FPH-35803 Advanced Molecular Gastronomy - From ingredients to food texture (online)

Course

Credits 3.00

Language of instruction:

English.

Assumed knowledge on:

A completed BSc in Food Science and Technology or equivalent.

Contents:

The aim of the course is to educate the students in combining physical and chemical sciences with gastronomy relevant phenomena. The course will focus on science behind different products categories, in terms of textural and flavour aspects. These aspects are introduced in relation to developments in industry and restaurants. In this course we mainly focus on the product categories ice cream, bread and beer. The course included both physical and chemical aspects of these products.
Physical aspects
- different physical phenomena are described, such as sugar crystallinity, rheology of dispersions, phase transitions, diffusion, and rheology. these phenomena are discussed to understand the preparation, the stability and the shelf-life of the foods, which may be an important aspect for restaurants or industry;
- for the different food products, the role of the ingredients are discussed with respect to the structure of the food (emulsion, dispersion, foam, interface);
- the structure of the food is related to textural (sensorial properties) of the different food products. the scientific understanding of the systems will allow you to change the structure of the food and thereby control the sensory perception of the food.
Chemical aspects
- chemical aspects important to understand the sensory perception are discussed, such as astringency and bitterness. These are discussed in relation to the sensors present in our mouth to detect certain compounds;
- different ingredients related to sensory detection are discussed and the interactions between different compounds in food. The effect of time or processing conditions will be discussed and how these can alter the sensory perception;
- the ingredients are discussed in terms of their functionality in different food products. The scientific understanding of these systems will allow you to control the stability of the products.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- identify the physical phenomena and understand the mechanisms of action that play a role in products such as chocolate and bakery products;
- understand the mechanisms behind important taste modalities (bitter, astringent)
- be able to link structural aspects to texture and sensory perception;.
- be able to link taste modalities to sensory perception;
- be able to analyse chemical and physical data to link the food ingredients to their function.

Activities:

The activities during this course comprise: knowledge clips, self-study of the material, and digital case studies. The knowledge clips provide the theoretical background of the different topics. This will be complimented with written material. The case studies follow the knowledge gained from the knowledge clips and written material. The case studies are self-directing and feedback will provided during the exercises.

Examination:

Remote proctored written exam (65%) and report (35%).

Literature:

All information will be provided on Blackboard.