Course objectives |
Students will be introduced in major food components (water, proteins, enzymes, lipids, aroma substances, minerals, vitamins) and their changes during the food processing, preservation and storage.
They will understand the contribution of the one food component in total food quality and will learn about chemical, biochemical and physical processes in food systems.
Students will be familiarized with interactions between food ingredients and additives during the processing, preservation and storage. |
Course enrolment requirements and entry competences required for the course |
Basic knowledge of chemistry, biochemistry and food microbiology as well as terms and facts from courses Processes in Food Industry and Raw materials in Food Industry. |
Learning outcomes expected at the level of the course (4 to 10 learning outcomes) |
After passing the exam the student will:
- Know the major food components and understand their changes (chemical, physical, biochemical, microbiological, enzymatic, etc.) during the food processing, preservation and storage.
- Recognize the potential degradation processes in food materials regarding the handling.
- Know the parameters that affect the degradation processes and actions which could those degradations prevent/slow down/delay.
- Know functional, nutritive and toxicological food parameters. |
Course content broken down in detail by weekly class schedule (syllabus) |
1st week: What is food chemistry? Water: structure, phases of matter, properties, water activity, water food interactions.
2nd and 3rd week: Amino Acids, Peptides and Proteins: classification, representative compounds, chemical and enzymatic reactions during processing and storage.
4th and 5th week: Enzymes: mechanisms and kinetics of the enzyme-catalyzed reactions; enzyme activity: effect of pH, temperature, pressure, water, most important enzymes and enzymatic reactions during food processing.
6th week: Lipids: classification, lipids in diet, cholesterol, changes of lipids during food processing and storage (enzymatic reactions, oxidation processes).
7th week: I. colloquium
8th week: Carbohydrates: classification, structure, properties, representative compounds,
9th week: Chemical reactions of carbohydrates (reduction, caramelization, Maillard reaction, Strecker reaction...).
10th week: Aroma substances: basic terms (threshold value, aroma value, off-flavors), individual aroma substances, interactions with other food constituents.
11th week: Vitamins: classification, vitamins in food, biological role, stability and degradation of vitamins. Minerals: main and trace elements.
12th week: Functional food components.
13th week: Food additives.
14th week: Food contamination (toxins).
15th week: II. colloquium
Exercises: Food analysis: Water content determination; Determination of proteins and amino acids; Determination of lipids; Determination of sugars; Determination of vitamins and minerals; Determination of additives.Changes of food components during processing: Protein hydrolysis and coagulation; Lipid oxidation kinetic; enzymatic reactions during food processing; Carbohydrate changes; Influence of the processing and storage parameters on pigmentation and vitamin content. |
