Food Preservation and Processing
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The course aims at introducing the principles of food technology operations and the main food preservation and transformation processes; make the European food labeling standards known; provide expertise on the main quality indicators of raw materials and preserved and processed food products. Furthermore, the course aims at making the role of technology understandable about the availability of safe and quality foods with particular reference to nutritional aspects.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course the student will be able to identify the operations carried out to preserve and transform the main food products; will have the skills to acquire information on the products by reading the labels; he/she will be able to evaluate the qualitative characteristics of food and to evaluate the technology on the quality and nutritional value of food products.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The food technology as a tool to understand food products and their nutritional profile. Role of formulation and technology in "ultra-processed" foods
Food label legislation: aim, mandatory information and nutritional aspects, news, optional information.
Milk: Characteristics of milk proteins, fats and sugars and their technological role in supply chain products. Drinking milk: legislative aspects. Types of drinking milk on the market. Technology and effect of heat treatments: pasteurized and sterilized milks.
Classification and compositional characteristics of cheeses. Cheese production technology: preliminary treatments, coagulation, syneresis, salting and ripening. Relationship between technology and characteristics of cheeses.
Milk protein and fat: characteristics and their technological role in the supply chain products. Sugar and their technological role. Oligoelements and their nutritional relevance.
Pasteurized and sterilized milk: legislation in Italy and Europe, role and nutritional impact of thermal treatments.
Cheese: different types and their nutritional value. Production technology of cheese: milk preliminary treatments, coagulation, syneresis, salting and ripening. Production technology for POD cheese (gorgonzola, grana padano, parmigiano reggiano); fresh cheeses; mascarpone, ricotta. Low fat cheese and new products.
Butter technology and nutritional aspects.
Fats: origin and composition. Olive oil: characteristics, legal aspects and technology. Palm oil: characteristics and problems.Oil of vegetable origin: characteristics and production technology. Oil extraction: preliminary treatments, extraction by pressing and solvent. Oil refining: degumming, neutralization, discoloration e deodorization. Chemical vs physical refining. Fat modifications (hydrogenation, interesterification, fractioning); margarine and emulsions.
Cereals: Morphological, physical and chemical kernel properties of the major cereal crops. The pseudocereals in comparison with cereals. Quality indices and their evaluation. Technological role of the major macromolecules in the grains: proteins, starch and fiber. Process description of wheat milling: stone milling vs conventional milling; the production of wholemeal flours. By-products utilization and enhancement: recovery of interesting components for secondary processing and / or for energy production.
The pasta-making process for dry pasta and factors affecting the quality. Bread and other leavened products: classification, processes and quality evaluation. Dough characteristics: the role of water, flour macromolecular components and other ingredients; use of improvers. Production of pasta and bread enriched in fiber and their characterization. Production of pasta and bread from gluten-free grains and their characterization.
Plant-based foods and beverages: raw materials, role of formulation and technology on finished products.
Processed meats. Criteria for technological classification of meat products and their characteristics.
Case-studies: production technology of some products (breakfast cereals, snacks, bars, juices, jams and marmalades, chocolate), label making, innovative processes, use of alternative proteins.
Food label legislation: aim, mandatory information and nutritional aspects, news, optional information.
Milk: Characteristics of milk proteins, fats and sugars and their technological role in supply chain products. Drinking milk: legislative aspects. Types of drinking milk on the market. Technology and effect of heat treatments: pasteurized and sterilized milks.
Classification and compositional characteristics of cheeses. Cheese production technology: preliminary treatments, coagulation, syneresis, salting and ripening. Relationship between technology and characteristics of cheeses.
Milk protein and fat: characteristics and their technological role in the supply chain products. Sugar and their technological role. Oligoelements and their nutritional relevance.
Pasteurized and sterilized milk: legislation in Italy and Europe, role and nutritional impact of thermal treatments.
