Chemistry of Food
Chemistry of food is the study of chemical responses of the non-biological and biological components of food.
It describes the chemical components of food and its molecular composition. It helps us to comprehend the biochemical reactions that affect food quality. It provides information on chemical components of food like carbohydrates and proteins. Chemistry of food is also an analysis of the food quality and issues of contamination.
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- Carbohydrates
They are chemical compounds found in plants and animals. They are molecular food components that provide energy to the human body. These molecules are water, oxygen, and hydrogen. Also called simple sugars. They are present in foods like sugars, wheat products, vegetables, and fruits. They have three classifications, which is monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.
- Water
It is a major chemical component of food. Regardless of its benefits in diet, it facilitates bacterial growth in food leading to spoilage. The amount of water in food determines its shelf life. To increase the shelf life of the food containing water can be done by reducing the amount of water. It is by refrigeration or drying of the water. It is in foods such as cabbage, lettuce, meat, and tomatoes.
- Proteins
They help in cell structure and functioning. They are also crucial in building blocks of the human body. Proteins comprise of amino acids that form their structures. Their natural state can be affected by heat, acid, or freezing. Examples include eggs, meat, legumes, and milk.
- Lipids
They help in storing energy and also form structural materials of cells. Lipids are mostly fats from animal products. They contain twice the energy found in carbohydrates; hence people tend to minimize them in their diet. These lipids are essential in flavouring and improving food texture.
Lipids mostly are not soluble in water because of their non-polar character.
Their examples include fatty acids, sterol lipids, glycolipids, saccharolipids, and others.
- Enzymes
They comprise of compounded in proteins. They help in catalyzing biochemical reactions in food. It speeds up reactions and reducing the energy needed for the chemical reactions. In the food industry, these enzymes are crucial in the processing of bread, cakes, dairy products, and beer.
- Vitamins
They are essential in small quantities for critical metabolic processes in the body. They are either water-soluble or soluble in fats. Those soluble in water are such as vitamin C, and those soluble in fats are such as vitamin E. Vitamins when taken in adequate quantities help to stop diseases like anemia, scurvy, and beriberi. While when taken in excess can cause vomiting and nausea. They can also cause deaths.
- Minerals
These are essential in the human diet. They are necessary for human survival. However, they should use up in small amounts. The essential minerals in the human diet are such as calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron, and potassium. They get consumed as dietary supplements.
- Food additives
These are products added to food to help in improving food quality and its look. They also add taste and preserve food. They include flavoring agents, food colors, preservatives, stabilizing substances, cakes agents, and thickeners.
- Coloring
They add food coloring to enhance or improve the color of any food. It helps in making food more appealing. The chemicals are unnatural. We have a natural coloring dye, such as caramel used in food coloring. Manufacturers use it in foods such as pickles, bread, and soy sauce.
- Flavors
It helps in improving the smell of food and taste. These flavors are naturally formed, such as sugar and salt. Chemical flavors added to food include methyl and lactic acid, which both improve the state of food.
Effects of food processing on chemical components of food
Food processing involves various treatments on food substances such as cooling, freezing, cooling fermenting, adding acid, and subjecting food to high pressure. This process affects the chemical components of food components and their relation to each other. It can affect their health benefits. The water-soluble food nutrients are affected when exposed to high temperatures during processing reduce their value.
New compounds can get produced during processing, which may have disadvantageous or advantageous effects. Modifications caused by heat treatments can affect palatability, digestibility, or absorption of food. Also, harmful chemical compounds or beneficial chemical compounds may be produced liable to processing conditions and food formulation.
Experts can improve food nutrients and chemical compounds in a way that helps to increase their nutritional value. For example, citrus fruits can get modified to hydroxylated products by drying hence adding more value to citrus products as it used to cure tumors.
The cooking of food also changes the chemical composition of the food. Some people prefer to eat raw vegetables to avoid losing their nutritional value by cooking. Heating food is essential, though, as it prevents diseases caused by eating uncooked food like meat.
It is advisable to research on the chemical changes of food and the effects on their nutritional value before processing them. This information will help in scientific guidance for the best processing method.
Chemical issues in food quality and spoilage
Enzyme activities or microbial activities cause chemical food spoilage. These chemical activities cause an undesirable change in food quality. These may include staling or changing of food color. It also includes bad smells and reducing in size. Chemistry of food helps us to understand these processes and slow them down.
Enzyme analysis gives suggestions of causes of chemical spoilage in food. Color problems in food are due to specific enzymatic activities like amylase, lipase, and alkaline phosphatase.
Conclusion
Chemistry of food is beneficial as it allows us to know food chemical compounds and their nutrition. It also helps us to understand what happens in food during processing, cooking and storing.
Studying the chemistry of food equips the food processing industries with information on techniques to use on food manufacturing without altering the nutritional value of food. It also provides knowledge on how to prevent food spoilages and decomposition. It is hence a very crucial study in our everdaylife.