Ateneo - UPO

Foods for particular nutritional uses, dietary foods for special medical purposes and infant formula: regulatory framework, composition, intended use and typologies.
EU and national regulatory framework on food supplements, botanicals, novel foods, fortified foods, labeling and nutritional/health claims - Botanicals - Classes of food supplements - Claims related to supplementation: examples of labels. Food supplements formulation and technology

Cabras, Martelli: Chimica degli Alimenti. Piccin Editore
Mannina, Daglia, Ritieni: La Chimica e gli Alimenti, CEA
Belitz, Grosch, Schieberle: Food Chemistry, Springer
- F. Evangelisti, P. Restani: Prodotti Dietetici, Ed. Piccin Padova
Italian and European Official Journals (and supplements)
Slides presented during the course and material provided by the teacher
For insight into the topics: Scientific literature cited in the slides.

A first objective will concern the transfer of regulatory knowledge regarding food, food supplements, novel foods and labeling.
The discussion of different case studies and the presentation of practical examples will allow students to reach a reasoned deepening of the topics, in a critical and autonomous way. The acquired knowledge will be useful to students not only to have a broad and exhaustive view of foods for special purposes and food supplements and their technological aspects of foods), but also to have the necessary tools to keep themselves updated in view of future work.

A basic knowledge in Nutrition Biochemistry and in Food Chemistry is required,
this last one fundamental for the understanding of the lessons of the present course.

The teaching method used provides ex-cathedra lectures given by the teacher, complemented by class discussion of cases study, therefore expecting to establish an interactive approach with the class. The discussion of selected case studies is aimed to improve the capacity to critically understand the arguments correlated to the course, permitting to the student to acquire autonomously the main knowledge, although under the guide of the teacher..

None

The assessment of the learning is based on an oral test, focused on the themes developed in the course. During the exam, the student will have to present, in the form of a presentation, the results of his own analysis of the label of a product assigned by the teacher before the exam, belonging to the class of products for special nutrition or food supplements, with attention to the regulatory aspects, composition, ingredients used and the technological aspects of product.
Passing the exam requires a sufficient knowledge of the various topics covered, higher grades are achieved when the student responds correctly to questions set in "problem solving mode", linking independently different aspects of the program.

Definitions, regulatory framework relating to labelling, fortified foods, nutritional and health claims.
Products intended for particular nutritional uses and common foods for dietary purposes. Regulatory framework, composition, intended use and typologies.
1) Baby food. Composition of cow's milk and breast milk: significant differences in nutrients. Breastmilk replacement formulas: infant formulas and follow-on formulas. Weaning products and other baby foods (cereal-based products, baby food, etc.). Compositional criteria, technological and regulatory aspects. 2) Weight control products. Criteria for the formulation of low-calorie diets and substitute products, legislation. Foods for special dietary regimes: ketogenic diet.
3) Foods intended for special medical purposes. Artificial nutrition: principles, applicability. Polymeric, oligomeric enteral diets, semi-elementary and elementary or pathology-specific diets. Parenteral nutrition: applicability criteria, limits of use. Use of amino acids in artificial clinical nutrition: generic and special amino acid mixtures. Energetic substrates in NPs. Lipid emulsions. Stability of mixtures for NP. Special formulas for infants or for low birth weight or preterm infants. Formulas for infants with congenital metabolic diseases. Special products for amino acid metabolism disorders. Branched-chain amino acids: metabolism, types of products. 4) Foods with low sodium content. Hyposodium and asode salts. Composition, limits of use. 5) Gluten-free foods. Composition of products formulated at national or European level, technological aspects, health care. 6) Foods adapted to an intense muscular effort. Energy or energy-saline supplements, protein and/or amino acid supplements: composition, difference from normal supplements. Biological role of carnitine, creatine, ornithine α-ketoglutarate, taurine, BCAA. Ministerial guidelines. 7) Foods for individuals affected by carbohydrate metabolism (diabetes).
EU and national regulatory framework on food supplements, botanicals, novel foods
Food supplements: types of products (capsules, tablets, liquid products, etc.) and their production technology. Discussion on the main classes of food supplements (integration of vitamins and minerals; maintenance of normal lipid framework; stimulation of the immune system; adaptogens, etc.) Medical devices: definition and application examples. Integration-related claims: examples of labels
Herbal products for "health" purposes - Botanicals - Compositional criteria, limits of use
Botanical species that can be used for the production of supplements with herbal connotations, regulatory framework.
Examples of bioactive compounds (resveratrol, bioactive carotenoids, anthocyanins, bioflavonoids, beta glucans, lignans, alkylresorcinols, bioactive molecules from soy and other legumes, glucosamine, curcumin, glutathione and sulfur amino acids, lipoic acid; hypericin/hyperforin, policosanols, astaxanthin, Coenzyme Q10, berberine, bromelain, apple tonin, omega 3, DHA/EPA, prebiotics, carnitine, creatine, other examples of molecules of nutraceutical-food interest).
Novel food: examples of foods and discussion of the EFSA approval process. Food and ingredient design: strategies for calorie reduction; fat/sugar reduction, salt reduction; "functionalization" of foods; exploitation of new ingredients.

At the end of the course students must demonstrate the acquisition of basic knowledge, as well as specific and advanced knowledge related to the regulatory framework and the main bioactive compounds present in food for particular purposes or in food supplements, or in the ingredients used for the formulation of food supplements. In addition, students must demonstrate knowledge of the technological aspects and processes for obtaining special foods , food supplements and functional ingredients. Finally, students will have to demonstrate to possess the knowledge necessary to complete previously acquired information in food science. Students will have to be able to present the topics using appropriate technical language, necessary to interface with other professional figures (in particular, dieticians, pharmacists and food technologists).