Food Science and Nutrition unit-1

1.Introduction :
The food industry be it food processing or the catering industry is one of the largest and the most needed industry
in the world. The development in the food industry can be dated back to surplus food which needed to be
preserved for a rainy day. Food preservation is not the new phenomenon our forefathers understood the basic
principles behind the food preservation and practiced them using natural ingredients and the forces of nature such
as sun light and ultraviolet rays till the newer and more scientific methods were developed. With the advent of
wheel, surplus food was transported several hundred miles. As early as 1850, milk was transported by special milk
trains and tank trucks over a distance of several hundred miles with negligible loss in the quality. Improvement in
the equipment and the machinery has made it possible to increase the capacity of food processing plants greatly.
The shelf life of perishable food has increased to a great extent. Over the past few decades, the food industry has
witnessed a significant change. The market has witnessed a flood of such food commodities which are superior in
quality and available round the year e.g. ice cream filled cones and nuts in ice cream retaining their natural crunch,
fresh milk stored on the shelf for months and crisp croutons in ready to serve cream soup.
The aesthetic value of food is very important just like texture, taste and flavor. To be able to offer to the consumer
quality cuisine having desired texture, taste, flavor and aesthetic appeal, basic knowledge of food science and its
application is necessary. Every food handler should have knowledge of composition, structure and behavior of food
and the changes that take place during cooking, holding and storage; as well as what happens to food when it is
consumed i.e. its digestion, absorption and metabolism in the human body. Before moving ahead it is necessary to
know what is food and nutrition and the other related terms:

1.1 Food :-

is a basic part of our existence as it provides nutrition to maintain our health. Food, nutrition and

health are intimately connected aspects of our life. It is necessary to have knowledge of some of the terms related
to food health and nutrition. They are discussed in the following lines:

Definitions:Food:-

food is that which nourishes our body. Food may also be defined as anything eatable or drinkable which

meets provides energy, builds, regulates and protects human body. In other words food is raw material from which
our body is made of.

Nutrition:-

nutrition has been defined as the food at work in the body. Nutrition includes everything that

happens to food from eating until it used in the body. It is the result of the type of food supplied to the body and
how the body uses the food supplied to it. The science of nutrition deals with what nutrients are required, how
much are required why are they required and from where they can be availed.

Nutritional status

is the state of the body as a result of the food consumed and their use by the body.

Nutritional status can be good, fair and poor.

Good nutritional status :

the characteristics of a good nutritional status are : alert good natured

personality, a well developed body with normal weight for the height, well developed and firm muscles, healthy
skin, reddish pink color of eyelids and membranes of mouth, a good layer of subcutaneous fat, clear eyes, smooth
and glossy hair, good appetite and excellent health. A good general health is evident by stamina for work, regular
meal times, sound regular sleep and resistance to diseases.

Poor nutritional

status is evident by a listless, apathetic or irritable personality, undersized poorly

developed body, abnormal body weight ( very thin or fat and flabby body), dull or reddened eyes, very thin or very

thick layer of subcutaneous fat, lusterless and rough hair, lack of vigor and endurance for work and susceptibility to
infections. It is usually the result of a poor selection of food, irregularity of work, meal, sleep and elimination.

Malnutrition :-

it means a undesirable kind of nutrition leading to ill-health. It results from a lack of or

excess of nutrients in the diet. It includes Under-nutrition and Over-nutrition. Undernutrition is a state of
insufficient supply of essential nutrients. Overnutrition refers to excessive intake of one or more nutrients which
creates a stress in the bodily functions.

Health :-

as per the WHO health is defined as the state of complete physical, mental and social well being

and not merely the absence of diseases or infirmity.

1.2 Food Science:

The study of food is today accepted as a separate discipline which is called Food Science.

Definition:-

food science is a systematic study of the nature of food materials and the scientific

principles underlying their modification, preservation and spoilage.

The food science includes the knowledge of basic concepts of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology and
their application i.e. biochemistry / Food Chemistry, Food microbiology and Food technology / processing. Its
knowledge is necessary to prepare, package and serve wholesome and high quality food. The growing demand for
meals away from home has made the problem of serving safe, wholesome food more serious. This makes it
necessary for food handlers to understand and implement the basic principles of the food science.

1.3 Inter-relationship of Food Chemistry, Food Microbiology and Food

Processing :
Food, undergoes many chemical and physical changes during storage, preparation and cooking which affect its
quality. In food processing, the food additives, which are chemical compounds are added to improve overall
quality of food such as color, flavor, texture etc.. To ascertain that what chemicals additives are suitable for the
addition to the food it is required to have the knowledge of chemical composition of food. This knowledge is
provided by Food chemistry. Food chemistry is the science which deals with the composition, structure and
properties of food and deals with the chemical changes that take place in food. It is a major part of food science.
The chemical composition of food decides what type of microbes can grow on it and what changes take place in the
food because of the growth of microbes. The study of food microbes is called as Food Microbiology. With the
help of knowledge of food microbes the changes in food may be encouraged or prevented. Some changes caused
by microbes are desirable and planned such as ripening of cheese and making milk into curd and conversion of
glucose and fructose containing liquid into alcohol. While some other changes are harmful for the food and are
prevented e.g. food contamination causing diseases by the way of food poisoning, food infection and or may simply
cause food spoilage making the food unfit for human consumption. From the above discussion it is clear that Food
chemistry and food microbiology are intimately related to Food Processing because the selection of processes used
to improve food quality depends upon the composition of food and its ingredients. And the time and temperature of
food processing depend not only on the chemical composition but also on its microbial load and type of packaging
to be used.

1.4 Convenience food :-

rapid urbanization

and changes in our social and cultural practices have

modified the food habits of people. Industrial development in India has compelled people to migrate for rural areas
to the cities in search of employment. Number of double earning homes is ever increasing. As a result of this
buying power is increasing along with the long hours spent away from home, commuting to work places has made
the convenience food a necessity in every home. The urban work force does not have time or inclination to cook at
home or to follow traditional recipes. They rather pick up packed, clean and reasonably priced meals instead of
being engaged in cooking after returning to home from work places.
Different types of convenience foods are available in the market today. Convenience foods are foods that require
little labor and time to prepare e.g. a packet of green peas as it does not require shelling, a packet of whole wheat
flour as it already has been milled, a packet of instant idli mix and heat & eat food such as canned Palak
Paneer,Keema Chicken, sachet of soup mix etc. The benefit of convenience food is that, speed and efficiency of
cooking and service increases giving the user more time to devote to other activities. The convenience food
revolution is possible because of wide variety of chemicals which are added to food. They are called as Additives.
They are tested and permitted by law.
Thus food science covers all the aspects of food from the properties of food materials and influences of all the
factors affecting food beginning from growing to harvesting or slaughtering i.e. all stages from farm to table. A
study of food science and nutrition is beneficial to all food handlers.

Nutrients

are components of food or chemical compounds that are required by body in adequate amount to

grow, reproduce and to lead a healthy life. The nutrients that are required in large quantity by body are called

Macro Nutrients.

They are discussed in the following categories namely :

1.
2.
3.
4.

Carbohydrates.
Proteins.
Fats.
Water.

1.

Carbohydrates :-

Carbohydrates cover a wide range of natural compounds, such a starches and

sugars.
They are organic compounds made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They are called carbohydrates
because hydrogen and oxygen are present in the same proportion as in the water. They are synthesized
by all the green plants by using sun light, water and carbon dioxide. They are called as fuel of body as
they are used as the main source of energy. They are available in two forms : simple and complex.

Simple :-

Simple carbohydrates include mono and disaccharides. They are small molecules which

dissolve in water and are absorbed very quickly in the body. Glucose is an example of monosaccharide it is
present in honey, fruits and corn syrup. Members of disaccharides group are sucrose, lactose and maltose.
Sucrose is the ordinary sugar available in grocery stores. Lactose is the sugar in milk. Maltose does not
occur in the natural free form. It is formed during sprouting of grains or in digestion of starch by the
action of enzymes.

