NFOK13004U Food Science and Culinary Techniques

Volume 2015/2016
Education

MSc Programme in Food Innovation and Health

Content

The course includes a series of lectures giving a scientific description of foods as a chemical and physical system. It relates to proteins, lipids, carbohydrates as well as topics within general chemistry (inorganic and organic), acid and bases, and interaction of these components.The course provides an understanding of the culinary techniques used in the production of foods and highlights the effects of food processing on the chemical and physical properties of the food product such as changes in structure and functionality.

Practical exercises in preparation of foods will be used as a stepping stone to the understanding of culinary techniques. The use of ingredients in various recipes will be evaluated and thereby demonstrate important experimental aspects of food processing and preparation. This will include afterlab discussions with reflections over culinary processes to understand how they contribute to palatability in foods.

The lectures and theoretical exercises will demonstrate how food components contributes to the functional properties in dry systems, crystalline states, emulsions, foams and other real food systems. During the practical exercises students will be trained in using various rapid sensory methods to asses foods.

Learning Outcome

Students will obtain a scientific understanding of the chemical and physical composition of foods and which changes occur when various culinary techniques are applied.

Students will obtain a theoretical and practical foundation for working at the interface of science and gastronomy.

A student who has fulfilled the aim of the course should be able to:

Knowledge

  • Describe some important chemical reactions and physical changes during processing of foods.
  • Identify factors of relevance for detection, perception and loss of aroma compounds in different solvents.

 

Skills

  • Work in a gastronomic laboratory with specific culinary techniques and follow instructions to obtain a well-defined product.
  • Explain the changes in foods taking place during preparation of food from a chemical and a physical point of view.
  • Predict the outcome of various culinary techniques in relation to the composition of the raw material.
  • Evaluate a complex food and communicate the compositional structure of the product.
  • Evaluate the effect of various culinary techniques on the food structure and flavour.

 

Competences

  • Work effectively in a group with a practical exercise.


 

Literature

Margaret McWilliams (2014) - Foods: Experimental Perspectives, 7th Ed.
Compendium
Instructions for Practical Exercises

The teaching (lectures and exercises) contains introductory sessions for general understanding of food science in combination with practical exercises in a gastronomical laboratory in order to examine the effect of various processing methods on the chemical and physical properties of food. The practical exercises set the frame for group-oriented work and will be evaluated by afterlab discussions, problem-based learning, answering questions from the lecturers.
It is recommended to follow the course on the first year of the MSc. Programme in Food Innovation and Health
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 24
  • Lectures
  • 36
  • Practical exercises
  • 28
  • Preparation
  • 66
  • Theory exercises
  • 52
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment, 24 hours
Individual written assignment which must be completed within 24 hours on a specific topic based on the curriculum.
Exam registration requirements

Participation in afterlab discussions of practical exercises, min.80%

Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
More than one internal examiner
Re-exam

If 10 or fewer register for the reexamination the examination form will be oral.

If participation in afterlab discussions of practical exercises of min.80% have not been fulfilled, students must take the course again.

Criteria for exam assesment

Cf. Learning outcome