Food Chemistry and Analysis

The course aims at providing students with knowledge on the chemical classification of the main constituents (macro and micronutrients, non-nutrients and undesirable substances), on the transformations that food components undergo during treatments and on the chemical composition of foods. The chemical reactivity of the different components and the analytical techniques for their determination will be examined. In particular, the lessons and the practical laboratory contribute to providing knowledge on the basic chemical composition of the main categories of foods, on the analysis methods to be applied to ensure quality control and enuineness in accordance with current legislation and the knowledge necessary for the correct understanding of the analytical results.

At the end of the course, the student will know the chemical nature of the main food constituents, their reactivity/stability, the chemical composition of the main food categories and they will be able understand which factors can cause changes in nutrients. The knowledge acquired will allow the student to correctly interpret the information reported on a food label and select the appropriate analyses for the characterization of a food product in terms of nutritional composition, product quality and fraud control. In particular, it is also expected that the student will be able to apply calculations to quantify food chemical parameters and independently interpret experimental analytical data.