GROUP DISCUSSION CFD 20302 FOOD CHEMISTRY 1

Group Discussion
CFD 20302 FOOD CHEMISTRY

Question 1:
Discuss the definition of food chemistry and give TWO (2) examples of component
that is important in food.
Food chemistry is concerned with the composition of food and the changes that
it undergoes during processing and under storage. included here are the major
food constituents, carbohydrates, lipids and proteins (macromolecules) and
some of the main reactions between them, including the maillard reaction, a
common reaction between sugars and proteins.

Question 2:
Explain the difference between water and ice.
Ice Water
Water is a unique substance that
covers about 70 percent of the
earths surface, and it is essential
Ice is the solid form of water. It is
Definition for life forms. It is formed by the
formed when water freezes.
combination of two atoms of
hydrogen and one atom of
oxygen.
Specific Heat 0.49 kcal/(kgC) 1 kcal/(kgC)
Density Less Higher
No regular arrangement of
Structure Crystalline structure molecules. Have more compactly
arranged molecule

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Question 3:
Draw and label the structure of water molecule.

Question 4:
Water is the major constituent of most foods. Although it brings no energy to
food, its existence plays a very important role. Explain the major function of water
to the food product.
Technological need: Knowledge of the water content of food is necessary
for the efficient conduct of the operations of harvesting, drying, storage or
processing. It is a key parameter for evaluating and controlling the risks of
deterioration during storage of foodstuffs.
Universal Solvent. The many biochemical interactions occurring in living
organismshuman, animal, and plantcould not occur in the absence of
a solvent environment. Water is considered to be the earths universal

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solvent. The fluid substance, mostly water, within and around the cell is a
solvent that contains many dissolved substances called solutes. Combining
a solvent and a solute result in either a solution, a colloidal dispersion, a
suspension, or an emulsion. These mixtures differ from each other based
on the size or solubility of their solutes.
Heat Transfer. Water both transfers and moderates the effects of heat. A
potato heated by itself in a pan will burn. but surrounding that same potato
with water ensures that the heat will be evenly distributed. Water also
transfers heat more efficiently, which explains why a potato heats faster in
boiling water than in the oven.

Question 5:
As a food technology student, it is important for you to understand the water
activity in food product. Explain the concept of water activity and give two
examples how water activity can affect the quality of the product produced.
Water activity or aw is the partial vapor pressure of water in a substance
divided by the standard state partial vapor pressure of water. In the field
of food science, the standard state is most often defined as the partial
vapor pressure of pure water at the same temperature. Using this
particular definition, pure distilled water has a water activity of exactly
one.
Higher aw substances tend to support more microorganisms. Bacteria
usually require at least 0.91, and fungi at least 0.7.
Food designers use water activity to formulate shelf-stable food. If a
product is kept below a certain water activity, then mold growth is
inhibited. This results in a longer shelf life.
Controlling non-enzymatic browning reactions. Food such as carbohydrate
and protein are prone to non- enzymatic browning reaction called Maillard
reaction. The increase in aw, will also increase in Maillard reaction
therefore to control Maillard reaction

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 GROUP DISCUSSION CFD 20302 FOOD CHEMISTRY 4

Question 6:
Explain the properties of water molecule. Give appropriate example of application
to each properties that you explain.
Water has a high specific heat. Specific heat is the amount of energy
required to change the temperature of a substance. Because water has a
high specific heat, it can absorb large amounts of heat energy before it
begins to get hot. It also means that water releases heat energy slowly
when situations cause it to cool. Water's high specific heat allows for the
moderation of the Earth's climate and helps organisms regulate their body
temperature more effectively.
Water is also a good solvent, due to its polarity. Substances that will mix
well and dissolve in water (e.g. salts) are known as hydrophilic ("water-
loving") substances, while those that do not mix well with water (e.g. fats
and oils), are known as hydrophobic ("water-fearing") substances.
Question 7:
Briefly explain what is pH and why pH is important in food. Relate your explanation
with water properties and give example of low acidic and basic food product.
Atoms can gain or lose electrons in order to form ions in a process called
ionization (compounds formed in this way are called ionic compounds).
When ionic compounds dissolve in water, their ions separate from one
another in a process called dissociation. One interesting feature of water
and many other covalent compounds is that they too can dissociate into
ions.
pH (potential of hydrogen) is a numeric scale used to specify the acidity or
basicity of an aqueous solution. It is approximately the negative of the base
10 logarithm of the molar concentration, measured in units of moles per
liter, of hydrogen ions. Hydrogen ions are spontaneously generated in pure
water by the dissociation (ionization) of a small percentage of water
molecules.
When water dissociates, one of the hydrogen nuclei leaves its electron
behind with the oxygen atom to become a hydrogen ion, while the oxygen
and other hydrogen atoms become a hydroxide ion. Since the hydrogen

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ion has no electron to neutralize the positive charge on its proton, it has a
full unit of positive charge and is symbolized as H+. The hydroxide ion
retains the electron left behind and thus has a full unit of negative charge,
symbolized by OH-. The hydrogen ion (proton) does not wander long by
itself before it attaches to the oxygen atom of a second un-ionized water
molecule to form a hydronium ion (H3O +)

Low acidic food is vinegar and lemon juice

Basic food product is baking soda

Question 8:
Explain the difference between free water and bound water.
Water that can be extracted easily from foods by squeezing or cutting or
pressing is known as free water. This is water in or on the surface that will
evaporate with a moisture balance.
water that cannot be extracted easily is termed as bound water. It may be
caught in capillaries, fibers or held onto via chemical reactions.

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Rules:
1. 15 minutes to discuss and prepare the materials.
2. Stay in your group, do not mingle around other group.
3. Discuss your task seriously!

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