IFT Definition of Food Science

Food science is the discipline in which biology,

chemistry, physical sciences and engineering are
used to study:
The nature of foods
The causes of their deterioration
The principles underlying food processing.
Food Science: An Interdisciplinary
Field of Study
Microbiology

Biology Chemistry

Food Science
Physics Nutrition
Engineering
Food Chemistry
 Basis of food science
 Water

 Carbohydrates

 Proteins

 Lipids

 Micronutrients

 Phytochemicals

 Others
Food Chemistry Examples
 Lipids in Peanuts
 Opened jar peanut butter: chemical reaction
in the oil phase
 Oxidation of the unsaturated fatty acids in
the peanut oil results in production of a
rancid odor.
 Peanut butter represents a special food
system called an emulsion
H H H H
C C C C Hydrocarbon chain
H H
oxygen
Common Chemical Bonds in Foods
 Covalent
 Sharing 1 or more pairs of electrons
 Very strong bonds, not easily broken in foods
 C-C or C=C bonds
 Ionic
 Filling of orbitals through the transfer of electrons
 Cations (+) and Anions (-); Na+ + Cl- => NaCl
 Hydrogen
 Compounds containing O or N with bound hydrogen
 Very weak bonds; C-H or N-H
Functional Groups in Foods
The “Basics” of Food Chemistry
 SOME FOOD MOLECULES
important in food chemistry

H–O–H CH3 – COOH O=C=O

Na H CO3 C6H12O6 NaCl

NH2 – CH2 - COOH CH3 – (CH2)n - COOH

 SOME FOOD MOLECULES
important in food chemistry

WATER acetic acid carbon dioxide

sodium bicarbonate glucose sodium chloride

general
The amino acid
structure of a
“glycine”
fatty acid
 A Few Food Functional Groups:

ACID GROUP: “carboxylic acid” COOH

acids donate (lose) protons

COOH  COO(-) + H(+)

This means acids form ions (charged species)
anion has (-) charge
cation has (+) charge

Vinegar contains acetic acid CH3COOH

Tartaric acid found in grapes is a di-carboxylic acid –

Citric acid is tri-carboxylic acid.
AMINO GROUP: NH2

Derived from ammonia (NH3)

Amines are “basic” – means they gain protons

methyl amine: CH3 – NH2

trimethylamine is found in fish, and is responsible for

“fishy odor”

CH3 – CH – COOH Alanine, an amino acid

NH2
 Alcohol group - OH “hydroxyl group”

Methyl alcohol = methanol: CH3- OH

Ethanol C2H5OH is produced during the fermentation

of sugars; it is water-soluble and is called “grain alcohol”
because it is obtained from corn, wheat, rice, barley,
and fruits.

Yeasts use sugars for food – they ferment

simple carbohydrates and produce ethanol and CO2:

STARCH hydrolysis  C6H12O6  2 C2H5OH + 2 CO2

Glucose Ethanol Carbon
Dioxide

Other food molecules that contain OH groups: cholesterol (a lipid),

tocopherol (a vitamin), retinol (a vitamin), & calciferol (a vitamin)
Aldehyde group - CHO

There is actually a double bond between two atoms

in this group:

formaldehyde HCHO: H–C–H

Aldehydes can be formed from lipid oxidation, and

generally have very low sensory thresholds.

For example, fresh pumpkin has the smell of

acetaldehyde; fresh cut grass the smell of hexenal.
Covalent: Sharing of electrons, strong bonds, C-C or C=C bonds
Ionic: Transfer of electrons, NaCl
Hydrogen: Weak bonds with O or N with bound hydrogen

There are 3 other important bonds in foods:

(1) An ester bond (linkage) in lipids

(2) A peptide bond (linkage) in proteins

(3) A glycosidic bond (linkage) in sugars

 An ester bond (linkage) in lipids:
In food fats, fatty acids are attached to glycerol molecules, through
what is called an ester linkage

O
Glycerol C O fatty acid

Ester linkage
Glycerol is a small molecule, containing only 3 carbons

But, to each carbon atom of glycerol, one fatty acid

can attach, via an ester bond.

A mono-, di-, or tri-esterified fatty acid to a glycerol is:

A MONOACYLGLYCEROL. A fat molecule that

has ONE fatty acid attached (“esterified”) to glycerol.

