Bromatology

Code:

CN31003

Acronym:

BROMA

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Physical Sciences

Instance: 2014/2015 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Course/CS Responsible:	Nutrition Sciences

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
CNUP	102	Plano oficial	3	-	6,5	70	175,5

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The main goal of this curricular unit (UC) is to provide crucial knowledge, at theoretical and experimental level, for the understanding and laboratorial practice of food chemistry.

This subject is required for the knowledge about foodstuffs composition, specifically the ability to select the best analytical method for each nutrient in different foodstuffs, and also provides the ability to understand / interpret the results of food chemistry analyzes (nutritional composition, quality indicators, desirable and undesirable compounds) based on scientific evidence and legislation.

 

Initially, will be discussed the analytical methods used in food chemistry analysis, with particular focus on volumetric, chromatographic and spectrophotometric techniques. Follow will be presented the methodologies used in the analysis of various food compounds, particularly the major (proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates), and minor components (vitamins, minerals and organic acids) and including desirable and undesirable compounds. At the end will be considered the analytical methods used in the overall assessment of the most representative foods from human diet.

Learning outcomes and competences

1-      Knowledge and laboratory skills to be able the integration of working groups designed for quality control of food products for human consumption and so at the end students should be able:

- Identify the critical points along the analysis and crucial reagents to results;

- Identify problems along each analysis and take them into account in calculation and interpretation of the results, through the critical thinking development;

- know how to select / adjust the most reliable technical and economic analysis for each nutrient or component, in view of chemical properties of each type of food.

 

2-      Knowledge of the composition and chemical analysis of foodstuffs needed for participation in groups with different Nutritional Sciences skills and thus to be essential in working groups as those devoted to the supervision and groups for development of new products. To this at the end students should e able to:

- Identify and correlate the results of chemical analysis with specific food legislation and labeling;

- Identify or predict chemical reactions between elements of each ingredient or mixture of ingredients when exposed to certain processes in view of the creation of new food products.

3- Ability to communicate the nutritional value of foodstuffs in a rational, clear and unambiguous way, both to the experts in the field of food or other related as well as the consumer. To this students should:

- Understand the food products as a multidisciplinary subject, ie, from the point of view of chemical, microbiological and toxicological in order to facilitate the communication;

- Analyze the advertising data of food products in respect of the chemical composition / nutritional value;

 

- Know how to use scientific evidence in the communication of a food product, preserving the ethical professional demeanor.

Working method

Presencial

Program

I. Food Analysis. General Concepts
General objectives of the quality control of foodstuffs.

II. Analytical techniques most used in the analysis of food products
Volumetric techniques (acid-base, precipitation and oxidation-reduction). Review of basic concepts and examples of application.

Spectrophotometric methods
Fundamentals. Types of radiation and types of transition. Law of Lambert-Beer. Examples of methods based on UV-VIS spectrophotometry. Utility of the methods based on IV spectrophotometry.
Chromatographic methods
Introduction and basic concepts.
Thin-layer chromatography. Basic principles. Examples of application
High Precision Liquid Chromatography (HPCL). General concepts. Equipment. Development of methods. Examples of application
Gas Chromatography (GC). General concepts. Equipment. Development of methods. Examples of application

III. Chemical Analysis of foodstuffs
Sampling and conservation of samples.
Most common procedures of extraction/purification: Liquid / liquid and solid / liquid extraction. Solid-phase extraction. Other processes of extraction/purification.
General Methods of Analysis: analytical methods used in determining ash, humidity, total protein, total fat, total sugar and crude fiber.
Macronutrients analysis: Chromatographic and no chromatographic methods used in determination of proteins and amino acids (free and total), sugars and fat constituents.
Micronutrients (vitamins, organic acids, volatile substances, dyes from natural sources, etc.) and food contaminants (food additives, natural toxins, pollutants and allergens) analysis: Scheme of the main types of analytical approach with demonstrative examples.

IV. Analytical methodologies used to assess the overall quality of some foods more representative
i) Milk and derivatives (cheese, butter and yogurt).
ii) Meat, eggs and fish
iii) Vegetable Oils
iv) Cereal products
v) Alcoholic beverages

Mandatory literature

Belitz Hans-Dieter; Food chemistry. ISBN: 3-540-40818-5

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretical lectures are masterful, taught in the amphitheater supported by Data show (PowerPoint). A good connection between the themes taught in the theoretical classes and the work covered in the laboratory classes is intended, according with organigrama geral 2013_2014. Associating the subject-matters taught to information and curiosities on the theme and how these are linked to day to day life.

Theoretical-practical classes are taught in a classroom and in groups according to the laboratorial classes. At this classes the laboratorial works are explained, as well the discussion of results obtained taking into account the legislation and the labels of the products under study.

 

Laboratorial classes where students perform analytical determinations relevant to the knowledge of the nutritional value, quality and food safety, and also the authenticity of different food products.The distribution of work will be published at the beginning of the school year on Sigarra in a scheme of the organizational laboratory practices 2013_2014.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	70,00
Teste	15,00
Trabalho laboratorial	15,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	80,00
Frequência das aulas	42,00
Trabalho laboratorial	28,00
Total:	150,00

Eligibility for exams

Only have access to the written final exam, students with positive evaluation in the classroom practices. The assessment of practical classes is done by a laboratory examination, being exempt from that examination students whose continuous assessment (in accordance with the Regulation of Academic FCNAUP) has been considered positive.

Calculation formula of final grade

Evaluation comprises two plots: the distributed evaluation (DE) and the theoretical final exam (FE), in each of them a minimum score of 50% is required.

 

Calculation formula of final grade (CF)

 

FE- This assessment consists of a written exam which deals mainly the knowledge and skills acquired by the theoretical component (corresponding to 14 values).

DE- distributed evaluation assesses the practical evaluation and results from 3 evaluation processes (corresponding to 6 values):

-Evaluation of laboratory performance either by observation or by individual questions during classes. (1.5 points);

- Two mini tests which addresses the knowledge acquired in the laboratorial and theoretical-practical classes (3 values);

- Group work presented/discussed in a written form (by Moodle web page) and an oral presentation. This work is centered in a food product (selected by students) and is based on scientific reports, advertising/ labeling of food products, or other sources about food chemical composition (1.5 points);

Briefly, the calculation of CF is based on the score of AD corresponding to 6 out of 20 (minimum of 3 values) and EF corresponding to 14 out of 20 (minimum of 7 values), as follows: CF= EF +AD.