Introduction to Food Science
LESSON 1: Basic Concepts in Food
Science
● FOOD SCIENCE
- The study of the chemical, physical and
microbiological nature of foods and any
transformation that food undergoes as
reflected in its characteristics and
properties
● FOOD
- physiological: any substance which
when taken into the body provides
energy, builds and repairs tissues and
regulates bodily processes
- biological: any substance when eaten
sustains life and nourishes the body
- socio-cultural: any substance that
satisfies the human senses as well as
emotional needs.
● NATURAL FOOD
- A food product made without chemical
or artificial additives
● ORGANIC FOOD
- Agricultural products grown and
processed without using growth
hormones, antibiotics, or
petroleum-based or sewage
sludge-based fertilizer
● FOOD QUALITY
- Collective term for all the attributes or
characteristics of a food which
determine whether it is acceptable or
not
● FOOD ADDITIVE
- A substance added intentionally or
unintentionally to food that becomes
part of the food and affects its character
● FUNCTIONAL FOOD
- Food or beverage that imparts a
physiological benefit that enhances
overall health, helps prevent or treat a
disease or condition, or improves
physical/mental performance
● PHYTOCHEMICALS
- Chemical compounds in plants that are
important to promote healthful reactions
in the body but are not classified as
nutrients required for life and growth
● GENETICALLY MODIFIED
ORGANISM(GMO)
- Plant or animal foods developed by
genetic manipulation to alter nutrient
levels or other characteristics
● DISPERSION
- Mixture produced by scattering one
material in another and this could be
homogeneous and heterogeneous
● PROBIOTIC FOOD
- Foods which contain a live
microbiological culture either as a result
of fermentation or as an intentional
addition by the manufacturer; healthful
for normal intestinal function; prevent
harmful bacteria from causing disease
● PREBIOTICS
- Non-digestible carbohydrates that act as
food for probiotics
LESSON 2: Physical & Chemical Properties
of Food
➔ The changes food undergo during
cooking and processing can be
explained by their physical properties
★ States of Matter
1. Solids – substances that do not flow
under moderate stress; state of matter
which is in comparatively low energy
state; molecules move slowly within a
defined space
2. Liquids – substances which exhibit flow
properties
3. Gasses– the distance between
molecules is extremely great; molecules
move constantly and relatively faster
than molecules in liquids; have the
ability to increase in volume and
develop pressure as heat is applied.
 Introduction to Food Science

★ Dispersion Systems in Food

1. True Solutions
- a uniform liquid mixture containing a
solute and a solvent
2. Colloidal Systems
- a two-phase system in which particles
called micelles (discontinuous phase)
have diameters between 1 millimicron
and 0.1 micron
- the dispersing medium may be gas,
liquid or a solid substance containing Chemical Composition of Food
either gas, liquid, or solid micelles ● Table 2. Chemical Composition of
Food
➢ Four common types of colloidal
systems in food:
1. Sol – a liquid gel; the mixture can be
poured like true solutions
- Ex. Hot gelatin before it sets; dilute
starch in hot water
2. Gel – resembles solid in that it has
shape and cannot be poured
- Ex. Gelatin (solidified sol); starchy
puddings; custards
3. Foam – gas is dispersed in liquid or
solid medium
- Ex. Liquid foam - (beating egg whites,
whipping of cream, aerating
carbonated drinks)
- Solid foam – (marshmallows, gelatin
sponge, leavened breads, baked
sponge cakes
4. Suspensions – these rarely occur in
foods; with particles greater than 0.1 ➔ WATER
micron in diameter - The most abundant compound in food
- Ex. Raw starch granules dispersed in ➔ CARBOHYDRATES
cold water - Hydrates of carbon
- General formula Cx (H20)y
● Table 1. Examples of colloidal ➔ PROTEINS
systems in foods: - Polymer of amino acids linked together by
peptide bonds
➔ FAT
- A triglyceride, which is an organic esters of
3 molecules of fatty acids combined w/ one
molecule of glycerol
 Introduction to Food Science
➔ VITAMINS
- General term given to a group of organic
substances that are present in food in
minute quantities
- It is essential for normal health & growth
➔ MINERALS
- An inorganic element that remains ash
when food is burned
- Classified as either water (B-complex
vitamins and Vitamin C) or fat soluble
(vitamins A, D, E, K)
➔ PIGMENTS
- In plants, include chlorophyll and
carotenoids w/c are fat soluble and
flavonoids and tannins w/c are water
soluble
- In animals, hemoglobin in blood and
myoglobin in the muscle
LESSON 3: Heat in Food Preparation
Common Pigments found in Food
➔ ENZYMES
- Organic catalysts that are produced by
living cells that is responsible for the most
of the chemical reactions and energy
transformation in both plants and animals
➔ GUMS
- A diverse group of polysaccharides usually
isolated from seeds and is highly viscous
- Used as food ingredient for their thickening,
gelling, and stabilizing properties
➔ ORGANIC ACIDS
- Organic compounds w/ acidic properties.
