Physical and Chemical Food Analyses

Knowledge of Physics and Chemistry is recommended.

The programmatic contents follow internationally accepted practices for a curricular unit with the proposed objectives. The teaching of physical and chemical properties is done independently. In a first phase, fundamental concepts are introduced and worked on, both in terms of theory and their concrete application to food.

A second phase addresses the issues related to the  available equipment for food analysis and the experimental procedures used.

Food analysis provides important information on a wide range of characteristics, including composition,
nutritional value and food structure, allowing to determine changes by undesirable substances and the
existence of hazards in raw materials and processed food products. Therefore, food analysis plays a key role
in determining and maintaining food quality and safety.

The major goal of the curricular unit is to make known the most relevant chemical and physical
properties of food products in general, as well as the study food analytical techniques commonly used and
discuss their application to concrete food products.

This subjet allows the development of instrumental skills related to the analysis of the chemical composition
of food, the knowledge of its physical properties and the mastery of analysis techniques.

At a personal level intends to develop autonomous and critical-minded learning skills.

1. Physical analyses of food (definition of theoretical concepts, study of equipment and experimental procedures): i) Mass, volume and density; (ii) geometric properties: size and shape; iii) Rheological properties: elastic properties and viscous behavior; texture of solid foods.

2. Chemical analyses of foods complying with the reference methods contained in the Portuguese Standards: i) care to be observed in the sampling, preservation and preparation of food samples; (ii) Determination of compositional analysis of foods, in particular moisture, protein, carbohydrate, fat  (saturated and unsaturated), dietary fibre, ashes, chloride, potassium and calcium salts, nitrates, nitrites and sulphites; (iii) determination of the bromatological composition of a food; (iv) estimation of the energy value of a food.

• - Módulo 1 - relatório - 12.0%
• - Módulo 2 - teste - 40.0%
• - Módulo 1 - teste - 48.0%

NAO

Rao, M. A., Rizvi, S. S. H. & Datta, A. K. “Engineering Properties of Foods”, Third edition, Food Science and Technology, Taylor Francis (2005).

Sahin, S. & Sumnu, S. G. “Physical Properties of Foods” Springer, (2006).

Adrian, J., Potus, J., Poiffait, A. & Dauvillier, P. “Análisis nutricional de los alimentos”. Editorial  Acribia S.A., Zaragoza. (2000)

Casp, A. & Abril, J. “Procesos de conservación de alimentos”, Colección Tecnología de Alimentos, Ediciones Mundi-Prensa, Madrid (1998).

Lewis, M. J. “Physical Properties od Foods and Food Processing Systems, Woodhead Publishing (1996).

Ludger O. Figura, L. O. & Teixeira, A. A. “Food Physics: Physical Properties – Measurement and Applications”, Springer, Berlin (2007).

Gutiérrez, J. B. “Ciência bromatológica – Princípios generales de los alimentos” Ediciones Díaz de Santos, Madrid (2000).