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
- The chemistry of major food constituents (i.e. proteins, lipid and carbohydrates)
- 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
- The chemistry of taste
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
14. Food Analogues and chemical aspects relevant to develop innovative “foods“ (e.g. cultured meat in vitro)
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
In accordance with the current directives, the course consists of face-to-face lectures, although it might be re-modulated in the light of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.
The slides projected during the lessons constitute didactic material and will be provided, together with further in-depth material, through the Elly platform.
Assessment methods and criteria
The exam will be in the written form and includes both open (3) and multiple-choice questions (22). Both parts have to be judged sufficient to succeed the exam.
Further information can be found at the Elly page of the course.
Other information
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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