FST 7101
Advanced Food Chemistry
Course Instructor
Dr. Florence Muranga [BSc. Chemistry; M.S. Food Sc.; PhD. Food Sc.]
Course type: Core for Year I M.Sc. Food Science & Technology
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Course credits (CU):
3 CU i.e. 3 contact hours per week per semester
Course duration: 15 weeks (45 h) – 30 lecture hours; 30 practical hours
Indicative content
Structure, functionality and reactions of water, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, food pigments, essential oils
and plant acids; their quantification and structural analysis. Methods for determining minerals and contaminants,
including agricultural chemicals, heavy metals and radioactive contaminants. The course will also cover the chemical
basis for changes in the physical, nutritional and organoleptic properties of foods during storage and processing.
Advances in Food Chemistry.
2. COURSE OBJECTIVES
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Provide detailed description of the structure and properties of food components
Discuss the relationship between food composition and its functional and nutritional properties
Describe and critically evaluate methods used for quantification of helpful and harmful food components
Describe the major changes in food properties (physical, chemical, nutritional, functional, organoleptic)
during processing and storage
Describe recent advances in food chemistry
3. RECOMMENEDED REFERENCES
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Pomeranz, Y. 1985. Functional Properties of Food Components. Academic Press, Orlando, FL.
Regenstein, J.M. & Regenstein, C.E. 1984. Food Protein Chemistry: An Introduction for Food
Scientists. Academic Press, Orlando, FL.
Ronald, S.K. & Ronald, S. Persons’s Composition and Analysis of Foods. 1991. Longman Group,
Essex, UK.
Srinivasan D., Kirk L. P.& Fennema, O.R. 2007. Fennema’s Food Chemistry. CRC Press Online.
Nielsen, S.S. 2010. Food Analysis (Food Science Text Series). Springer, NY, NY.
Whistler, R.L., BeMiller, J.N. and Paschall, E.F. Starch: Chemistry and Technology. 2nd Edition.
Academic Press, Orlando, FL.
Whistler, R.L. & BeMiller, J.N. 1992. Industrial Gums: Polysaccharides and Their derivatives. 3rd
Edition, Academic Press, San Diego, CA.
4. COURSE CONTENT, METHODS OF INSTRUCTION, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
TOPIC
CONTENT
METHOD OF
INSTRUCTION/ Time
allocation
(i.e. contact hours)
Introduction
Review of students
-Interactive lectures
expectations
(2 hr)
TOOLS/ Equipment
needed
LCD projector/ White
boards
Components of food
Relevance of food properties
to food safety, food
acceptability and nutritional
value
Water and Ice
Structure water
Forms of water
Contribution of water in
chemical processes in food
Water and food properties
Water quantification
Carbohydrates
Chemical classification
Sugars in food processing
Starch
Pectin and gums
Methods used for analysis of
carbohydrates
Lipids
Lipid categorization and
composition
Lipid quantification
Fatty acid analysis
Oil refining and lipid
modifications
Lipid oxidation
Lipid emulsification
- Interactive lecture
(4 hrs)
-Practicals – 6 hours
(Determination of lipids;
Fatty acid analysis:
Determination of peroxide
value and thiobarbituric
acid)
-Self study
Protein structure
Protein categorization and
composition
Protein quality
Protein quantification
Functional properties of
proteins
Chemical characterization of
proteins
Enzymes
Factors affecting protein
digestibility
Structure, sources, functions,
analysis and stability of all
essential enzymes
Essential and toxic minerals;
mineral quantification
-Interactive lectures
(6 hr)
- Lab practical (protein
fractionation, gel
electrophoresis, amino acid
analysis; determination of
functional properties) (9
hrs)
-Self study
LCD projector/ White
boards / Flip charts/
Materials and reagents;
library
-Interactive lectures
(3 hrs)
- Lab practicals
(quantification of selected
minerals and vitamins &
assessment of the stability
LCD projector/ White
Board/ Flip charts/
Materials and reagents
Mid Semester test
Amino Acids, Peptides, and
Proteins
Vitamins & minerals
-Interactive lectures
(3 hrs)
-Lab practicals
(Determination of water
content by different
techniques) (3 hrs):
-Self study
-Interactive lectures
(6 hrs)
- Practicals (sugar
quantification, starch
determination, pasting
properties of starch) (6 hrs)
-Self study
LCD projector/ White
boards; reagents, raw
materials; Library
LCD projector/ White
boards; Transport to
slaughter house, poultry
and fish processing
plant; pilot plant; raw
materials; ingredients
and additives;
packaging materials;
Library
LCD projector/ White
boards ; Library;
reagents and variety of
foods
of different vitamins during
processing) (3 hrs)
-Self study
Colorants & flavors
Structure and properties of
selected natural and synthetic
colorants and flavors
-Interactive lectures
(2 hrs)
-Self study
LCD projector/ White
boards; Library
Food additives
Categories of food additives
Properties and functionality
selected food additives
Quantification of additives in
food
-Interactive lectures
(2 hrs)
- Lab practicals
(quantification of selected
additives) (6 hrs)
-Self study
LCD projector/ White
boards; reagents, raw
materials; Library
Bioactive substances
Nutraceuticals and Toxicants:
Action mechanisms
-Interactive lectures
(11 hrs)
-Self study
LCD projector/ White
boards; Library
Physical and Chemical
Interactions of Components
in Food Systems
Final Exam
Protein-lipid interactions
Reading assignments
Library and computer
lab
5. SUMMARY OF T IME (as contact hours) NEEDED
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Lecture hours
Practicals
30 hr
30 hr
6. OVERALL COURSE EVALUATION
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END
Assignments 10%
Practicals, class attendance and participation
Course tests 15%
Final exam 60%
15%