➔ TANNINS
- Compounds in tea, coffee, wine, grapes,
peas and lentils, which can denature protein
and bind iron.
- Considered as phytochemicals that are
antioxidants
➔ ESTERS
- A chemical compound derived from an acid
(organic or inorganic) in w/c at least one
–OH (hydroxyl) group is replaced by an –O
alkyl (alkoxy) group.
➔ KETONES
- Compound containing the carbonyl group
(C=O) derived from oxidation of a secondary
alcohol.
➢ HEAT
- A form of energy due to the vibratory or
kinetic movement of molecules; its intensity
(hotness) is measured by degrees
Centigrade or Celsius and degrees
Fahrenheit
➢ COOKING
- Refers to the process and techniques of
using food or combinations of foods as to
achieve a product w/c is edible, palatable,
aesthetically pleasing, nutritious and
microbiologically safe w/ application or
removal (by freezing) of heat.
➢ CONDUCTION
- The direct transfer of heat via metals or any
heat conducting materials containing the
food.
- Copper has the highest rate of conductivity
while glass is the poorest
➢ CONVECTION
- Transfer of thermal energy from electricity,
gas, or solid fuel to the vapor molecules of
the air w/c in turn heat the food or the
utensil it comes in contact with
 Introduction to Food Science
➢ RADIATION
- Transfer of heat from a red coil of the griller,
toaster or stove to the food
➢ MICROWAVE
- Method of heat transfer that uses
electromagnetic waves generated by the
magnetron (a special vacuum tube); these
waves penetrate the food disturbing the
molecular structure; causing friction and
developing heat that cooks food in a
relatively short time.
Physio-Chemical Changes in Food During
Preparation
A. EFFECT OF HEAT TREATMENT
➢ PROTEIN – heat causes coagulation and
eventual denaturation of protein in foods
like meat, eggs, poultry
➢ FATS – fats can be removed or absorbed;
overheating results in the formation of
acrolein w/c is the characteristics flavor of
burnt oil; reheating oil causes lowering of
the smoke point and reversion of flavor
➢ STARCH- with water when heated, results in
an increased in viscosity in the process
called gelatinization (moist cooking) and
therefore, is useful as thickener or binder;
- with (dry heat), such as roasting or toasting,
starch is changed to dextrin in the process
of dextrinization
➢ SUGAR
- sucrose added w/ water raises boiling point
- At 160˚C, the sucrose concentration is
100%; at temperatures above 160˚C
(melting point of sugar) sugar melts and
sucrose changes color from white to brown
B. EFFECT OF COLD
➢ Temperature change of food from room to
cold to frozen affects both the functional
and eating qualities of food such as
difficulty in separating egg white from the
yolk; meat improves tenderness and flavor
when frozen; softening of fruits and
vegetables occur during cold storage and
freezer burn occurs
C. EFFECT OF ACID
➢ Chlorophyll changes into undesirable olive
green color
➢ Too acidic jelly will result to syneresis
➢ Viscosity and texture are affected such as
vinegar and citric acid reduce the thickness
of the hot starch paste and the firmness of
the cooled paste; this is why accurate
measurement of acid in starch-thickened
products like pie filling is critical, otherwise
the product becomes “runny”
D. PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL TREATMENT
➢ Agitation and stirring
➢ Whipping or beating – introduces air into a
mixture resulting in tenderness and greater
stability as foam cakes
➢ Kneading – allows alignment of the gluten
network resulting in tenderness in baked
products and allows gas produced by the
yeast during fermentation to get trapped in
the gluten network w/c is responsible for
the volume of the read when baked
LESSON 4: Assessment of Food Quality
❖ FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
- Study of microscopic organisms and their
activities, their characteristics and their
beneficial and harmful effects to food and
man
❖ FOOD INFECTION
- An illness resulting from ingestion of food
containing large numbers of living bacteria
or other microorganisms
❖ FOOD INTOXICATION
- Caused by the ingestion of toxins or
poisonous substances produced by
pathogenic microorganism
❖ FOODBORNE ILLNESS
- A disease of an infectious or toxic nature
caused by the consumption of food and
water
❖ OUTBREAK
- The occurrence of two or more cases of a
similar illness resulting from ingestion of a
common food
 Introduction to Food Science
❖ FOOD SAFETY
- The overall quality of food fit for
consumption
- Sanitary quality; freedom from pathogenic
microorganisms; toxins and other biological
hazards; absence of physical and chemical
contaminants, and safe level of food
additives
❖ MICROORGANISMS
- Unicellular (one-celled) living things.
