NUTR2911

Food Science Introductory (Advanced)

Course Information

These course outlines are a guide only. They are provided for the information of prospective students. Although every effort is made to ensure the most up to date information is provided, timetables often change each semester due to the availability of rooms and resources. Content (including lecture/practical topics, assessment and textbooks) is also regularly reviewed to ensure relevance and effective learning.

This unit of study aims to give a broad appreciation of foods as commodities; that is, the origin, history, cultural and nutritional importance of the major foods for human use. Further, aspects of food processing and cooking that affect the nutritional quality of these foods will be discussed. Food groups covered include animal foods, seafood, cereals, sugars, fats and oils, dairy products, legumes, nuts, vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices and alcohol.
Topics in food science and technology include the principles of food preservation, aspects of the preparation and processing of cereals, dairy products, fats and oils, sugars and starches and meats. Food additives are discussed as well as naturally occurring toxicants in foods, food pollutants, food safety, food hygiene and food microbiology. Practical classes investigate the nutritional and physical composition of food commodities, and demonstrate their behaviour and functional properties during normal culinary processes.

Dr Kim Bell-Anderson

Room: 474

Telephone: 9351 6267

E-mail: kim@usyd.edu.au

MBLG1001 and CHEM (1001 or 1101 or 1901 or 1903 or 1909 or 1108) and CHEM (1002 or 1102 or 1902 or 1904 or 1908 or 1109) and BIOL (1001 or 1101 or 1901) and BIOL (1002 or 1003 or 1902 or 1903). For Combined BAppSc (Exercise and Sport Science)/BSc(Nutrition) degree completion of all Junior units in the table of units for this course.

1st Lecture: Monday 9:00am Carslaw Lecture Theatre 373
2nd Lecture: Wednesday 9:00am Carslaw Lecture Theatre 373
3rd Lecture: Friday 9:00am Carslaw Lecture Theatre 373

Practical: Friday 12:00pm – 5:00pm (odd or even week) Teachers College Foods Centre 111

Charley H & Weaver C, Foods: A Scientific Approach 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall Inc.: New Jersey, 1998.

English R & Lewis J. Nutritional values of Australian Foods, AGPS: Canberra.

Mann J & Truswell AS. Essentials of Human Nutrition, Oxford University Press: Oxford. 3rd Edition 2007

Foods and Food Groups
1. Palaeolithic Diet
Native diet of human beings
Evolutionary perspectives
Comparisons with modern diet

Fruits and Vegetables
2. Structure, Classification & History
Plant structure and classifications of fruits & vegetables
Origin and history of some fruits & vegetables

3. Nutritional Composition
Consumption patterns
Macronutrient & micronutrient composition
Phytochemicals
Organic acids, fibre & toxins

4. Changes during processing
Effects of harvesting, storage and preparation on nutritional and chemical composition, and on physical structure
Effects of cooking on fruits & vegetables
Preservation methods

5. Cereals & Grains
Cereal and grain structure & composition
Cereal production
Nutritional composition of cereals and cereal products
The nutritional & economical significance of cereals in developing countries
Properties of cereals, grains & flours used in cooking

6. Wheat & Baking
Structure of a wheat grain
Process of wheat milling
Flours and baking – including the formation of gluten
Breads and bread making, cakes and biscuits

7. Alcohol & Beverages
History of alcohol
Metabolism of alcohol
Health & nutritional implications of alcohol consumption
Coffee, Tea
Soft drinks

8. Herbs & Spices
Definition of herbs & spices
Herbs & spices in history
Flavour and pungency chemicals
Herb & spice families
Handling, storage and cooking herbs & spices

9. Animal Foods
Historical aspects
Consumption patterns
Nutrient contributions
Nutritional concerns

10. Meat and Poultry Science
History of meat consumption and production
Structure and composition of muscle
Conversion of muscle to meat
Post slaughter changes
Nutritional composition and changes during ageing & preparation

11. Milk & Dairy Products
Liquid milk – whole and modified
Butter, Cream, Ghee
Yoghurt and cultured milks
Cheese and cheese making, Curd formation (acid curd, rennet curd)
Nutritional importance of dairy products
Milk – uses in cookery
Cream – foaming/whisking properties used in cookery
Ice cream/Frozen desserts

12. Eggs
Egg yolk & egg white
Egg shell and structure
Nutritional importance of eggs
Coagulation, foaming, browning, emulsification, clarification, colour and flavour

13. Fats & Oils
Food sources
Methods of production
Consumption patterns

14. Legumes, Nuts & Seeds
Methods of production and processing
Food sources
Role in the diet
Nutritional importance

15. Seafood
How is seafood used around the world?
What is the nutritional composition of seafood?
What contribution does seafood make to modern and traditional diets?
What are the implications of seafood consumption for health and disease prevention?

Food Preservation (4 lectures)
Principles of food hygiene and food preservation and where nutritional losses and gains are made.
Aims, methods and limitations of food preservation
Hurdle technology

Food Science and Technology (5 lectures)
Natural toxicants in food (2 lectures)
Food additives
Food contaminants
Food processing and nutrient changes

P1 – Introduction, Kitchen Safety & Sensory Evaluation
P2 – Fruits & Vegetables
P3 – Carbohydrates and Baking
P4 – Meat, Poultry and Legumes
P5 – Fats and Oils, Dairy foods and eggs
P6 – Sample preparation for Food Analysis

Paddock to Plate written individual report (10%) and group presentation (10%) due May.
Five practical related quizzes online (20%).
One 1 hour theory of practical exam (20%) and one final 3h examination (40%) at the end of Semester 1.
Assessments not completed by the due dates will have marks deducted at a rate of 5% per day, or 20% per week that they are late.
Final marks will be subject to scaling in line with Faculty Guidelines.
Note: BSc(Nutrition) students must attain an average mark over all units of study of 65 or above to proceed from 2nd year to 3rd year. Combined BAppSci(Exercise and Sports Science)/BSc(Nutrition) require a mark of 65 or above in NUTR2911 and NUTR2912 to be eligible for 5th year clinical dietetics placements.