Food Biochemistry

Objectives

At the end of this syllabus, the student should be able to:

Describe the constitution and structure of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. Distinguish globular from fibrous proteins. Understand what is water activity and its consequences on the properties and transformation of food materials. Describe the structure, the transformation and some processing methods of food materials from vegetable and animal sources. Know the undesirable (intrinsic and extrinsic toxic) components in food materials and  their mechanism of action. Know topics on the flavor of food materials.  

Describe the main concepts on enzyme catalysis. Know the classification and normalized nomenclature of enzymes and their main applications in the contexts of food transformation and quality control. Know experimental methods for isolating and characterizing proteins. Interpret enzyme kinetic data and calculate kinetic parameters according to the Michaelis-Menten model. Carry out simple enzyme assays.

Be competent using materials and equipments commonly found in a Food Chemistry  lab, as well as acquiring, treating, presenting and discussing experimental results. 

General characterization

Code

9765

Credits

4.0

Responsible teacher

Isabel Borges Coutinho Medeiros Dias

Hours

Weekly - 2

Total - 44

Teaching language

Português

Prerequisites

Available soon

Bibliography

 TP Coultate “Food – the Chemistry of its Components” 3rd Ed. Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Paperbacks (1996), Cambridge, UK

- Owen R Fennema (Dir) “Química de los Alimentos” 2ª Ed. Editorial Agribia SA (2000) Zaragoza Espanha

- H-D Belitz,W Grosch, P Schieberle “Food Chemistry” 3ª Ed,  Springer-Verlag (2004)BerlinHeidelberg

Teaching method

Lectures  using “data show” and pratical study sessions  which  include  quantitative problem- solving, discussions and seminars on relevant topics.  There will also be  laboratory  sessions  where students will    do experimental work. 

The assessment includes  a  written individual  test  at the end of the semester, and the appreciation of the lab reports.  The test classification cotributes 70% to the final grade. The classification of  the lab reports contributes to 30% of the final grade.

Evaluation method

The assessment includes  a  written individual  test  at the end of the semester, and the appreciation of the lab reports.  The test classification cotributes 70% to the final grade. The classification of  the lab reports contributes to 30% of the final grade.

Subject matter

Composition, reactions and functional properties of foods . Water activity in food materials. Methods used in  food preservation.  Fermented foods.  Enzymes used in the preparation of  solid  foods and drinks. Food-linked sensorial experiences. Sweet-, sour- and unami-tasting compounds. Food chemical irritants. Contributes to flavor from non-chemical senses.  Food materials from vegetable sources. Cereals. Enzymes used in the baking  and  brewing industries.  Enzyme-transformed starch products. Soy products. Edible vegetable tissues.  Enzymatic browning of vegetable foods. Food materials from animal sources. Composition and structure of eggs. Composition and structure of milk. Cheese and other  milk products. Enzymes used in the dairy industry. Composition and morphology of skeletal muscle. Transformation of meat after slaughter. Preparation of meat products. Toxins. Toxic residues and contaminants (2 laboratory sessions).

Programs

Programs where the course is taught: