FSM 313

FOOD CHEMISTRY AND BASIC NUTRITION

Food Chemistry is the science that deals with chemical composition of food,
with chemical structure and properties of food constituents, and with chemical
changes food undergoes during processing and storage.
-Food Chemistry is also related to biochemistry (especially in the study of
chemical changes of food constituents) and science of nutrition (nutritive value
of foods, contaminants) and microbiology (spoilage and preservation, food
safety).
NATURE OF FOOD
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It
is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as
fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism
and assimilated by the organism’s cell to provide energy, maintain life, or
stimulate growth.
Historically, people secured food through two methods: Hunting and gathering,
and agriculture. Today, most of the food energy required by the ever increasing
population of the world is supplied by the food industry.
The right to food is a human right derived from the International Covenant on
Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), recognizing the “right to an
adequate standard living, including adequate food,” as well as the
“fundamental right to be free from hunger.”
The chemical structure found in food can be classified into six (6) categories.
These categories are as follows: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins,
minerals and water.
Water is invariably present in all kinds of food items. Even to those food items
that look like dry rice and flour. Water is the most abundant of all elements of
food in its natural state. Chemically, water is made up of two hydrogen atoms
and one oxygen atom.
Product % Water
Cucumber 96
Tomato 95
Lettuce 95
Cabbage 92
Orange 87
Milk 87
Banana 75
Chicken 70
Beef 65
Cheese 37
Honey 20
Butter 16
Rice 12
Peanuts, Roasted 3
Milk Powder 3
Shortening 0

CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates are made up of groups of molecules, known as saccharides.
These saccharides contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms in different
combinations. There are two main classes of carbohydrates: simple and
complex. Simple carbohydrates have one or two saccharides (mono- and di-
saccharides, respectively) linked together.
Complex carbohydrates contain many saccharides (polysaccharides) and are
known as starches and fibers found in vegetables, grains, and legumes. The
primary role of carbohydrates is to provide energy for the body.
Carbohydrates are subdivided into sugars and polysaccharides and the third
subdivision is oligosaccharides.
SUGARS
Classified as monosaccharide, disaccharides or trisaccharides depending on
the number of basic sugar molecule present. Most common sugars are sucrose
(found in sugar cane and sugar beet), glucose (found in grape sugar), and
fructose (fruit sugar). With prolonged heating, sugars undergo caramelization
with the formation of brown color.
OLIGOSACCHARIDES
Oligosaccharides means several units of sugar. They are usually found in seeds
of plants. Humans cannot digest these kind of sugar for we lack enzymes to
break it into simpler sugars.
Oligosaccharides represent carbohydrates that contain between 3 and 10
single sugar residues and are not relatively abundant in the diet when
compared to other more common carbohydrates. Common oligosaccharides
include raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose.
POLYSACCHARIDES
Polysaccharides are major classes of biomolecules. They are long chains of
carbohydrate molecules, composed of several smaller monosaccharides. These
functions as an important source of energy in animal cell and form a structural
component of a plant cell. Examples of polysaccharides include cellulose,
chitin, glycogen, starch, and hyaluronic acid.
Starch is an example of polysaccharide and it has many uses in cookery and
contributes significantly to the calories in diet.

