food additives: description and chemical properties
8. Xenobiotics in food: bioactive and toxic compounds, origin, effects on living organisms, and strategies to reduce their content in food chain
9. Antioxidants
10. Antinutrional Factors
11. Food safety, food authenticity and novel foods: principles, challenges and current European scenario
12. Principles of risk assessment and risk/benefit assessment
13. Organic, GMO and biodynamic
Bibliography
1. La chimica e gli alimenti. Nutrienti e aspetti nutraceutici. di L. Mannina, M. Daglia, A. Ritieni, CEA 2019
2. Chimica degli Alimenti - Cabras e Martelli, Piccin 2004
3. Food Chemistry 4th Edition - Belitz, Grosch, Schieberle, Springer 2009
4. Ensuring Global Food Safety, Exploring Global Harmonization - Elsevier 2010
Slides provided by the lecturer
Teaching methods
The course consists in frontal lessons (in a mixed online/in-person modality during the current academic year). The slides used during lessons constitute didactic material that will be available for students at the Elly portal.
Assessment methods and criteria
The exam will be online in the written form including both open and multiple-choice questions.
Further information can be found at the Elly page of the course.
Other information
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2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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