CHIMICA DEGLI ALIMENTI E DEI PRODOTTI PER LA SALUTE
Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: Lorella Giuseppina PASQUINUCCIExpected Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and understanding:
Knowledge of macro and micro nutrients and their function. Understanding of the mechanism of functioning of foods, food supplements and nutraceuticals with reference to their composition, effect, bioavailability and bioactivity.
Applying knowledge and understanding:
The student is provided with sound scientific, professional and methodological training in the field of nutrition and nutraceutics, with the aim of promoting and maintaining good human health as result from the study of foods and nutraceuticals with reference to their function and appropriate use.
Communication skills
At the end of this course, the student will be able to express him/herself clearly and with appropriate scientific terminology regarding the description of the composition, formulation and use of foods and the main categories of food supplements, including nutraceuticals and functional foods.
Learning skills
Ability to relate the general aspects concerning the chemical composition of foods and nutraceuticals with the specific characteristics of individual finished products, thus understanding the correlation between composition and quality and acquiring the ability to process or read the information on the label.
Course Structure
Required Prerequisites
Knowledge of General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry.
Attendance of Lessons
Detailed Course Content
GENERAL PART
Energy-providing nutrients: Lipids, carbohydrates and proteins
Nutrients that do not provide energy: Water, mineral salts and vitamins
Substances present in food other than nutrients:
- Substances resulting from the processing of nutrients
- Substances responsible for the sensory characteristics of food
- Chemical contamination of food
- Food additives
Food preservation:
- Alterations in and protection of food hygiene
- Storage with heat
- Cold storage
- Conservation by dehydration
- Irradiation and other innovative physical preservation methods
- Chemical and chemical-physical methods of preservation
SPECIAL PART
Milk and dairy products: Milk and yoghurt, butter, cheese
Eggs, meat and fish: Eggs and egg products, meat and sausages, fish and canned fish
Vegetable oils and fats: Olive oil, seed oil and margarine
Cereals, vegetables, fruit, fermented and nerve drinks: Cereals, flour, bakery products and pasta, vegetables, pulses, fruit, canned vegetables and novel foods, wine, beer and vinegar, beverages and nervine foods
HEALTH PRODUCTS
Food between nutrition and well-being
Principles of food legislation
Food authentication
Protein supplements
Bioactive constituents of foods of plant origin
Organic, biodynamic and GMO products
Non-conventional food products
Formulation of food supplements
Anti-nutritional factors
Contaminants and additives
Organoleptic characteristics of foods
Textbook Information
La chimica e gli alimenti: nutrienti ed aspetti nutraceutici. L. Mannina, M. Daglia, A. Ritieni C.E.A. (2019)
Principi di chimica degli alimenti. Conservazione, trasformazioni, normativa. P. Cappelli, V. Vannucchi Zanichelli (2024)
Teaching material provided by the teacher available on Studium
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Main constituents of foods. Energy-providing nutrients: Lipids, carbohydrates and proteinsNutrients that do not provide energy: Water, mineral salts and vitamins | Principi di chimica degli alimenti. Conservazione, trasformazioni, normativa. P. Cappelli, V. Vannucchi Zanichelli (2024) |
| 2 | Substances present in food other than nutrients: * Substances resulting from the processing of nutrients* Substances responsible for the sensory characteristics of food* Chemical contamination of food* Food additives | Principi di chimica degli alimenti. Conservazione, trasformazioni, normativa. P. Cappelli, V. Vannucchi Zanichelli (2024) |
| 3 | Food preservation:* Alterations in and protection of food hygiene* Storage with heat* Cold storage* Conservation by dehydration* Irradiation and other innovative physical preservation methods* Chemical and chemical-physical methods of preservation | Principi di chimica degli alimenti. Conservazione, trasformazioni, normativa. P. Cappelli, V. Vannucchi Zanichelli (2024) |
| 4 | * Milk and dairy products: Milk and yoghurt, butter, cheese* Eggs, meat and fish: Eggs and egg products, meat and sausages, fish and canned fish* Vegetable oils and fats: Olive oil, seed oil and margarine* Cereals, vegetables, fruit, fermented and nerve drinks: Cereals, flour, bakery products and pasta, vegetables, pulses, fruit, canned vegetables and novel foods, wine, beer and vinegar, beverages and nervine foods | Principi di chimica degli alimenti. Conservazione, trasformazioni, normativa. P. Cappelli, V. Vannucchi Zanichelli (2024) |
| 5 | Food between nutrition and well-beingPrinciples of food legislationFood authenticationProtein supplementsBioactive constituents of foods of plant originOrganic, biodynamic and GMO productsNon-conventional food productsFormulation of food supplementsAnti-nutritional factorsContaminants and additivesOrganoleptic characteristics of foods | La chimica e gli alimenti: nutrienti ed aspetti nutraceutici. L. Mannina, M. Daglia, A. Ritieni C.E.A. (2019) |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Verification of learning will be carried out though an oral examination.
The calendar of examinations is published on the website of Department of Drug and Health Sciences https://www.dsf.unict.it/corsi/l-29_sfa/calendario-esami.
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
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Main constituents of foods.
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Definition of food, functional food, enriched food, food supplement, pre and probiotic, nutraceuticals.
Food fiber: chemical and physical properties of polysaccharides and their application in food.
Mineral salts. Bioavailability of minerals.
Gluten: formation and properties.