CHIMICA DEI NUTRACEUTICI E DEGLI ALIMENTI

The education goal of the course is to make the student acquire the basic knowledge relating to the composition, nutritional qualities, transformations, and metabolism of different food products such as natural foods, nutraceuticals, functional foods, medical foods, and food supplements.

The course aims to train professionals with knowledge on the chemical composition and nutritional value of foods, their properties, supplements, and nutraceuticals,

In particular, the course provides knowledge on the chemical characteristics of the main and minor constituents present in the food products under study.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: the student becomes able to analyze the influence of the different constituents on the nutritional properties of the food products processed.

Learning skills: the student learns to recognize the transformations, desired and unwanted, that the main and minor constituents of food undergo, both during the technological processes to which the foods are subjected and during normal food consumption.

In-depth study of an exemplary case: during the course, the information will be provided on the main analytical operations necessary for the nutritional and product characterization of foods and this knowledge will be used by each individual student for the analysis of a CASE REPORT.

The course will be held mainly by means of frontal lessons.

The ongoing test will be proposed during the course

If the teaching is given in a mixed or remote mode, the necessary changes may be introduced with respect to what was previously stated, in order to respect the program envisaged and reported in the syllabus.

Information for students with disabilities and / or SLD:
To guarantee equal opportunities and in compliance with the laws in force, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and / or dispensatory measures, based on the didactic objectives and specific needs.
It is also possible to contact the referent teacher CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and / or SLD) of our Department, Prof. Teresa Musumeci

• Definitions of foods, functional foods, nutraceuticals, and food supplements
• Food classification; nutritional guidelines and recommendations.
• Inorganic nutrients: water; mineral salts
• Organic nutrients: lipids; carbohydrates; protides; vitamins
• Chemical, physical and biological transformations of nutritional principles
• Food additives: antioxidants; sweeteners
• Allergens
• Classification, production, and chemical composition of some foods of plant origin
• Classification, production, and chemical composition of some foods of animal origin
• Insights into foods particularly rich in nutraceuticals

Reference books:

P. Cappelli, V. Vannucchi - CHIMICA DEGLI ALIMENTI. Conservazione e trasformazioni. - Zanichelli Updated Edition.

P. Cabras, A. Martelli – CHIMICA DEGLI ALIMENTI – Piccin 2004.

D. Galimberti - Nutrigenomica ed Epigenetica - EDRA 2017

V. Pennella - Sostanze Nutraceutiche e Alimenti Funzionali - Amazon.it

Slides of the lesson available on the Platform Studium during the year of the course