INTRODUCTION TO FOOD SCIENCE

Definitions and Basic Concepts

 Food is inseparable from the history of man. It is as
important as oxygen in maintaining life.
 Several definitions are given for food for a clearer
concept about this basic human need.

“Food is any article, whether

simple, mixed or compounded,
which is used as food or drink,
confectionery or condiment.
It includes articles used as
components for such.”
  To the biologist, food is simply
defined as any matter eaten by man
to sustain life and nourish the body.
  The physiological definition which
nutritionists use for food is: “any substance
which when taken into the body provides
energy, builds and repairs tissues and
regulates bodily processes.”
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.
From the time the food is produced to the
time it is ultimately consumed, the
application of the principles of food science
is practiced.
 BRANCHES: food technology, food chemistry,
food microbiology, food engineering and
food processing or manufacture.

 RELATED FIELDS: nutrition, physics, economics,

agriculture, fisheries, biology, food legislation,
disease control, sociology, anthropology and
psychology.
 FOOD QUALITY
 -a composite of several criteria determined
by the stimuli coming from the food itself and
the attitudes or values attached by the
consumer to the food. A food is considered
good to eat if it is nutritious, palatable,
sanitary, digestible and economical.
NUTRITIONAL QUALITY
 -foods are sources of substances called
nutrients which are responsible for the
physiological roles of food to give energy,
build and repair tissues and regulate
bodily processes. The main groups of
nutrients are: water, protein, fats,
carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins.
 -quantitative needs for these nutrients
vary according to age, physical activity,
physiological stresses like pregnancy and
lactation, and the state of health of the
individual.
DIGESTIBILITY
 -refers not only to the completeness of
digestion and absorption but also the general
feeling and after-effect of eating. Thus, when
a food is hard to digest or is indigestible, it is
easily manifested by a feeling of fullness and
discomfort.
 -some foods may cause gas, referred to as
gas-forming foods (to certain individuals)
 -may be constipating to one but may cause
loose-bowel movements to another
The rate of metabolism varies from person to person.
Plan daily meals to include:
 Body-building foods (Protein-rich)
 Energy foods (Rice, starchy foods, fat-rich foods)
 Regulating foods (Green leafy and yellow
vegetables, Vitamin C-rich and fruits, other fruits
and vegetables)
PALATABILITY FACTORS
visual perception

–size and shape, volume, texture and color – the mere sight of
food may stimulate or dampen the appetite.
odor detection
•olfactory nerves are
sensitive to volatile
substances emitted by
aromatic compounds in
food

odor is closely associated

with taste and flavor
taste stimuli
 taste sensations attributed to chemical
components of foods that stimulate the taste
buds and tongue.

SOUR –hydrogen ions of vinegar,

cream of tartar and organic acids
as in sour fruits. Taste buds mostly
on the sides of the tongue
SALTY – sodium chloride
or table salt, potassium
chloride, ammonium
bromide and other
mineral salts. – sides and
tip of the tongue
SWEET – sugars, certain amino
acids, glycerol and some
aldehydes – concentrated on
the tip of the tongue

BITTER – alkaloids and certain

salts like quinine, Theo bromine,
nicotine, bile salts or apdo,
caffeine – mostly at the back
of the tongue
tactile sensation
 mouthfeel and feeling by touch depend on
stimuli nerve endings on the mucous linings of the
mouth and on the skin –
 e.g. texture of sugars or flours as felt between the
fingers; softness of fruits as held in the palm;
“squeeze” test for springiness of breads and the
velvetiness of sponge cakes as felt in the mouth.
Tactile sensations may be felt by chewing, biting
or masticating on the teeth, gums and jaws.
Coating or puckering of the mouth when one
eats santol, duhat or green guava. Prickly feel
from paminta; hurting and hot sensation of
chilies.
 tactile sensation
Include mechanical characteristics such as:
 Hardness Soft Firm Hard
 Cohesiveness Brittleness Crumbly Crunchy Brittle
 Chewiness Tender Chewy Tough
 Gumminess Short Mealy Pasty Gummy
 Viscosity Thin Viscous
 Elasticity Plastic Elastic
 Adhesiveness Sticky Tacky Gooey
 tactile sensation
And geometric characteristics such as:
 Particle size and shape Gritty, Grainy, Course, etc
 Particle Shape and orientation Fibrous, Cellular, Crytalline,
etc
Other characteristics:
 Moisture content Dry Moist Wet Watery
 Fat Content Oily Greasy
flavor
 is a composite of
odor, taste, mouth
feel and sound;
the “sixth sense”
in evaluating
food.
 –sound too
 affected by the
temperature of
the food
economy in the use of resources
 -consider the amount of money spent for the
ingredients and the amount of time,
equipment and labor utilized for cooking,
serving and storing food.
chemical composition of food
 Macronutrients- water, proteins, carbohydrates and fats
-these compounds are present in comparatively larger amounts
than others and are measurable in terms of grams per 100
grams which represent percentage by weight.

 Micronutrients-minerals and vitamins plus non-

nutritional components like pigments, enzymes, gums,
organic acids, tannins, esters, ketones and other flavoring
compounds
heat in food preparation
 Heat is a form of energy due to the vibratory
or kinetic movement of molecules. The
cooking media to bring about heat
distribution and penetration include:
1.Water as in simmering, stewing, boiling and
poaching
2.Air as in baking and oven roasting
3.Steam as in pressure cooking and steaming
4.Fat as in sautéing and deep-fat frying, or a
5.Combination of any two or more of the
above as in braising and pot-roasting
heat in food preparation
 brings about chemical, physical and
microbiological changes, some of which may
be undesirable to the product.
 -heat during cooking process cause
inactivation of enzymes, coagulation of
proteins, gelatinization of starch, evaporation
of water and loss of moisture, increased
solubility of water-soluble substances like salts
and sugars, melting of fat, volatilization of
aromatic compounds, development of
flavor, color changes and softening of fibers
or cellulose.