FOS Notes 2
Chemistry of Food Composition
1. Living things are made up primarily of 6 elements
a. Carbon
b. Hydrogen
c. Nitrogen
d. Oxygen
e. Phosphorus
f. Sulfur
2. Macronutrients
a. Provide the body with energy
b. Larger quantities
3. Micronutrients
a. Essential for health
b. Smaller quantities
4. Water
a. The most important nutrient
b. Essential for life, required for digesting, absorbing
c. Human body is 60-70% water
d. We get this water from food and beverages
i. Fruits and vegetables (70-95%)
ii. Milk (90%)
iii. Meats (70% average)
e. Bound Water
i. Incorporated into the chemical structure of other food
components
ii. Not easily removed from foods, resistant to freezing and
drying
iii. Not readily available to act as a medium
f. Free water
i. Available for microbial growth and chemical reaction
g. Hydrogen bonds
i. These bonds are responsible for many of the unique
properties of water, such as its high boiling point, high
specific heat, surface tension, and solvent capabilities
ii. High specific heat
1. Amount of heat required to raise the temperature of
1g of substance 1 Celsius
iii. High latent heat
, 1. Amount of energy released or absorbed for a
substance to undergo a phase change
h. Increasing temp, increases kinetic energy (energy of motion)
i. Water
i. Dispersions
1. Mixtures containing particles (solid, liquid, or gas)
dispersed in a continuous phase (solid, liquid, or gas)
ii. True solutions (particle size <1nm)
1. Solutes complete dissolve and will not precipitate
2. Ex: carbonated water, alcoholic beverages
iii. Colloids ( particle size between 1nm and 1um)
1. Particles are too large to truly dissolve
2. Emulsions (ex: milk, butter), gels foams
iv. Suspensions (particle size >1um)
1. Very unstable, particles will eventually settle out
2. Ex: oil and vinegar dressing
j. Chemical Reactions
i. Ionization
ii. Solutes ionize into electrically charged ions
k. pH changes
i. Particpate in acid-base
l. Hydrolysis
i. Water breaks a chemical bond
m. Carbon dioxide Release
i. Baking powder needs water to release CO2
5. Macromolecules
a. Large complex molecules that play crucial roles in the structure
and function of all living organisms
i. Carbohydrates
ii. Lipids
iii. Proteins
b. The building blocks of the foods we eat
i. Body’s energy supply, growth, and cellular repair
6. Carbohydrates
a. Composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, typically in a ratio of
1:2:1
b. Broadly defined as compounds that consist of sugar molecules
i. Simple and complex forms
1. Chemical structure and how quickly they are
digested and absorbed in the body
Chemistry of Food Composition
1. Living things are made up primarily of 6 elements
a. Carbon
b. Hydrogen
c. Nitrogen
d. Oxygen
e. Phosphorus
f. Sulfur
2. Macronutrients
a. Provide the body with energy
b. Larger quantities
3. Micronutrients
a. Essential for health
b. Smaller quantities
4. Water
a. The most important nutrient
b. Essential for life, required for digesting, absorbing
c. Human body is 60-70% water
d. We get this water from food and beverages
i. Fruits and vegetables (70-95%)
ii. Milk (90%)
iii. Meats (70% average)
e. Bound Water
i. Incorporated into the chemical structure of other food
components
ii. Not easily removed from foods, resistant to freezing and
drying
iii. Not readily available to act as a medium
f. Free water
i. Available for microbial growth and chemical reaction
g. Hydrogen bonds
i. These bonds are responsible for many of the unique
properties of water, such as its high boiling point, high
specific heat, surface tension, and solvent capabilities
ii. High specific heat
1. Amount of heat required to raise the temperature of
1g of substance 1 Celsius
iii. High latent heat
, 1. Amount of energy released or absorbed for a
substance to undergo a phase change
h. Increasing temp, increases kinetic energy (energy of motion)
i. Water
i. Dispersions
1. Mixtures containing particles (solid, liquid, or gas)
dispersed in a continuous phase (solid, liquid, or gas)
ii. True solutions (particle size <1nm)
1. Solutes complete dissolve and will not precipitate
2. Ex: carbonated water, alcoholic beverages
iii. Colloids ( particle size between 1nm and 1um)
1. Particles are too large to truly dissolve
2. Emulsions (ex: milk, butter), gels foams
iv. Suspensions (particle size >1um)
1. Very unstable, particles will eventually settle out
2. Ex: oil and vinegar dressing
j. Chemical Reactions
i. Ionization
ii. Solutes ionize into electrically charged ions
k. pH changes
i. Particpate in acid-base
l. Hydrolysis
i. Water breaks a chemical bond
m. Carbon dioxide Release
i. Baking powder needs water to release CO2
5. Macromolecules
a. Large complex molecules that play crucial roles in the structure
and function of all living organisms
i. Carbohydrates
ii. Lipids
iii. Proteins
b. The building blocks of the foods we eat
i. Body’s energy supply, growth, and cellular repair
6. Carbohydrates
a. Composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, typically in a ratio of
1:2:1
b. Broadly defined as compounds that consist of sugar molecules
i. Simple and complex forms
1. Chemical structure and how quickly they are
digested and absorbed in the body