❖ CONTAMINATION
- The unintended presence of harmful
substances in food or drink
❖ CROSS-CONTAMINATION
- The transfer of germs or microbes from one
food item to another via a nonfood surface
or equipment
Types of Foodborne Hazards
1. BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
- Living organisms or organic materials that
include bacteria, molds, viruses, parasites,
and protein particles (prions)
a. Bacteria
- Microscopic, one-celled organisms
abundant in the air, soil, water,
and/or organic matter
b. Molds
- Belong to the group of fungi that
lack chlorophyll and produce a
furry growth on organic matter
- Produce mycotoxins
- Visible to the eye and exhibit
bloom (cottony, fuzzy growth;
thrive at room temperature
- Breads, jams & jellies, and salty
meats are susceptible to molds
c. Viruses
- Infectious microorganisms
consisting of RNA or DNA that
reproduce only in living cells
- Foodborne viruses are transmitted
via the oral-fecal route; may be
passed from one person to person
or through carriers (flies, soiled
diapers, water, and food)
d. Parasites
- Organisms that need a living host to survive
and multiply
- Roundworms
- Herring worms
- Protozoa
e. Prions
- Infectious protein particle that do not
contain DNA or RNA
- These cause Mad cow disease or bovine
spongiform encephalopathy
- A person ingests an infected food enabling
the prion to travel to the spinal cord to the
brain; the protein incorporates itself into
the brain and creates holes in the brain
Other Microorganisms
A. Algae – found primarily in light-exposed
surfaces of aquatic environments
B. Yeasts – unicellular, microscopic and w/
variable shapes ranging from ovoid,
lemon-shaped to elongated
2. CHEMICAL HAZARDS
- Chemical substances that harm living
systems (i.e. agricultural and industrial
contaminants such as cleaners and
sanitizers; plants and animal toxins
a. Ciguatera food poisoning – caused by
eating fish that contain ciguatoxin w/c is not
destroyed by heating
b. Histamine food poisoning (scrombotoxism)
– due to excessive histamine accumulation
in fish like tuna
c. Puffer fish poisoning – brought about by
eating liver, gonads, intestines, and/or skin
of puffer fish
d. Red tide – caused by the rapid growth of a
reddish marine algae during summer or in
tropical waters
➔ CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS
- Can be introduced in any phase of the food
chain or food flow; it could be due to
carelessness or by accident
 Introduction to Food Science
➔ Chemical contaminants originate from the -
ff:
- Pesticides or herbicides
- Sanitizing or cleaning agents (e.g. cyanide in
silver polish)
- Careless use of chemical containers and
improper labeling
- Use of unsuitable utensils for cooking and
storing
Adding chemical food additives way beyond
its margin of safety
A. Intentional Food Additives ➢ Methodological Steps of HACCP System:
a. additives in the GRAS list (Generally A. Assess the hazards
Considered as Safe) B. Identify the critical control points
b. salt, sugar, corn syrup, citric acid C. Establish limits at each critical point
(oranges & lemons), baking soda, D. Monitor critical control points
vegetable colors, mustard, pepper E. Take corrective action
F. Documentation
G. Verify that preventive & corrective
measures have been taken through regular
inspection

B. Non-intentional Food Additives

- Contaminants that may have been
introduced accidentally during harvesting or
production, processing, storage or
packaging of the food
C. PHYSICAL HAZARDS
- Any foreign material that could possibly ➢ Major CCP’s in the Food Production
harm if ingested Process:
- Glass, bone, metal, plastic, wood, stones, - Processing
toothpicks, false fingernails, watches, - Purchasing
jewelry, insects, and staples from food - Preparation
boxes - Sanitation
➔ Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point - Storage
System (HACCP)
A proactive method of preventing foodborne illness
and ensuring food safety
- A systemized approach to preventing
foodborne illness during the production and
preparation of food
- A quality control tool that focuses on critical
factors directly affecting the microbiology of
foods