FATS
Fat is component in food. Some food, including most fruits and vegetables,
have almost no fat. Other food have plenty of fat. They include nuts, oils,
butter, and meats like beef. Fat is an important part of a healthy diet. And little
kids, especially, need a certain amount of fat in their diets so the brain and
nervous system develop correctly. Fats are characterized by their appearance
and greasy feel and its inability to mix with water. Fats and oils are both
different items, oils being liquid at ordinary conditions wile fats are solid. As a
nutrient, fats are more concentrated energy source.
PROTEINS AND AMINO ACIDS
Proteins are also organic substances. Protein is found throughout the body—in
muscle, bone, skin, hair, and virtually every other body part or tissue. It makes
up the enzymes that power many chemical reactions and the hemoglobin that
carries oxygen in your blood.
Amino acids are the building units of amino acids. Amino acids are molecules
that combine to form proteins. Amino acids and proteins are the building
blocks of life.
When proteins are digested or broken down, amino acids are left. The human
body uses amino acids to make proteins to help the body:
 Break down food
 Grow
 Repair body tissue
 Perform many other body functions
Amino acids can also be used as a source of energy by the body. Amino acids
are classified into three groups:
 Essential amino acids
 Nonessential amino acids
 Conditional amino acids
ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS
 Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body. As a result, they
must come from food.
 The 9 essential amino acids are: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine,
methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
NONESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS
Nonessential means that our bodies can produce the amino acid, even if we do
not get it from the food we eat. Nonessential amino acids include: alanine,
arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine,
proline, serine, and tyrosine.
CONDITIONAL AMINO ACIDS
 Conditional amino acids are usually not essential, except in times of
illness and stress.
  Conditional amino acids include: arginine, cysteine, glutamine, tyrosine,
glycine, ornithine, proline, and serine.
Denaturation is the term applied to any alteration in the original properties of
the protein but not in the amino acid sequence. Change in texture from soft to
firm and the shrinkage occurs in proteinaceous food when denaturation
occurs.
Hydrolysis of protein or proteolysis is another reaction that proteins undergo.
It happens when peptide bonds (points where amino acids join) are cleaved so
that the protein chain is broken.
Maillard Reaction also known as non-enzymatic browning is another
important reaction of proteins. The positive effect of this reaction is the crust
formation in bread but in most cases, maillard reaction is considered
undesirable.
Enzymes they are protein molecules synthesized by living organisms for
specific action as biological catalysts. A specific enzyme controlled a specific
biochemical reaction.  They are proteins that help speed up chemical reactions
in our bodies. Enzymes are essential for digestion, liver function and much
more. Too much or too little of a certain enzyme can cause health problems.
Useful Application of Enzymes in Foods
1. Meat tenderizers. Like bromelin from pineapple and papain from papaya.
2. Invertase. Sucrose inversion is facilitated by adding the enzyme invertase
for certain confections like soft chocolate center for candies.
3. Amylases. Amylases splits the starch in flour during bread-making and it
will be acted upon by yeast.
4. Pectinases. It causes ripening of fruits.
5. Microbial enzymes. Brings about fermentation and proteolysis like in
patis and bagoong, vinegar making and cheese ripening.
Undesirable Reactions of Enzymes in Food
1. Enzymatic browning.
2. Rancidity of fats and oils as in butter, coconut oil and fat rich foods like
nuts, wheat germ or rice bran,, bacon.
3. Maturation of vegetable, as in sitaw or string beans, yellowing of
ampalaya or green beans, corn.
4. Spoilage of foods as in putrefaction of fish and meat.
Why are enzymes important?
Enzymes are proteins that control the speed of chemical reactions in your
body. Without enzymes, these reactions would take place too slowly to keep
you alive. Some enzymes, also break down large molecules into smaller ones.
VITAMINS
Vitamins are vital to life and serve a variety of functions. They are typically
needed in every small amounts in the diet to help regulate and support
chemical reactions in the body. The first vitamin was discovered in 1915. They
were named alphabetically. F & G were dropped. The B complex was later
subdivided after more properties were discovered. A standard nomenclature for
vitamins was established in 1979.
Vitamins are divided into 2 categories: Water soluble and fat soluble.
Water soluble: the B complex vitamins & Vitamin C. Daily intake is required
as they are generally not stored in the body.
Fat soluble: Vitamins A, D, E, & K. Fat is required during ingestion in order for
absorption.
Deficiency diseases will developed when there’s an absence of vitamins in the
body.
Fat-soluble vitamins are Retinol (Vitamin A), Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D),
Tocopheral (Vitamin E), and Phylloquinone (Vitamin K).
Water-soluble vitamins are Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Thiamin (Vitamin B1),
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6), Niacin, Panthotenic Acid,
Cobalamines (Vitamin B12), Folic Acid, Biotin Choline, Inositol.
Prolonged heating and different preparation practices can cause vitamin losses.
Vitamins are micronutrients that offer a range of health benefits, including:
 boosting the immune system.
 helping prevent or delay certain cancers, such as prostate cancer.
 strengthening teeth and bones.
 aiding calcium absorption.
 maintaining healthy skin.
 helping the body metabolize proteins and carbs.
MINERALS AND TRACE ELEMENTS
Minerals are inorganic substances that may or may not be in combination with
organic constituents. They are important in maintaining the acid-based
balance and water balance in the body. They act as catalyst for biological
reactions and are important components of certain body compounds. They are
also needed for muscle contraction and growth of tissues. Minerals that are
needed in fewer amounts are called trace elements.

