Importance of food chemistry / Food engineering

Since its inception man has sought ways to evolve in terms of food, structurally studying the way food is composed, especially chemically, since the shape depends on its composition in which we must process, conserve, transport and consume food, and if we go further we are also obliged to know the nutritional form of those foods that we consume, for this we are the importance of focusing on the study of food chemistry .

Since its inception, humanity has sustained a continuous struggle against hunger, which is and will continue to be one of its main enemies. However, the importance of food technology was recognized very recently, and only a few years ago there was a real concern throughout the world for the implementation of new methodologies for the production, processing and conservation of food products.

Science has focused a special dedication to dedicate itself to the study of food processing, emerging as an imperative need to train qualified individuals, capable of understanding and solving the different problems that arise in this priority area of ​​development; A common feature to all of them is their knowledge of food chemistry, which is in some way related to all the products we eat.

In the last decades our knowledge about biochemistry has increased in a very considerable way; The discovery of metabolic pathways used by cells, both animals and plants, has led to the birth of other sciences based on biochemistry, such as enzymology, which is of great importance in food. The scientific and technological knowledge that we currently have is extraordinarily broad and deep compared to those of the food technicians of a while back, this advance largely, I think, is due to the dedication and deepening of the study It has done to the food from the chemical point of view.

Each of the different components of the food has created an entire specialized area of ​​studies; for example, there are highly qualified personnel who work on certain aspects of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, or the flavors of food. Each time the specialization is more necessary, since the accumulation of knowledge increases daily.

The chemistry of food is directly related to all the transformations that these suffer throughout the manipulations to which they are subject. It is a science that is becoming increasingly important as it represents the basic structure of knowledge that supports all technologies related to food.

Conclusion

As we all know, foods in their natural state have a specific chemical composition, which will depend on the alternatives available for processing, storage and subsequent distribution and consumption, not only will these processes depend on the importance of give food chemistry, but also to assess the nutritional status of each type of food in the consumption of food in humans.

The profile of the food engineer must go beyond food processing, that is, our study and contribution to society must also focus on the nutritional quality of the food we process, it is important to be aware of the classification of food within its chemical chain, since it is not the same food in the form of carbohydrates to a protein, or a protein to a lipid, with all this the chemistry of food will center the solid foundations so that we food engineers become aware and deepen the study of food chemistry to be part of the generation of quality food, which are at the forefront of consumer demands.