NFOK16002U Aroma - the Chemistry behind Odour

Volume 2019/2020
Education

MSc Programme in Food Innovation and Health

Content

The course describes the role of aroma components in foods, and gives a thorough review of techniques for sampling and analysis of aroma. The relationship between the aroma profile and the sensory quality of a product is an important issue of the course, and includes working with the complexity of the chemical background for odour impressions. The use of multivariate techniques - chemometrics - to relate aroma analysis to sensory quality is an integrated part of the course. The course will aim to enable the students to answer questions like: Why do low alcoholic beers taste different? Why does addition of milk change the aroma of coffee dramaticallky? Can aroma analyses be used to make a perfect copy - of e.g. Coca Cola? Can the choice of frying oil affect the aroma of the fried product? How does heat treatment affect the aroma of a product? How does extended storage affect the aroma of a product?

Learning Outcome

Knowledge:

- Understand the complexity of the chemical backgroud for odour

- Understand the principles and methods being used to measure and interpret aroma

- Know the commonly used techniques for aroma analysis

- Know the basic sensory evaluation techniques

- Know how results obtained through aroma analysis relate to sensory quality

Skills:

- Evaluate possibilities and limitations of aroma analysis for food quality analysis and the relation to sensory quality through multivariate statistics.

- Treat GC-MS data using the most advanced techniques

- Hands-on experience with aroma analysis and sensory analysis

- Ability to apply sensory methodology and assess reliability of the obtained data

Competences:

- Cooperate with fellow students in a project team, including planning, excecuting and reporting experiments.

- Reflect on working in teams.

- Reflect on the role of aroma and sensory properties in quality of food

Literature

A compendium will be available before the course

The participants are expected to have basic skills within food chemistry, sensory science and chemometrics

Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
A combination of self-studies and e-learning before the course will give the student the basic tools and knowledge required for the course. Lectures are aiming to give a theoretical background on techniques and instrumentation for aroma analysis of food as well as generic sensory analysis. Through practical projects, where the students work in teams, measurement of aroma will be carried out. Sensory analysis will also be carried out and the results obtained using the two types of measurements should be correlated using chemometrics. Based on the practical work, a written report is prepared. The student should also reflect on the processes in problem-oriented team research. Seminars/colloquia will be held, where the students present their products and results to each other. Theoretical exercises based on authentical datasets a.o. will be arranged. Where appropriate, e-learning will be used. Before the course start, the participants must read selected scientific literature.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Colloquia
  • 19
  • Exam
  • 50
  • Lectures
  • 26
  • Preparation
  • 61
  • Project work
  • 40
  • Theory exercises
  • 10
  • Total
  • 206
Written
Oral
Individual
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 15 min
Written assignment
The exam consists of two parts: the oral exam (no preparation time, no aids allowed) counts 50% towards the final grade, and the written team report delivered approx. one week after course counts 50%. The final grade will be submitted after the written report has been evaluated. Both parts must be passed in order for the student to pass the exam. The questions for the oral exam will be provided in the first week of the course.
Exam registration requirements

Laboratory work carried out in teams, presentations given at colloquia

Aid
Without aids

No aids allowed for the oral exam.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Re-exam

Same as ordinary exam.

Passed parts of the exam do not have to be retaken.

If exam requirements have not been met prior to the reexamination, students must retake the course.

If the student want's to hand in a report before the re-exam it must be not later than three weeks before the re-exam

 

Criteria for exam assesment

Cf. Learning Outcomes