Major minerals

Mineral Function Sources

Sodium Needed for proper fluid balance,
nerve transmission, and muscle
contraction
Table salt, soy sauce; large
amounts in processed foods;
small amounts in milk,
breads, vegetables, and
unprocessed meats

Chloride Needed for proper fluid balance, Table salt, soy sauce; large
stomach acid amounts in processed foods;
small amounts in milk, meats,
breads, and vegetables

Potassium Needed for proper fluid balance, Meats, milk, fresh fruits and
nerve transmission, and muscle vegetables, whole grains,
contraction legumes

Calcium Important for healthy bones and
teeth; helps muscles relax and
contract; important in nerve
functioning, blood clotting, blood
pressure regulation, immune
system health
Milk and milk products;
canned fish with bones
(salmon, sardines); fortified
tofu and fortified soy beverage;
greens (broccoli, mustard
greens); legumes

Phosphoru Important for healthy bones and Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk,
s teeth; found in every cell; part of processed foods (including
the system that maintains acid- soda pop)
base balance
 Magnesiu Found in bones; needed for Nuts and seeds; legumes;
m making protein, muscle leafy, green vegetables;
contraction, nerve transmission, seafood; chocolate; artichokes;
immune system health "hard" drinking water

Sulfur Found in protein molecules Occurs in foods as part of

protein: meats, poultry, fish,
eggs, milk, legumes, nuts

Trace minerals (microminerals)

The body needs trace minerals in very small amounts. Note that iron is
considered to be a trace mineral, although the amount needed is somewhat
more than for other microminerals.

Mineral Function Sources

Iron Part of a molecule (hemoglobin) found Organ meats; red meats;

in red blood cells that carries oxygen
in the body; needed for energy
metabolism
fish; poultry; shellfish
(especially clams); egg
yolks; legumes; dried
fruits; dark, leafy greens;
iron-enriched breads and
cereals; and fortified
cereals

Zinc Part of many enzymes; needed for Meats, fish, poultry,

making protein and genetic material; leavened whole grains,
has a function in taste perception, vegetables
wound healing, normal fetal
development, production of sperm,
normal growth and sexual maturation,
immune system health

Iodine Found in thyroid hormone, which Seafood, foods grown in

helps regulate growth, development, iodine-rich soil, iodized
and metabolism salt, bread, dairy products

Selenium Antioxidant Meats, seafood, grains

 Copper Part of many enzymes; needed for iron Legumes, nuts and seeds,
metabolism whole grains, organ
meats, drinking water

Manganese Part of many enzymes Widespread in foods,

especially plant foods

Fluoride Involved in formation of bones and Drinking water (either

teeth; helps prevent tooth decay fluoridated or naturally
containing fluoride), fish,
and most teas

Chromium Works closely with insulin to regulate Unrefined foodís,

blood sugar (glucose) levels especially liver, brewer's
yeast, whole grains, nuts,
cheeses

Molybdenu Part of some enzymes Legumes; breads and

m grains; leafy greens; leafy,
green vegetables; milk;
liver

Other trace nutrients known to be essential in tiny amounts include nickel,

silicon, vanadium, and cobalt. Minerals cannot be made in the body and must
be obtained in our diet. The daily requirements of minerals required by in the
body can be obtained from a well-balanced diet but, like vitamins, excess
minerals can produce toxic effects.