Introduction to Food Chemistry

Babita Adhikari Dahal

CCT, Dharan
Introduction to Food Chemistry
• Food Chemistry, the name defines, the deals with
biochemical nature of the food.
• It also involves the study of chemical components such
as proteins and carbohydrates and more.
• In all come across different processing techniques and
their effect on certain type of food and also for ways to
enhance the quality of food.
• Examples of food chemistry: fermentation of dairy
products (An example of enhancing a process would be
to encourage fermentation of dairy products with
microorganisms that convert lactose to lactic acid), fat
&sugar substitutes
• Understanding food chemistry helps us develop proper
ways of handling food and also develop good
manufacturing practices.
• Food chemistry, a branch of applied chemistry, deals with
the chemical composition and analysis of food and food
components, interactions of all biological and nonbiological
components of foods.
• The main aim of food chemistry is the control and the
guarantee of a high and nutritious quality of food, to which
the consumer as the legislature imposes high quality
requirements.
• Introduction to the Chemistry of Food describes the
molecular composition of food and the chemistry of its
components.
• It provides students with an understanding of chemical and
biochemical reactions that impact food quality and
contribute to wellness.
• This innovative approach enables students in food science,
nutrition and culinology to better understand the role of
chemistry in food.
• .
Food is a complex mixture of water, proteins, lipids, and
carbohydrates, which make various intra- and
intermolecular interactions in the texture.
The chemical composition of foods is usually made from a
variety different chemical such as
• Carbohydrate
• Protein
• Fat
• Minerals
• Vitamins
• Water
The above mentioned components of food are presents in
different amounts in different foods, depending basically on
the primary source ( animal, plant, marine, microbial etc)
and the extent and nature of processing.
But the processed food may contain additives such as colors,
emulsifiers, enzyme, antioxidants, preservatives etc
• Water is the major component of food which helps in digestion but it
also provides space for bacterial growth which leads to food
spoilage.
• Thus measuring the amount of water in a food item can be used to
measure the shell life of an object.
• Food is composed of 50% of proteins in its dry weight. Proteins are
very complex macromolecules.
• They play a vital role in the structure and functions of cells.
consisting mainly of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen and some
sulphur and small amounts of copper, iron, zinc or phosphorous.
• In food, proteins are essential for growth and survival, and
requirements vary depending upon a person's age and physiology
(e.g., pregnancy).
• Protein is commonly obtained from animal sources: eggs, milk, and
meat.
• Nuts, grains and legumes provide vegetable sources of protein, and
protein combining of vegetable sources is used to achieve complete
protein nutritious quotas from vegetables.
Food composition table is critical to important for
following related areas
• Health assessment
• Formulation of appropriate institutional and
therapeutic diets
• Food and nutrition training
• Food composition surveys
• Dietary planning and estimation of nutrient
composition of composite foods
• Epidemiology research
• Governments regulation formulation and
enforcement
• National and International trade
Classification of foods:
Food may be classified on various bases as follows

➢ On the basis of nutritive value, foods are broadly

classified into 10 groups as follows
• Cereals
• Legumes, oilseeds and nuts
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Milk and milk products
• Meat, fish, poultry and egg
• Sugar and syrups
• Beverages
• Roots and tubers
➢ According to food guide for selection purpose, foods
can be grouped int0 5 basis groups
• Cereals ( staple food)
• Protein foods (animal and plant source)
• Protective vegetables and fruits ( vitamin A and C rich
fruits and vegetables)
• Other fruits and vegetables (roots and tubers, berries
etc)
• Fats/oils and sugars

➢ Based on functions, foods are classified into 3 groups

• Energy yielding foods ( rich in carbohydrate and fat)
• Body building foods (rich in protein and minerals)
• Protecting and regulating food (rich in vitamins,
minerals, protein and water)
Classification of foods
Functions of food components:
➢ Carbohydrate
• Provides energy ( physiological energy value 4
kcal/g; gross energy value 4.1 kcal/g)
• Present in conjugated form in many cell
constituents protein, lipid, nucleic acid etc
• Excess carbohydrate change into fat and protein
• Exert sparing action of own protein
• Essential for fat oxidation ) fat is burned in the
flame of carbohydrate)
• Indispensable for nervous systemSynthesis of
bimolecular.
➢ Fats
• Structural components of all cell wall and cell membrane of
plant and prokaryotes
• Concentrated source of energy ( physiological energy value-
9kcal/g; gross energy value 9.45 kcal/g)
• Essential for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins ( A,D,E,
K)
• Supplies essential fatty acids
• Reduces the bulk of diet (does not swell like carbohydrate)
• Improves palatability and satiety value)
• Serves as reserve source of energy
• Adipose tissues act as insulating material ( from heat,
injury)
• Phospholipids are essential for nerve function
• Cholesterol is essential or serves as precursor for the
formation of bile acids and steroid hormones.
➢ Protein
• Body building, growth and renewal tissue
• Synthesis of enzyme, nucleic acids, blood proteins
and hormones of protein nature
• Provides energy ( physiological energy value 4
kcal/g; gross energy value 5.65 kcal/g)
• Provides essential amino acids
• Excess proteins convert to fatty acid and glucose
• Essential for nutrient digestion, metabolism and
transport of minerals
• Metabolic regulation by enzymes
• Defense mechanism
➢ Minerals
• Necessary for body building, e.g., bones, teeth, structural parts of
soft tissues
• Play a role in the regulation of processes in the body
• Acts as electrolyte
• Some are required in small amounts for specific functions, e.g., iron
in hemoglobin, iodine in thyroxin
• As cofactors in enzymes
• Deficiency results in specific disorders, e.g., goiter in iodine
deficiency, anemia in iron deficiency

➢ Water
• Essential part of our body structure ( 60 – 70 % water present in
human body, 80% in babies). Dehydration occurs at water content <
50%
• Utilization of food materials in the body and elimination of waste
• Regulation of a number of body processes
• Reaction medium as well as reactant
➢Vitamins
• Essential for growth, normal function and
body processes
• Individual vitamin has specific function to do
in the body. Its absence or deficiency causes
disorders. Thiamine deficiency causes beri
beri. Vitamin A is necessary for bright eyes
and vision.
• Some vitamins act as coenzymes (mainly
Vitamin B complex)
Food Composition Table
 Nutrition Quality of Food
Nutritional quality of food not only depends on the quantity but
also depends on the quality of the protein which is determined by
• Net Protein Utilization Value
• Protein Efficiency Ratio
• Biological Value
• Protein Digestibility Coefficient
• Present of Essential ammino acid
• Essential Acid profile