Food Biochemistry

The course aims to introduce students to the fundamental concepts and principles of Food Biochemistry.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Explain the fundamental principles of Food Biochemistry.
• Describe concepts related to nutrients, the role of food, energy balance, and nutrient intake within the framework of Food Biochemistry.
• Explain the importance of carbohydrates in Food Biochemistry, including their sources, intake, digestion, absorption, metabolism, and physiological functions, as well as disorders associated with inadequate or excessive consumption, such as diabetes mellitus. Students will also be familiar with concepts such as the glycaemic response of foods, glycaemic index, and dietary fibre.
• Describe the importance of fats and lipids in Food Biochemistry, including their sources, intake, digestion, absorption, metabolism, physiological functions, adipose tissue, and hormonal regulation, as well as diseases associated with lipid intake and metabolism, such as obesity and atherosclerosis.
• Explain the importance of proteins, including their sources, intake, digestion, absorption, metabolism, physiological functions, nitrogen balance, protein digestibility and biological value, vegetarian diets, and disorders associated with protein intake and metabolism.
• Describe the role of enzymes in foods and in the valorization of food by-products.
• Explain the importance of water, including its physicochemical properties, functions, sources, absorption and excretion, human water requirements, water contamination, and water treatment processes.
• Describe the role of vitamins, including their sources, absorption, storage, and excretion, the factors affecting their bioavailability and blood concentrations, their physiological functions, and disorders associated with deficiency or excessive intake.
• Describe the role of minerals, including major minerals and trace minerals, their sources, absorption, storage and excretion, the factors affecting their bioavailability and blood concentrations, their physiological functions, and disorders associated with deficiency or excessive intake.
• Explain the importance of food pigments, including chlorophylls, myoglobin, carotenoids, betalains, melanins, and phenolic compounds, as well as their biological activities.
• Describe concepts related to food additives, including permitted additives, safety aspects associated with their use, and food preservatives.
• Explain concepts related to undesirable food constituents, including naturally occurring plant toxins, naturally occurring animal toxins, allergens, exogenous toxins, accidental contaminants, environmental contaminants, and microbial toxins.
• Describe the role of bioactive compounds in foods and their health benefits, as well as recent developments in the utilization of bioactive food constituents and food by-products for the development of novel functional food products within the framework of the circular economy.