PROGRAM CHEMISTRY OF FOOD MODULE  (6 CFU)

The course includes a general part and a special part.

General Part – Micro- and Macronutrients 3 CFU

Water. Structure, Physicochemical properties; hydrogen-bound, general properties and structural functions of water in food, free water, bound water; water activity; drinking water; mineral water, table water; treatment, hardness, analyses. 

Micronutrients

Minerals: main elements, trace elements (Na, Ca, K, Cd, Mg, Mn, Fe, I, Se, F), bioavailability and bioaccessibility. Vitamins: Biological Role  Requirement, Occurrence, Stability, Degradation. Water-soluble vitamins: vitamine e vitameri, Thiamine (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine (Pyridoxal, Vitamin B6), Nicotinamide (Niacin), Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, Folic Acid Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C); fat-soluble vitamins; Retinol (Vitamin A), carotenoids, Calciferol (Vitamin D); α-Tocopherol (Vitamin E) Phytomenadione (Vitamin K1 Phylloquinone).

Macronutrients

Carbohydrates. Monosaccharides, Structure and Nomenclature, Configuration, Conformation, Fischer projection, Haworth projection, Physical Properties, Mutarotation, hemiacetal formation, alfa and beta anomers, disaccharides, Oligosaccharides, Structure and Nomenclature, Properties and Reactions, Polysaccharides (glycans). Reducing sugars, glucose, fructose, galactose, galactosemia, glycosidic linkages; inverted sugar; sucrose; lactose; maltose; homoglycans, heteroglycans; starch, amylose; amylopectin, enzymatic degradation of starch; endoplitting; exosplitting; debranching; modified starches, dextrin; cyclodextrin; glycogen; cellulose. 

Proteins: General remarks, amino acids, essential amino acids, limiting amino acids, isoelectric point, peptide bond, primary structure; secondary structure; tertiary structure; quaternary structure; amino acid score; protein complementing; biological value; digestibility. Physical Properties Denaturation, Dissociation, chemical reactions, hydrolysis, Chemical and Enzymatic Reactions of Interest to Food Processing, Maillard reaction.

Lipids. Physico-chemical properties; Nomenclature and Classification: Saponification reaction Saponifiable and unsaponifiable Fraction, fatty acids, saturated and unsaturated, monounsaturated (MUFA); diunsaturated (DUFA); polyunsaturated (PUFA); EFA (essential fatty acids); Acylglycerols; Triglycerols; diglycerols, monoglycerols, phospholipids (phosphoglycerols and Sphingoglycerols), Glycolipids; Sphingolipids; Glycolipids; Phosphatidyl Derivatives; wax; Hydrocarbons, Steroids, Cholesterol; carotenoids, Rancidification; hydrolitic, ketonic, oxidative (autoxidation, Photooxidation) Antioxidants.

Special part - Foodstuff – 3 CFU

Sweeteners: Nutritional/Physiological Properties, Processing Properties; sweetening power; Individual Sugars and Sugar Alcohols: fructose, Maltodextrin, bulk sweeteners; sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, acesulfame K, aspartame, aspartame-acesulfame, Cyclamic acid, Rebauside A; Stevioside; Saccharine; Sucralose; Sweet protein; Thaumatin; Monellin; Miraculin; Neotame. 

Dietary Fibers: Soluble and insoluble fibre, resistant starch; Inulin; Pectine, Alginates, Carrageenans

Antinutritional factors

 Cereal and Cereal products

Generality. Composition of the main cereals. World and Italian cereal production. Wheat. Wheat classes. T. aestivum (common wheat) and T. durum (durum wheat). Structure and composition of wheat kernels. Classification of flour: evaluation methods. Pasta and bread.  Bakery products (overview). Rice. Rice species. Treatments made to obtain the commercial product.

Vegetable oils and edible fats

Olive oils. Composition and classification. Main analyses are foreseen by the European regulation to determine quality and genuineness.

Seed oils, hydrogenated fats and margarine: generality, production and refining technologies. Effects of technological treatments. Composition of the main seed oils.

Milk and derivatives

Definition. Composition with respect to milk protein and lipid fractions. Defects and alterations. Effect of heat treatments. Regulatory requirements. Milk cream: types and methods of production. Butter. Scheme of burrification processes.

Selected books

- Belitz, H. D.; Grosch, W. ; Schieberle, P. FOOD CHEMISTRY di Springer Nature, 4a Edizione
- Mannina Luisa, Daglia Maria, Ritieni Alberto: la chimica degli Alimenti - Nutrienti e Aspetti Nutraceutici, CEA - Casa Editrice Ambrosiana