Cheese: different types and their nutritional value. Production technology of cheese: milk preliminary treatments, coagulation, syneresis, salting and ripening. Production technology for POD cheese (gorgonzola, grana padano, parmigiano reggiano); fresh cheeses; mascarpone, ricotta. Low fat cheese and new products.
Butter technology and nutritional aspects.
Fats: origin and composition. Olive oil: characteristics, legal aspects and technology. Palm oil: characteristics and problems.Oil of vegetable origin: characteristics and production technology. Oil extraction: preliminary treatments, extraction by pressing and solvent. Oil refining: degumming, neutralization, discoloration e deodorization. Chemical vs physical refining. Fat modifications (hydrogenation, interesterification, fractioning); margarine and emulsions.
Cereals: Morphological, physical and chemical kernel properties of the major cereal crops. The pseudocereals in comparison with cereals. Quality indices and their evaluation. Technological role of the major macromolecules in the grains: proteins, starch and fiber. Process description of wheat milling: stone milling vs conventional milling; the production of wholemeal flours. By-products utilization and enhancement: recovery of interesting components for secondary processing and / or for energy production.
The pasta-making process for dry pasta and factors affecting the quality. Bread and other leavened products: classification, processes and quality evaluation. Dough characteristics: the role of water, flour macromolecular components and other ingredients; use of improvers. Production of pasta and bread enriched in fiber and their characterization. Production of pasta and bread from gluten-free grains and their characterization.
Plant-based foods and beverages: raw materials, role of formulation and technology on finished products.
Processed meats. Criteria for technological classification of meat products and their characteristics.
Case-studies: production technology of some products (breakfast cereals, snacks, bars, juices, jams and marmalades, chocolate), label making, innovative processes, use of alternative proteins.
Prerequisites for admission
Basic concepts of food chemistry and technology.
Teaching methods
Lectures. Seminars given by experts in the field. Case studies assigned by the lecturer and presented and discussed by the students.
Teaching Resources
Lessons (power point presentations) are available on ARIEL
(https://ariel.unimi.it). Scientific papers suggested during the classes are also available. Searches on websites are suggested.
(https://ariel.unimi.it). Scientific papers suggested during the classes are also available. Searches on websites are suggested.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The final examination consists of two parts:
- an oral exam on the main topics covered during the course (for a maximum of 25/30)
- personal contribution to a group project assigned by the lecturer and discussed in the classroom (for a maximum of 5/30).
The assessment elements that contribute to the definition of the grade are:
- the knowledge and ability to understand the topics covered
- critical sense of the topics covered
- the clarity and effectiveness of communication.
To take the exam, it is necessary to register by the deadline through UNIMIA (http://www.unimi.it/).
The evaluation is expressed by a grade in thirtieths.
The grade is communicated by automated e-mail from the university's minutes system.Lectures.
DSA students and students with disabilities are invited to inform the teacher by e-mail at least fifteen days before the exam date in order to define the possible individual actions. The e-mail should also send in cc to: [email protected] (for DSA students) or [email protected] (for students with disabilities).
- an oral exam on the main topics covered during the course (for a maximum of 25/30)
- personal contribution to a group project assigned by the lecturer and discussed in the classroom (for a maximum of 5/30).
The assessment elements that contribute to the definition of the grade are:
- the knowledge and ability to understand the topics covered
- critical sense of the topics covered
- the clarity and effectiveness of communication.
To take the exam, it is necessary to register by the deadline through UNIMIA (http://www.unimi.it/).
The evaluation is expressed by a grade in thirtieths.
The grade is communicated by automated e-mail from the university's minutes system.Lectures.
DSA students and students with disabilities are invited to inform the teacher by e-mail at least fifteen days before the exam date in order to define the possible individual actions. The e-mail should also send in cc to: [email protected] (for DSA students) or [email protected] (for students with disabilities).
AGR/15 - FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - University credits: 8
Lessons: 64 hours
Professors:
Casiraghi Ernestina Maria, Marti Alessandra
Shifts:
Professor(s)
Reception:
on appointment
settore didattico Colombo; IV floor