A DIACYLGLYCEROL. A fat molecule that

has TWO fatty acids esterified to glycerol.

A TRIACYLGLYCEROL. A fat molecule that

has THREE fatty acids esterified to glycerol.
 Ester

H
H O
H–C–OH
H – C – O – C - (CH2)n – CH3
H–C–OH
H–C–OH
H–C–OH Fatty acid chain
H–C–OH
H
H

a monoglyceride

Glycerol
What do peptide bonds (linkages) in proteins look like?

In food proteins, or “polypeptides”, individual amino acids are

attached to each other through what is called a peptide linkage

Amino acid Amino acid. . . repeat

Peptide linkage
AMINO ACIDS contain both the amino (NH2)
and the acid (COOH) group in their structure.

In the formation of a peptide bond, one of the amino

acids loses one H atom, and the other loses O and H.

H O H O
NH2 C – C - O – H ------------- NH2 C – C - O – H
“R” “R”
R is any
Side chain

Acid group of the amino acid Amino group

The formation of peptide bond

N-C-C-N
A glycosidic linkage in sugars connects
sugar units into larger structures

Glycosidic linkage

glucose glucose
O

MALTOSE, a disaccharide composed of 2 glucose units

Structures of sugar disaccharides

Alpha 1,4 glycosidic

bond

Beta 1,4 glycosidic

bond

Alpha 1,4 glycosidic

bond
Polymeric Linkages

CH 2 OH CH 2 OH
O O

O OH O OH
OH OH
Amylose Cellulose

Alpha 1,4 Linkage Beta 1,4 Linkage

Digestible Indigestible
Organic Acids in Foods

Application of functional groups

 Acids in Foods
Organic acids
 Citric (lemons), Malic (apples), Tartaric
(grapes), Lactic (yogurt), Acetic (vinegar)
 Food acids come in many forms, however:
 Proteins are made of amino acids
 Fats are made from fatty acids

 Fruits and vegetables contain phenolic acids

 Organic acids are characterized by carboxylic

acid group (R-COOH); not present in
“mineral acids” such as HCl and H3PO4
Chemical
Structures
of
Common
Organic
Acids
 Acids in Foods
 Add flavor, tartness
 Aid in food preservation by lowering pH
 Acids donate protons (H+) when dissociated
 Strong acids have a lot of dissociated ions
 Weak acids have a small dissociation constant
 Acids dissociate based on pH
 As the pH increases, acid will dissociate
 pKa is the pH equilibrium between assoc/dissoc
Titration Curve for Acetic Acid
 Acids in Foods
 Weak acids are commonly added to foods
 Citric acid is the most common
 When we eat a food containing citric acid, the
higher pH of our mouth (pH 7) will dissociate
the acid, and giving a characteristics sour flavor
pH and Titratable Acidity
 pH measures the amount of dissociated ions
 TA measures total acidity (assoc and dissoc)
 They also have other roles in food
 Control pH
 Preserve food (pH 4.6 is a critical value)
 Provide leavening (chemical leavening)
 Aid in gel formation (i.e. pectin gels)
 Help prevent non-enzymatic browning
 Help prevent enzymatic browning
 Synergists for antioxidants (for some, low pH is good)
 Chelate metal ions (i.e. citric acid)
 Enhance flavor (balance sweetness)
Acids in Foods
 In product development you can use one
acid or a combinations of acids

 -flavor
 -functionality
- synergy
 - naturally occurring blends
 - food additives
Acidity is important chemically

 -Denaturation and precipitation of proteins

 -Modify carbohydrates and hydrolysis of

complex sugars

 -Hydrolysis of fatty acids from TAG’s

 Generally under alkaline conditions

 Inversion of sugars (sucrose to glu + fru)

Chemical Reactions in Foods
(1) Enzymatic
(2) Non-enzymatic

Generically applied to:

Carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins
CARBOHYDRATE
chemical reactions:

 Enzymatic browning
 Non-enzymatic browning
 Hydrolysis
 Fermentation
 Oxidation/reduction
 Starch gelatinization
PROTEIN
chemical reactions:

 Buffering
 Non-enzymatic browning
 Hydrolysis
 Condensation
 Oxidation
 Denaturation
 Coagulation
LIPID
chemical reactions

 Oxidation
 Hydrolysis
 Hydrogenation