Publisher's Synopsis
Food contains major constituents or materials. Its composition will affect nutritional and sensory quality of food product, consequently explaining the composition of food is very essential for food production chain. The major compositions of most foods are including water, lipid, protein, carbohydrate, and enzyme. Vitamins and minerals are minor components of foods that play an essential role in human nutrition. The vitamins are commonly divided into two main groups, the water- soluble and the fat-soluble vitamins. The existence of the vitamins in the various food groups is related to their water or fat solubility. Minerals may be present as inorganic or organic salts or may be combined with organic material. Many vitamins and minerals are unstable under certain conditions of processing and storage; therefore, their content in processed foods may be considerably reduced. Some vitamins and minerals function as part of an enzyme cofactor; without them, the enzyme would be ineffective as a biocatalyst. Each component has its own physical and chemical characteristics which contribute to the final properties of food products. Knowledge of the chemistry and biochemistry behind food components and their behavior in the face of various stressors supports in making the right decisions for governing the rate of beneficial and undesirable reactions, choosing optimal storage and processing parameters, and the best use of food raw materials. This 1st volume of Encyclopaedia of Food Contaminants: Sources and Surveillance attempts to focus on the structure, physicochemical properties, and functionality of water, lipid, protein, carbohydrate, and enzyme. It covers the state of the art research and reviews on food chemistry including descriptions of the structures, properties and reactions of bulk food components - namely proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and water - and a very wide range of minor components including compounds contributing to taste, color, nutritional value or toxic effects. The properties of food dispersions are also discussed. This volume will be of valuable to food scientists, researchers, food professionals and academia understanding the knowledge of scientific advancements in the myriad disciplines of food chemistry, nutrition and applied aspects.
