Food Science

Food science is the study of the physical, chemical and biological constitute of
food; and the concepts underlying food processing.
(or)
The Institute of Food Technologists defines food science as "the discipline in
which the engineering, biological, and physical sciences are used to study the
nature of foods, the causes of deterioration, the principles underlying food
processing, and the improvement of foods for the consuming public"
(or)
The textbook Food Science defines food science in simpler terms as "the
application of basic sciences and engineering to study the physical, chemical,
and biochemical nature of foods and the principles of food processing
(or)
Food science draws from many disciplines such as biology, chemical
engineering, and biochemistry in an attempt to better understand of food
processes and ultimately improve food products for the general public. Same
time they are responsible for developing the safe & nutritious foods through
innovative packaging to the consumer.
Food Technology
The food you consume on a daily basis is the result of extensive food research, a
systematic investigation into a variety of foods’ properties and compositions.
After the initial stages of research and development comes the mass production
of food products using principles of food technology. All of these interrelated
fields contribute to the food industry – the largest manufacturing industry.
 Measurement of calorific value of food
The body requires energy for its internal and external work. This is provided by the oxidation
of food, which are present in the form of nutrient i.e. carbohydrates, proteins, etc. The
foodstuffs contain varying amounts of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and therefore, the
energy obtained from different foods vary. This can be determined by two methods:–

Direct Method and

Indirect Method

Direct Method:
The caloric value of a foodstuff can be determined by measuring the heat produced when a
given amount is completely burnt in oxygen. It is done in a ‘bomb calorimeter’ where the
oxygen is put in under considerable pressure. Since it requires a calorimeter of robust
construction, it has been called a bomb calorimeter.

The one commonly used for the purpose is the ‘Atwater’ bomb calorimeter. It consists
of a heavy steel bomb, with platinum or gold plated copper lining. It has a cover which is
held tightly by a strong screw-collar. A weighed amount of the sample is placed and the
bomb is charged with an oxygen valve. The valve is then closed and the bomb is immersed in
a weighed amount of water.

The burning of the sample is set off by an electric spark and the heat liberated is
measured by the rise in temperature of the surrounding water by means of a differential
thermometer which can read up to one-thousandth of a degree. Deduction of the heat arising
out of accessory combustions is made in order to obtain the heat liberated in calories from the
combustion of the actual sample.
Indirect Method:
The caloric value can also be determined indirectly by burning the food in oxygen in an oxy-
calorimeter. The volume of oxygen required to burn the food sample is measured and the
caloric value is calculated. The energy production is accurately related to oxygen utilization.

The calculation is based on the principle that when 1 litre of oxygen is utilized in the
oxidation of organic nutrients, approximately 4.8 Kcal of heat is liberated. The measurement
of oxygen consumption which is a relatively simple technique is now universally employed
to estimate the metabolic rate. This is ‘indirect calorimetry’.

The energy obtained as a result of complete combustion is the potential energy but the energy
liberated in the body is not the same, and this is called the physiological energy. Since
carbohydrates and
fats contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, they can be completely burnt to CO2 and water
and hence the potential energy is the same as the physiological energy. However, in the case
of the proteins, the nitrogen is eliminated as urea etc. so the physiological energy is less than
the potential energy.
 Energy value of different food constituents

Food constituents Energy value (kcal/gm)

Through Bomb calorimeter In the body

1gm protein 5.6 4

1gm carbohydrate 4.1 4

1gm fat 9.4 9

1gm alcohol (ethanol) - 7

1gm organic acids - 3

1gm fibre - 2

The term ‘energy’ or calorific value shows how much energy the human body can
gain from the food stuff. Energy requirements depend upon the age, sex, weight and physical
activity. Energy is measured in terms of Kilojoules (KJ) or Kilocalorie (Kcal).

A Kilocalorie (Kcal) is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1

kilogram of water through 1°C

1Kcal = 4.184KJ

Definitions

Mass density or density: The mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per
unit volume. The mass density of a material varies with temperature and pressure. The
variance is typically small for solids and liquids. Whenever information on temperature or
pressure was available in the literature it was added to the reference.

Density = Mass / Volume

Bulk density: Bulk density is a property of powders, granules and other solids, particularly
used in reference to mineral components (soil, gravel), chemical substances, (pharmaceutical)
ingredients, foodstuff or any other masses of corpuscular or particulate matter. It is defined as
the mass of many particles of the material divided by the total volume they occupy. The total
volume comprises particle volume, inter-particle void volume and internal pore volume.
Specific gravity: Specific gravity is the ratio of the density (mass of a unit volume) of a
substance to the density (mass of the same unit volume) of a reference substance. In most of
the cases the reference substance is water for liquids or air for gases. Specific gravity
represents a ratio and is therefore dimensionless.

The numerical values of density and specific gravity are the same if the measurement
temperature of water is 4°C. At any other temperature the measures of density and specific
gravity (with water being the reference component) will be slightly different. Precision of
data is important, however as food intake data are estimates and not precise to the exact mL,
it was decided to truncate calculated density and specific gravity data to two decimal numbers
whereas data from the literature given in three decimal number were listed as such.

Densities and specific gravities of foods

Food name and description Density in g/ml Specific gravity
(including mass and bulk
density)
Beverages, non-alcoholic (including soft drinks and juices)
Apple juice, canned or bottled, 1.04 1.05
unsweetened, with added ascorbic acid
Beverages, fruit juice drink, reduced 1.04 1.05
sugar, with vitamin E added
Carbonated beverage, tonic water 1.02 1.02
Cereal and cereal products
Barley 0.62
Breakfast cereal, cornflakes (dry cereal) 0.117
Corn/maize, germ flour 0.56
Tubers and products
Potatoes, flakes 0.21
Potatoes, powdered 0.77
Almonds 0.46
Fruits
Apple slices, dried 0.24
Vegetables
Leaves, onion, spring onion, raw 0.44
Spinach, frozen, cooked 1.046
Spinach, leaves, raw 0.08