Food Preservation and Processing
A.Y. 2023/2024
Learning objectives
The course aims at introducing the principles of food technology operations and the main food preservation and transformation processes; make the European food labeling standards known; provide expertise on the main quality indicators of raw materials and preserved and processed food products. Furthermore, the course aims at making the role of technology understandable about the availability of safe and quality foods with particular reference to nutritional aspects.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course the student will be able to identify the operations carried out to preserve and transform the main food products; will have the skills to acquire information on the products by reading the labels; he/she will be able to evaluate the qualitative characteristics of food and to evaluate the technology on the quality and nutritional value of food products.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The food technology as a tool to understand food products and their nutritional profile.
Food label legislation: aim, mandatory information and nutritional aspects, news, optional information.
Milk: production, physical and chemical characteristics. Nutritional value.
Milk protein and fat: characteristics and their technological role in the supply chain products. Sugar and their technological role. Oligoelements and their nutritional relevance.
Pasteurized and sterilized milk: legislation in Italy and Europe, role and nutritional impact of thermal treatments.
Cheese: different types and their nutritional value. Production technology of cheese: milk preliminary treatments, coagulation, syneresis, salting and ripening. Production technology for POD cheese (gorgonzola, grana padano, parmigiano reggiano); fresh cheeses; mascarpone, ricotta. Low fat cheese and new products.
Butter technology and nutritional aspects.
Fats: origin and composition. Olive oil: characteristics, legal aspects and technology. Palm oil: characteristics and problems.
Oil of vegetable origin. Oil extraction: preliminary treatments, extraction by pressing and solvent.
Oil refining: degumming, neutralization, discoloration e deodorization. Chemical vs physical refining.
Fat modifications (hydrogenation, interesterification, fractioning); margarine and emulsions.
Meat production: slaughter and meat quality. Nutritional value.
Cured meat technology: whole raw meat salumi; whole cooked meat products; fermented products; ground cooked meat salumi. Nutritional aspects.
Cacao and chocolate technology.
Sustainable diet: sustainability concept, sustainability indexes, sustainable ingredients, foods and meals.
Cereals: The international and national cereal sector: structure, market and the major issues of the sector on national and international level. Morphological, physical and chemical kernel properties of the major cereal crops. The pseudocereals in comparison with cereals. Quality indices and their evaluation. The major macromolecules in the grains: proteins, starch and fiber. Process description of wheat milling: stone milling vs conventional milling; the production of wholemeal flours. By-products utilization and enhancement: recovery of interesting components for secondary processing and / or for energy production. The sprouted grains.
The pasta-making process for dry pasta. Factors affecting the quality of cooked pasta. Bread and other leavened products: classification, processes and quality evaluation. Dough characteristics: the role of water, flour macromolecular components and other ingredients; use of improvers. Production of pasta and bread enriched in fiber and their characterization. Production of pasta and bread from gluten-free grains and their characterization.
Food label legislation: aim, mandatory information and nutritional aspects, news, optional information.
Milk: production, physical and chemical characteristics. Nutritional value.
Milk protein and fat: characteristics and their technological role in the supply chain products. Sugar and their technological role. Oligoelements and their nutritional relevance.
Pasteurized and sterilized milk: legislation in Italy and Europe, role and nutritional impact of thermal treatments.
Cheese: different types and their nutritional value. Production technology of cheese: milk preliminary treatments, coagulation, syneresis, salting and ripening. Production technology for POD cheese (gorgonzola, grana padano, parmigiano reggiano); fresh cheeses; mascarpone, ricotta. Low fat cheese and new products.
Butter technology and nutritional aspects.
Fats: origin and composition. Olive oil: characteristics, legal aspects and technology. Palm oil: characteristics and problems.
Oil of vegetable origin. Oil extraction: preliminary treatments, extraction by pressing and solvent.
Oil refining: degumming, neutralization, discoloration e deodorization. Chemical vs physical refining.
Fat modifications (hydrogenation, interesterification, fractioning); margarine and emulsions.
Meat production: slaughter and meat quality. Nutritional value.
Cured meat technology: whole raw meat salumi; whole cooked meat products; fermented products; ground cooked meat salumi. Nutritional aspects.
Cacao and chocolate technology.
Sustainable diet: sustainability concept, sustainability indexes, sustainable ingredients, foods and meals.
Cereals: The international and national cereal sector: structure, market and the major issues of the sector on national and international level. Morphological, physical and chemical kernel properties of the major cereal crops. The pseudocereals in comparison with cereals. Quality indices and their evaluation. The major macromolecules in the grains: proteins, starch and fiber. Process description of wheat milling: stone milling vs conventional milling; the production of wholemeal flours. By-products utilization and enhancement: recovery of interesting components for secondary processing and / or for energy production. The sprouted grains.
The pasta-making process for dry pasta. Factors affecting the quality of cooked pasta. Bread and other leavened products: classification, processes and quality evaluation. Dough characteristics: the role of water, flour macromolecular components and other ingredients; use of improvers. Production of pasta and bread enriched in fiber and their characterization. Production of pasta and bread from gluten-free grains and their characterization.
Prerequisites for admission
Basic concepts of food chemistry and technology.
Teaching methods
Lectures. Seminars held by experts from industry and/or academia. Case studies presented and discussed by the students.
Teaching Resources
Lessons (power point presentations) are available on ARIEL
(https://ariel.unimi.it). Scientific papers suggested during the classes are also available. Searches on websites are suggested. The teachers are available for further clarification by appointment.
(https://ariel.unimi.it). Scientific papers suggested during the classes are also available. Searches on websites are suggested. The teachers are available for further clarification by appointment.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The final exam is oral. The evaluation will be based on knowledge, understanding, and critical thinking of the topics and on communication skills. The discussion of a case study by the student will be evaluated up to 3/30 of the final grade.
To take the exam the student needs to sign up, within the required date, on UNIMIA.
The final grade is expressed by a mark out of 30 and it will be communicated to the student by e-mail through SIFA.
To take the exam the student needs to sign up, within the required date, on UNIMIA.
The final grade is expressed by a mark out of 30 and it will be communicated to the student by e-mail through SIFA.
AGR/15 - FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - University credits: 8
Lessons: 64 hours
Professors:
Casiraghi Ernestina Maria, Marti Alessandra
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)