Food science

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Food science (also called bromatology) is the applied science devoted to the study of food. The Institute of Food Technologists defines it 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."

Overview

Activities of food scientists include the development of new food products, design of processes to produce these foods, choice of packaging materials, shelf-life studies, sensory evaluation of the product with panels or potential consumers, as well as microbiological and chemical testing. Food scientists may study more fundamental phenomena that are directly linked to the production of food products and its properties.

Food science is a highly interdisciplinary field. It incorporates concepts from many different fields including microbiology, chemical engineering, and biochemistry. Some professional associations are The International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), Food Scientists and Nutritionists Association India (fsna india), South African Association for Food Science and Technology (SAAFoST).

Disciplines

Some of the subdisciplines of food science include:

• Food chemistry – the molecular composition of food and the involvement of these molecules in chemical reactions
  • Food physical chemistry- the study of both physical and chemical interactions in foods in terms of physical and chemical principles applied to food systems, as well as the application of physicochemical techniques and instrumentation for the study and analysis of foods
• Food engineering – the industrial processes used to manufacture food
• Food microbiology – the positive and negative interactions between micro-organisms and foods
• Food packaging – the study of how packaging is used to preserve food after it has been processed and contain it through distribution
• Food preservation – the causes and prevention of quality degradation
• Food safety – the causes, prevention and communication dealing with food borne illness
• Food technology – the technological aspects
• Molecular gastronomy – the scientific investigation of processes in cooking, social and artistic gastronomical phenomena
• New product development – the invention of new food products
• Sensory analysis – the study of how food is perceived by the consumer's senses

By country

United States

In the United States, food science is typically studied at land-grant universities.

The main U.S. organization regarding food science and food technology is the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, which is the US member organisation of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST).

Publications

Popular books on some aspects of food science or kitchen science have been written by Harold McGee and Howard Hillman, among others.

Notable food science journals include:

• Food and Bioprocess Technology
• LWT- Food Science and Technology

See also

• Aseptic processing
• Dietary supplement
• Food fortification
• Food preservation
• Food rheology
• Food storage
• Foodpairing
• Nutraceutical

References

• Wanucha, Genevieve. "Two Happy Clams: The Friendship that Forged Food Science". Food Technology. November 2009. p. 88.

External links

• Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology - Canada
• Food Science Australia
• Institute of Food Technologists - United States
• Institute of Food Science and Technology - United Kingdom
• International Union of Food Science and Technology and its regional chapters