Complex :-

they include polysaccharides which are large and complex molecules containing several

hundred sugar units. They are absorbed slowly in the body. Examples of polysaccharides group starch,
dextrin, cellulose and glycogen. Starch is found in cereal grains, legumes and tubers. Glycogen is found in
meats and sea food. They are digestible polysaccharides.
Cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectin, gums and mucilage are indigestible polysaccharides. They are found in
stalks, leaves of vegetables, outer covering of seeds etc.

Digestion and Absorption of Carbohydrates :

To digest carbohydrates so that the energy contained in the carbohydrates could be used by human beings they
must metabolize, or break down, the structure of the carbohydrate molecule. This is facilitated by cooking. During
cooking processes starch is mixed with water and heated as a result the starch granules swell and eventually

rupture it is called gelatinisation. Thus Starch gelatinization is a process of breaking down the intermolecular
bonds of starch molecules in the presence of water and heat; On cooling, if enough starch is used, a gel forms.
This makes carbohydrates easily digestible. In other words cooking makes carbohydrates easy to digest. If starch
is subjected to dry heat, it breaks down to form dextrins, also called "pyrodextrins" in this context. This break
down process is known as Dextrinization. (Pyro)dextrins are mainly yellow to brown in color and dextrinization is
partially responsible for the browning of toasted bread.
It starts with the oxidation of carbohydrate with oxygen that produces carbon dioxide, water, and energy. The body
utilizes the energy and water and rids itself of the carbon dioxide. The process of breaking down the structure of a
molecule of carbohydrate into smaller molecules (ATPs, adenosine triphosphate) is called as Glycolysis.
Sugars such as galactose, glucose, and fructose that are found naturally in foods or are produced by the
breakdown of polysaccharides of carbohydrates enter into absorptive intestinal cells. After absorption, they are
transported to the liver where galactose and fructose are converted to glucose and released into the bloodstream.
The glucose may be sent directly to organs that need energy. The carbohydrates which are not used immediately
are stored in the body in the form of glycogen or are converted into fat to be used as a energy when required. It
may be transformed into glycogen (in a process called glycogenesis) for storage in the liver or muscles, or it may
be converted to and stored as fat.

The functional properties of carbohydrates are affected by temperature, pH, agitation, and the presence of other
ingredients
Temperature: Gelatinisation requires warm moist conditions. Starch is not soluble in cold water and cannot
thicken cool liquids. In order for the starch to absorb liquid, the outside of the starch granule needs to be softened
by heating
Agitation: Agitation is essential for the creation of a smooth, gelatinised sauce. If agitation is not used the starch
granules that are not exposed to liquids burst and trap the liquid around them, preventing it from reaching other
starch granules resulting in a lumpy texture
Impact of other ingredients and pH: Sugar and acid have the greatest affect on gelatinisation. Sugar competes
with starch for water therefore the starch does not absorb as much water. It also raises the temperature at which
the granules start gelatinising, making the mixture more liquid and less likely to remain stable. Acids such as
lemon juice should always be added to the mixture after it has thickened and boiled
EXAMPLE: White Sauce
When you think of Gelatinisation think of making a white sauce. A mixture of fat and starch.
First you would make a roux, which is a mixture of melted butter and flour, the continued heat softens the outer
shell of the starch granules allowing them to swell up with liquid. As you add the milk and continue to heat the
mixture the starch granules burst and the amylose and amylopectin they contain are released, capturing the liquid
causing it to thicken and form a gel. Agitation must be used whilst heating to prevent lumps.
The mixture is then further boiled for atleast a minute to ensure all of the starch has reached the desired
temperature and all of the starch is gelatinised. A pasty taste will result from any ungelatinised starch. The sauce
should look smooth and shiny if it is fully gelatinised.

Timely and sufficient supply of carbohydrates is necessary to ensure that protein is used only to build and repair
body parts and not to supply energy.
It is recommended that 55 to 60 percent of caloric intake come from
carbohydrates.