Aim
To introduce food, give basic knowledge in chemistry as well as about water, water solutions and properties of water in foods.

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

• define foods and food additives, give details about regulations concerning additives and give examples of additives

• explain the meaning of compounds mixtures, principles of structure of compounds, common relations between the structure and properties of compounds

• describe the structure of the water molecule and from this explain functional properties of water

• describe and explain the thumb rule "like dissolves like", which type of compounds could be expected to be water soluble, differences between salt- and molecular solutes and the effect of temperature on solubility

• explain and apply phenomena and terms such as hydrophilic, hydrophobic, diffusion, freezing point depression, boiling point elevation, osmosis, water activity

• describe how water can be bound in foods, how this affects the food quality and state approximate water content in various types of foods (understand relations between food structure and water content)

• explain the relation between how the water is bound in the foods and the structure/consistency, keeping quality, and changes during freezing

• define and use the terms pH, acid, base, amount of substance, pKa-value

• name some strong and week acids and bases and the most common acids present in foods

• describe and explain conditions and problems concerning drinking water supply, water purification, good water quality

• describe content of alcoholic beverages and describe and explain distillation of these beverages

Skills and abilities
For a passing grade the student must

• use food tables/food data bases for determination of nutritional content of foods

• measure water content and water activity

• execute calculations concerning water content

• measure pH using a pH-meter

• accomplish a basic acid-base titration and calculate concentrations and amounts

Contents
The course introduces foods and approximate content of compounds in food and gives a chemical base concerning food chemistry generally and water in foods particularly. Water as a chemical agent, structure, polarity, bonds within and between molecules, aggregation states. Water solutions, salt solutions, molecular solutions, and properties of solutions. Water in foods, absorption, capillarity, osmosis, gels, water content, water activity, freezing, salting, ph and ions in water, amount of compounds, concentration, acids and bases, basic acid-base reactions, titrations, water as food. Acids in foods. Presence and properties. pKa-value. Water and other compounds in beverages. Distillation. Calculation of concentrations and quantities. The course also contains elements of communication. The teaching is based on lectures, laborations, group exercises, study visits, guest lectures and PBL including base group meetings.

Literature
Furugren, Bo: Kompendium i livsmedelskemi och matkunskap (avsnittet t.o.m vatten).
Nilsson, H: Kompendium i kommunikation.