Food Science: is the study of all the technical aspects of food, beginning with
harvesting, storing , processing, cooking and consumption.
Food technology is the use of the information generated by food science in the selection,
preservation, processing, packaging, and distribution, as it affects the consumption of safe,
nutritious and wholesome food.
Study of food science also includes understanding the nutritive value of different foods and
methods of preserving them during cooking. This information provides a foundation of
theory and method on which to build the study of food preparation.
What does a Food Scientist do?
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Why Food Science?
1. Food is necessary for survival, growth, physical
ability, and good health.
Type of nutrients
Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins are energy-yielding nutrients
Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins are organic Macronutrients (constitute
the major portion of most foods and are required in a relatively large
amounts in the body.
Vitamins and Minerals are inorganic Micronutrients (are needed in a
small amounts in the diet).
Examples of food composition
Tea
No Macronutrients
Lots of antioxidants
Chocolates
Lots of Carbohydrate
Good amount of fat
Some protein
Lots of antioxidants
Salmon
Little Carbohydrate
Good amount of fat
Lots of protein
Lots of antioxidants
Understanding our food choices
Food choices are influenced by:
1. What is available to us
2. where we live
3. what is within our budget and compatible with our lifestyle
4. what we like,
5. what is culturally acceptable
6. what our emotional and psychological needs are
7. what we think we should eat (health concerns)
Making the Right Food choices
Hunger vs Appetite Why do you eat?
Right Vs Wrong What’s in your fridge?
Good Vs Bad Where do you go out to eat?
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FUNCTIONS OF FOOD
1) Energy yielding: This group includes foods rich in carbohydrate, fat and protein. One gram
of carbohydrate gives 4 calories. One gram of protein gives 4 calories. One gram of fat gives
9 calories
3) Protection and regulation: Foods rich in protein, vitamins and minerals have regulatory
functions in the body e.g., maintaining the heart beat, water balance, temperature.
4) Maintenance of health: Food contains certain phytochemicals and antioxidants which help
in preventing degenerative diseases.
Food groups
Balanced diet :
Diet that provide adequate amount of all nutrients
Malnutrition:
Caused by incorrect amount of nutrient intake.
Metabolism :
Changes taking place in the body as result of
body activity
Anabolism:
Complex molecules are synthesized from simpler
ones
Catabolism:
Complex molecules are broken to simpler ones
Balanced diet achieved by eating variety of
food.
Eating
a balanced diet requires a certain
amount of knowledge and planning.
• The basic composition of balanced diet is highly
variable as it differs from country to country depending
on the availability of food.
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FOOD PYRAMID
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In planning balanced diets, food should be
chosen from each group in sufficient
quantity.
Foods like fruits, vegetables and nuts are eaten raw but most of the foods
are cooked to bring about desirable changes.
OBJECTIVES OF COOKING
1- Improves the taste and food quality.
Cooking improves natural flavour and texture of food
Too much of cooking lowers the flavour as flavouring compounds are volatile.
2- Destruction of micro-organisms:
One of the most important methods of protection of food against harmful
micro-organisms is by the application of heat.
3- Improves digestibility
Cooking softens the connective tissues of meat and the coarse fibres of cereals, pulses and
vegetables so that the digestive period is shortened and gastrointestinal tract is less subjected
to irritation.
4- Increases variety
By cooking, same food can be made into different dishes. For example, rice can be made into
plain, pulav, lemon rice, biryani, or combination with pulses and idli. Wheat can be made into
chapatis, puri, paratha or halwa
6- Concentrates nutrients
This may be due to removal of moisture or using combination of foods or due to cooking
procedures, e.g., sweets.
7- Pesticide residue
Pressure cooking, frying and baking minimise the harmful effect of pesticide residue. Boiling
milk destroys the pesticide residue. In general heating reduces pesticide residues in all
substances.
Limitations of cooking
1- Thiamine, which is heat sensitive, may be lost during cooking. Water soluble nutrients are
leached into the water during cooking. Vitamin A and C content may be reduced due to
oxidation and heat.