Food Structure: Concepts and Methods
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The aim of the course is to make aware the students of the importance of the food structure for technological, sensory, and nutritional properties. Students will be provided with the fundamental principles and methods (both traditional and innovative) for the evaluation of food structure.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to: choose the suitable method for the structural evaluation of a food material; optimize the analysis conditions; elaborate and discuss experimental data; write a technical report.
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
Course main topics:
- Physical, mechanical and ultrastructural properties of food: Geometrical, mechanical and technological material properties. Importance of food texture; glossary; interaction with sensory perception. Importance of food ultrastructure and its implication with sensory and nutritional properties. Actual examples of the influence of some constituents and technological treatments on food texture and ultrastructure.
- Analytical methods for food texture evaluation: Fundamental, empirical, and imitative methods. Instruments and operative conditions; effects on analytical results. Compression, penetration, cut-shear, compression-extrusion, bending-snapping, tensile, and adhesion tests. Actual examples of texture measurements for different kind of foods. Practices on food texture evaluation. Statistical elaboration of experimental data.
- Food rheology: Viscosity and rheology. Material classification based on rheological behavior. Viscometers and rheometers. Different tests for rheological behavior evaluation. Actual examples of rheological measurements for different kinds of food materials. Practices on food rheology evaluation.
- Food color: Color perception and theory. Reference systems and methods for the objective measurement of color. Colorimeters and spectrophotometers. Actual examples of food color measurements and issues.
- Image analysis: Image theory; glossary. Image acquisition methods and issues. Image analysis techniques. Actual examples and practices on food image analysis.
- Physical, mechanical and ultrastructural properties of food: Geometrical, mechanical and technological material properties. Importance of food texture; glossary; interaction with sensory perception. Importance of food ultrastructure and its implication with sensory and nutritional properties. Actual examples of the influence of some constituents and technological treatments on food texture and ultrastructure.
- Analytical methods for food texture evaluation: Fundamental, empirical, and imitative methods. Instruments and operative conditions; effects on analytical results. Compression, penetration, cut-shear, compression-extrusion, bending-snapping, tensile, and adhesion tests. Actual examples of texture measurements for different kind of foods. Practices on food texture evaluation. Statistical elaboration of experimental data.
- Food rheology: Viscosity and rheology. Material classification based on rheological behavior. Viscometers and rheometers. Different tests for rheological behavior evaluation. Actual examples of rheological measurements for different kinds of food materials. Practices on food rheology evaluation.
- Food color: Color perception and theory. Reference systems and methods for the objective measurement of color. Colorimeters and spectrophotometers. Actual examples of food color measurements and issues.
- Image analysis: Image theory; glossary. Image acquisition methods and issues. Image analysis techniques. Actual examples and practices on food image analysis.
Prerequisites for admission
None
Teaching methods
The course is organized in lectures and practices. During practices some of the studied methodologies will be applied to different food materials; data elaboration and literature survey will be also carried out. A practical case study might be voluntarily developed by groups of students.
Teaching Resources
Lecture slides and notes; scientific papers distributed by the teacher.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Oral examination will cover all the lecture and practice contents. In particular the knowledge acquired by the student and the ability to plan structural analyses of a food matrix will be evaluated, as well as the comprehension of the possible results.
Students will also have the possibility to develop in laboratory a practical case study on food texture, after division into small groups. The presentation of a scientific report is in this case required, demonstrating the acquired skills on food texture evaluation and the ability in the critical discussion of ultrastructural data found in the scientific literature. The oral examination will start from the report discussion, widening then to some theoretical and practical concepts illustrated during the course.
Students with DSA and with disabilities are requested to contact the Teacher by email at least 15 days before the scheduled examination date to agree on any individualized measures. In the email addressed to the teacher it is necessary to put in CC the respective University Services: [email protected] (for students with DSA) and disabled [email protected] (for students with disabilities).
Students will also have the possibility to develop in laboratory a practical case study on food texture, after division into small groups. The presentation of a scientific report is in this case required, demonstrating the acquired skills on food texture evaluation and the ability in the critical discussion of ultrastructural data found in the scientific literature. The oral examination will start from the report discussion, widening then to some theoretical and practical concepts illustrated during the course.
Students with DSA and with disabilities are requested to contact the Teacher by email at least 15 days before the scheduled examination date to agree on any individualized measures. In the email addressed to the teacher it is necessary to put in CC the respective University Services: [email protected] (for students with DSA) and disabled [email protected] (for students with disabilities).
AGR/15 - FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - University credits: 4
Practicals: 8 hours
Laboratories: 8 hours
Lessons: 24 hours
Laboratories: 8 hours
Lessons: 24 hours
Professor:
Alamprese Cristina
Shifts:
Turno
Professor:
Alamprese CristinaProfessor(s)