Course code PārZ5006

Credit points 4.50

Food Chemistry

Total Hours in Course120

Number of hours for lectures34

Number of hours for seminars and practical classes14

Independent study hours72

Date of course confirmation30.03.2021

Responsible UnitInstitute of Food

Replaced course

PārZM008 [GPARM008] Food Chemistry

Course abstract

The objective of the course is to give the student knowledge on molecular level about the main food components (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids) and their nutritional value, about biologically active components of the food (vitamins, minerals, phenol compounds) and their chemical composition, distribution in products of plant and animal origin, about transformation of food components during food processing and storage. The course is giving theoretical and practical knowledge about possibilities of modern food laboratories to estimate quantitative and qualitative composition of food.
The tasks of the course are as follows:
1) to provide deepened knowledge about food components and their transformation during processing and storage;
2) to provide deepened knowledge about the main methods of 21st century for the determination of the food components.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Knowledge:
1) about composition of food and about transformation of the food components during food processing, storage and usage;
2) about determination of the food components: instrumental methods and methods of chromatography for food analysis.
Practical skills:
3) manage and classify chemical compounds in food and are able to forecast the changes in chemical composition during food processing, storage and usage;
4) understand opportunities of the instrumental methods for analysis for inorganic compounds and of the chromatographic (HPLC) method for identification of organic compounds. Understand the principles of methods and are able to carry out identifying tasks accordingly to the prescriptions of the methods, as well as understand the principles of processing of the received results;
Competencies:
5) ability individually or in working group to forecast and to explain the chemical changes of the food components during storage, processing, and usage of methods of identification of the compounds occurring.

Course Content(Calendar)

Lectures
1. Theoretical base of the food chemistry. L4
2. Foodstuff and its constituents. L2
3. Lipids. L4
4. Proteins. L4
5. Carbohydrates. L4 S4
6. Food additives. L4
7. Food supplements. L2
8. Food pollution. L2, S2
9. Possibilities of modern laboratories to estimate quantitative and qualitative composition of food. L4 Lw8
Practical works/seminars
1st seminar. Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids.
2nd seminar. Food additives, food supplements, food pollution.
3rd laboratory work. Analytical analysis methods.
4th laboratory work. Chromatographically methods.

Requirements for awarding credit points

Participation in seminars and practical works is mandatory.
The final rating of the study course will be resulted from the:
1) results of intermediate written test 30% (lipids, proteins and carbohydrates) and discussion of their results;
2) results of intermediate written test 10% (food additives and food pollution) and discussion of their results;
3) two presentations: food additives and food supplements (20%);
4) results of 2 laboratory works (instrumental and chromatographic methods of analysis) (20%);
5) results of the written examination – test 20% (about transformation of food components during food processing and storage).

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

Independent work of students is organised on individual basis and/or in working groups by assigning the following tasks: to prepare independently for seminars, laboratory works and intermediate examinations, final examination; to prepare presentations about food additives and food supplements; to study literature on topics related to respective course.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

The final rating of the study course will be resulted from the:
1) results of intermediate written test 30% (lipids, proteins and carbohydrates) and discussion of their results;
2) results of intermediate written test 10% (food additives and food pollution) and discussion of their results;
3) 2 presentation: food additives and food supplements (20%);
4) results of 2 laboratory works (instrumental and chromatographic methods of analysis) (20%);
5) results of the written examination – test 20% (about transformation of food components during food processing and storage).

Compulsory reading

1. Baltess, W. (1998) Pārtikas ķīmija. Latvijas Universitāte.
2. Belitz, H.D., Grosch, W., Schieberle, P. (2008) Food chemistry. 4th ed. Springer.
3. Matiseks, R., Šnēpels, F.M., Šteinerte, G. (1998) Pārtikas analītiskā ķīmija: pamati, metodes, lietošana. Latvijas Universitāte.
4. Morozovs, A., Jākobsone, I., Mekšs, p. (2008) Pārtikas ķīmija. LU Akadēmiskais apgāds.
5. Mekšs, P. (2005) Hromatogrāfija. Lekciju kurss. ĶF datorklase.
6. Skoog, D.A., Holler, F.J., Nieman, T.A. (1998) Principles of instrumental analysis. 5th edit. Sounders College Publishing.

Further reading

1. Coultate, T.P. (2002) Food: the chemistry of its components. 4th ed. Royal Society of Chemistry.
2. Socaciu, C. (2008) Food colorants: chemical and functional properties. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis Group.
3. Sikorski, Z.E. (2007) Chemical and functional properties of food components. 3rd ed. CRC Press.
4. Food analysis (2010) Edit. S.S. Nielsen. 4th ed. Springer.
5. Methods of analysis of food components and additives. Edit. Otles S. Taylor & Francis.
6. Szefer, P., Nriagu, J.O. (2007) Mineral components in foods. CRC Press.
7. Proceedings of the Latvian Academy of sciences. Ed. I.Rashal. Section B: Natural Exact and Applied Science.

Periodicals and other sources

1. www.likumi.lv
2. Eiropas Parlamenta Regula Nr. 1333/2008 par pārtikas piedevām
3. Pārtikas aprites uzraudzības likums
4. https://www.zm.gov.lv/partika/
5. https://www.zm.lv/partikas-un-veterinarais-dienests