COMPOSITION AND FOOD CHEMISTRY

Academic Year 2022/2023 - Teacher: LAURA SIRACUSA

Expected Learning Outcomes

The aim of this course is the deep knowledge of food chemistry, with a particular focus on chemical reactions taking place during food storage and processing. 

Course Structure

The course is organized in 56 hours, half of which consisting in plenary lectures given by experts in the filed of nutrition and applied food chemistry.  

Information for students with disabilities and/or DSA.

As a guarantee of equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, based on their specific needs and on teaching objectives of the discipline. It is also possible to ask the departmental contacts of CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and/or DSAs), in the persons of professors Giovanna Tropea Garzia and Anna De Angelis.

Detailed Course Content

Introduction: chemistry from farm to fork, mean chemical reactions taking place in the kitchen and on the table

Food and nutrition: caloric demand, balanced diet, bioavaiability, metabolism. Personalized nutrition: the microbiome and its effects on metabolism and nutrition.

Organoleptic features of foods.

Micro and macronutrients: water, minerlas, vitamins (lipo and hydrosoluble) ; bioactive constituents from vegetable matrices: carotenoids, polyphenols, alkaloids.

Oxidation and oxidative processes in food storage/preservation and in the human body

Macronutrients: lipids, carbohydrated, proteins

Fat-based foods: olive oil, butter, margarine

Protein-rich foods: milk and derivatives, meat, egges, proteins from vegetables: the legumes. Biological value of proteins.

Cereals: meain cereals gropus and their characteristics; celiac disease

Foods and drinks from the mediterranean area

Honey, coffee, tea, cocoa and their derivatives

Textbook Information

La Chimica e gli Alimenti - nutrienti ed aspetti nutraceutici, a cura di Luisa Mannina, Maria Daglia, Alberto Ritieni. Edizioni CEA

Course Planning

 SubjectsText References
1tutti gli argomentiLa Chimica e gli Alimenti - nutrienti ed aspetti nutraceutici, a cura di Luisa Mannina, Maria Daglia, Alberto Ritieni. Edizioni CEA

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

The examination at the end of the course will take place in the form of two tests on the go and a final oral colloquim, in which the student woll also present a food/feedof chioce in the form of a two-three slides powerpoint .

As regarding the oral examination, evaluation will be based on the following: 

  • insufficient performance insufficiente (< 18). The students shows serions flaws in basci concepts of the course
  • sufficient performance  (18÷20/30). the student shows a generic knowledge of the concepts of the course;
  • descreet performance (21÷23/30). the student shows descreet but clearly improvable knowledge opf the basic concepts of the course; 
  • good performance (24÷26/30). the student shows a good knowledge of the concepts of the course and can go from a topic to another without serious defficulties
  • very good performance (27÷29/30) the student shows a really good familiarity with the entire course and the concepts behind and he/she able to present them clearly and fluently
  • excellent performance (30/30÷30/30 e lode) the student shows an excellent familiarity with the entire course and the concepts beyond, he/she able to present them clearly and fluently, and he/she demonstrates to indipendently explore one or more topics.