Food Science and Technology Midterm
Exam Questions and Answers
Food Science - Correct Answers -An applied science associated exclusively with foods
and food systems that incorporates the following basic science disciplines:
biology, chemistry, physics, engineering
Food Technology - Correct Answers -The application of food science to the selection,
preservation, processing, packaging, distribution, and use of safe, nutritious and
wholesome food.
Food Science as an Applied Science - Correct Answers -The scientific study of raw food
material and their behavior during development, formulation, processing, packaging,
storage, and evaluation
-scientific study of foods prior to consumption
-transformation of raw/inedible material into edible material
Nutrition as an Applied Science - Correct Answers -Scientific study of food utilization for
the promotion and maintenance of health and wellness
-this scientific study focuses on the impact of foods after consumption
Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) - Correct Answers -substances under conditions
of their intended use do NOT require premarket approval--this is a legal term that
describes food ingredients that are considered safe enough to enter the market
WITHOUT prior government approval or restrictions (STREAMLINED PROCESS--
COMPANIES DETERMINE IF INGREDIENT IS GRAS, NOT GOVT)
Example of GRAS additive - Correct Answers -soy protein isolate is intentionally added
into food and is considered safe
Food Additive Safety (FAS) Determination - Correct Answers -Pre-market approval by
the FDA is REQUIRED
Two important points regarding GRAS and FAS - Correct Answers -1. safety
determination is always limited to substance's intended condition of use
,2. main difference between GRAS and FAS relates to who has access to scientific data
and info and who has reviewed the scientific data and info
GRAS notification program - Correct Answers -voluntary program informing the FDA of
GRAS determination
Sensory Evaluation - Correct Answers -Scientifically testing food, (measurements) using
the human senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing
Olfactory senses in food evaluation - Correct Answers --odors are important preliminary
cues to the acceptability of a food before it enters the mouth
-nasal organs are capable of detecting aromas
-additional olfactory receptors located in mouth (vol compounds can travel from mouth
to nasal cavity)
Odors - Correct Answers -volatile compounds that interact with ~10 million olfactory
receptors
How do volatile compounds come into contact with olfactory receptors? - Correct
Answers -1. sniffing (actual food or wafting)
2.swallowing food (vacuum that draws volatile compound into nose from mouth)
3. exhaling after swallowing (impt in determining aftertaste)
Taste buds - Correct Answers -perception of taste of foods-tight clusters of gustatory
and supportive cells encircling a pore-located throughout the tongue *impt to shift foods
around the mouth so taste buds can become activated)
When will taste perception diminish? - Correct Answers -Taste perception diminishes
over lifespan and is highest in children, decreasing about 50% in adults (dec size and
number of taste buds)
5 basic tastes - Correct Answers -sweet, salty, bitter, sour, umami
What causes sour foods to taste sweet? - Correct Answers -effect is due to miraculin (a
glycoprotein) which binds to the tongues taste buds and causes sour foods to taste
sweet (ex. miracle fruit)---At low pH the glycoprotein binds proteins and is able to
activate sweet receptors, resulting in sweet taste
Flavor Enhancer - Correct Answers -Additive used to improve flavors WITHOUT
contributing to s specific/identifiable taste - ex. MSG
Flavor Inhibitor - Correct Answers -substance that blocks taste perception-ex. miracle
fruit--blocks sour taste
, Threshold Level - Correct Answers -Level at which taste can be noted--varies among
individuals-below this taste level individual components can still influence overall taste
(ex. adding sugar/honey)--whereas after threshold is met, these additions will NOT
influence the recipe or taste
Sub-level threshold - Correct Answers -a taste component that is not detectable but can
influence OTHER taste perceptions--ex. salt inc sweetness and dec sourness, acid
increases saltiness, sugar dec. saltiness and bitterness
Astringency - Correct Answers -pucker feeling in mouth created by some compounds
(tannins)
Coolness - Correct Answers -pungency BroughtW by menthol (mint, xylitol/sugar
alcohols)
Capsaicinoids - Correct Answers -responsible for burning/fiery feeling due to chill
peppers, ginger, black pepper
Glucosinolates - Correct Answers -pungent flavor/bitter taste from mustard, horseradish,
cabbage
3 areas referred to as Trigeminal Cavity (in FLAVOR) - Correct Answers -Mouth cavity,
taste buds, olfactory receptors
Flavor - Correct Answers -sensory message that blends TASTE AND SMELL in the
mouth as well as texture temp and more-this is more abstract
What work does Flavor require? - Correct Answers -requires work from taste buds,
olfactory receptors and mouth cavity
Taste - Correct Answers -refers to the sense--chemical process in which taste receptors
respond to molecules in food (sweet, sour, bitter, umami)
Atoms - Correct Answers -smallest component of an element having chemical
properties of the element--made up of subatomic particles (electrons, protons, neutrons)
Elements - Correct Answers -a basic substance that CANNOT be simplified
Four common atoms in food - Correct Answers -carbon, oxygen, nitrogen & hydrogen
Subatomic Particles - Correct Answers -basic unit of which all atoms are made of:
electrons, protons, and neutrons--each contain an electrical charge which affects an
elements stability
Outer layer of particle - Correct Answers -affects stability and creates a pulling effect --
imbalance in chemical pull=chemical reaction