Nutrition and Food Sciences

Food Physical Chemistry

Food physical chemistry concepts are often drawn from rheology, theories of transport phenomena, physical and chemical thermodynamics, chemical bonds and interaction forces, quantum mechanics and reaction kinetics, biopolymer science, colloidal interactions, nucleation, glass transitions and freezing, disordered/nanocrystalline solids.

Techniques utilized range widely from dynamic rheometric, optical microscopy, electron microscopy, AFM, light scattering, X-ray diffraction/neutron diffraction, to MRI, spectroscopy (NMR, FT-NIR/IR, NIRS, ESR and EPR, CD/VCD), Fluorescence, FCS, HPLC, GC-MS, and other related analytical techniques.

Understanding food processes and the properties of foods requires a knowledge of physical chemistry and how it applies to specific foods and food processes. Food physical chemistry is crucial for improving the quality of foods, their stability and food product development

Topics covered in this session include: