Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding.
During the course the student will acquire in-depth knowledge of the physiological and molecular mechanisms of food taste, aroma and color perception and to identify the responsible compounds, their origin and their formation. The student will acquire the ability to correlate and integrate the general aspects with the specific characteristics of the individual compounds, thus understanding the correlation between composition and sensory characteristics. This knowledge constitutes the basis for being able to operate effectively in a production context, focusing on control, analysis and design of new products and processes in relation to the sensorial characteristics, in terms of taste, aroma and color.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding The student must be able to use the knowledge acquired to understand and predict the changes in sensory characteristics in foods in correlation with the technological processes and conservation. The knowledge acquired will allow the student to define which components are able to influence the sensory characteristics, how to induce their formation and how to preserve their content or how to formulate the product with the desired characteristics.
Autonomy of judgement
The student must be able to define which transformations a food can undergo or can be induced and what are the effects of the different formulations on the sensorial characteristics and to identify which process or conservation conditions can influence the sensorial acceptability of a food product.
Communication skills
The student must be able to appropriately use scientific language and the specific vocabulary of food chemistry, demonstrating the ability to illustrate and transmit the concepts acquired in oral and written form. In particular, he/she must appropriately use the descriptive terms of taste, aroma and color of foods.
Learning ability
The student who has attended the course will be able to deepen their knowledge of the sensorial characteristics of foods, through independent consultation of specialized texts, scientific or popular journal, even outside the topics strictly covered during the lessons.
Prerequisites
Basics of organic chemistry and food chemistry are essential for a correct
understanding of the course content.
Course unit content
Mechanism of perception of taste and its evolutionary basis - Nature of
the interactions between taste molecules and receptors - Sweet
molecules and structural requirements for the perception of sweetness -
Natural and artificial sweeteners - Bitter molecules and structural
requirements for the perception of bitter taste - Structure of the
molecules responsible for the perception of umami, salty, acid tastes -
Non-gustatory perceptions in the oral cavity: astringency, spicy,
refreshing - Mechanism of perception of aromas, pheromones - Structural
requirements of olfactory active molecules and aroma value - Aromas
naturally present in food: primary aromas - Aromas generated by
cooking, fermentation and processing: secondary aromas - Molecular
basis of color perception - Colored compounds in food - Preservation and
formation of color in food in relation to cooking and transformation
processes.
Full programme
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Bibliography
Materials and slides provided by the lecturer.
In order to get more informations on the subjects treated:
- C. Dall'Asta, G. Galaverna. Molecole del Gusto- ovvero la chimica dei
sapori, Ed. MUP
- P. Cabras, A. Martelli, Chimica degli Alimenti, Ed. Piccin (PD) -- Belitz,
Grosch, Food Chemistry, Ed. Springer-Verlag
- M. Marconi, D. Fajneer, G. Benevelli, G. Nicoli, Dentro al gusto, Ed.
Edagricole
Teaching methods
The course takes place during 21 hours of frontal lectures. During these
hours, the students are guided to the understanding of the basic and
application concepts related to molecules impacting sensory properties,
through the projection of slides accompanied by explanations, to
develop a solid theoretical knowledge that can serve as a basis for a
practical approach to the subjects of taste, aroma and color in food.
Assessment methods and criteria
The exam is based on a written test containing open questions (6), also with
applicative aspects, for the students to be answered.
Participation in the test is possible ONLY after registration through the
ESSE3 system. Students not officially registered will not be admitted to
take the test. There will be 7 different sessions of test per year.
The time for the test is 2 hours.
During the test the student can withdraw, and in this case the test is not
corrected and the result will be recorded in the ESSE3 system as
WITHDRAWAL.
The results of the written test will be published on ESSE3 and each
student will receive an email with the result.
The test is considered passed and the grade can be officially recorded if
the grade of the test is equal to or higher than 18. In case of a grade
lower than 18, the test will have to be repeated.
In the event of a grade equal to or greater than 18, the student has two
options:
- Accept the vote received, which will then be officially recorded
- Reject the vote using the specific option in ESSE3, and repeat the exam.
Attention: the refusal must be explicit, the silence-assent rule applies.
Other information
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2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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