Food Chemistry

Abstract

The very rapid development of food chemistry and technology over the last two decades, which is due to a remarkable increase in the analytical and manufacturing possibilities, makes the complete lack of a comprehensive, teaching or reference text particularly noticeable. It is hoped that this textbook of food chemistry will help to fill this gap. In writing this volume we were able to draw on our experience from the lectures which we have given, covering various scientific subjects, over the past fifteen years at the Technical University of Munich. Since a separate treatment of the important food constituents (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, flavor compounds, etc.) and of the important food groups (milk, meat, eggs, cereals, fruits, vegetables, etc.) has proved successful in our lectures, the subject matter is also organized in the same way in this book. Compounds which are found only in particular foods are discussed where they play a distinctive role while food additives and contaminants are treated in their own chapters. The physical and chemical properties of the important constituents of foods are discussed in detail where these form the basis for understanding either the reactions which occur, or can be expected to occur, during the production, processing, storage and handling of foods or the methods used in analyzing them. An attempt has also been made to clarify the relationship between the structure and properties at the level of individual food constituents and at the level of the whole food system. The book focuses on the chemistry of foodstuffs and does not consider national or international food regulations. We have also omitted a broader discussion of aspects related to the nutritional value, the processing and the toxicology of foods. All of these are an essential part of the training of a food chemist but, because of the extent of the subject matter and the consequent specialization, must today be the subject of separate books. Nevertheless, for all important foods we have included brief discussions of manufacturing processes and their parameters since these are closely related to the chemical reactions occurring in foods. Commodity and production data of importance to food chemists are mainly given in tabular form. Each chapter includes some references which are not intended to form an exhaustive list. No preference or judgement should be inferred from the choice of references; they are given simply to encourage further reading. Additional literature of a more general nature is given at the end of the book.