Ateneo - UPO

The course combines the theoretical study of foods (particularly dietary supplements and special foods) with practical laboratory applications of methods for their chemical-analytical characterization.
The first part of the theoretical lectures will focus on:
- Food labeling, nutritional aspects, and nutritional and health claims;
- Fortified foods and dietary supplements;
- Novel Foods;
- Nutraceuticals and bioactive substances, polyphenols and their bioaccessibility;
- Preparatory lessons for laboratory activities.
The laboratory activities will use various types of food matrices as case studies—including fortified foods, botanicals, and agro-industrial by-products—to allow for the practical application of theoretical concepts. The contents of the laboratory activities will include:
- The determination of parameters for the nutritional label;
- The preparation of extracts from plant matrices and agro-industrial by-products;
- The characterization of bioactive substances of interest;
- The evaluation of the oxidation process and antioxidant activity.

Slides and material provided by the teachers through DIR.

Reference texts:
* La chimica e gli alimenti – nutrienti e aspetti nutraceutici, a cura di L. Mannina, M. Daglia, A. Ritieni, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana
* CHIMICA DEGLI ALIMENTI, a cura di A. Martelli, P. Cabras. Piccin Editore
* Principi di chimica degli alimenti - Cappelli, Vannucchi. Seconda edizione, Zanichelli editore, 2024
* G. Liguri e M. Stefani: Nutrizione e dietologia, aspetti clinici dell’alimentazione 2° ed., Zanichelli, Bologna
* Italian and European Official Journals (and supplements)

For food analysis:
* ANALISI DEI PRODOTTI ALIMENTARI, Cabras, Tuberoso, Ed. Piccin, Padova, 2014

In line with the educational objectives of the course and the Master's Degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology (CTF) – which aim to train a professional profile capable of managing the entire supply chain of pharmaceuticals and health products – the specific learning objectives for the Dietary Supplements and Special Foods module can be defined as follows:

-To acquire an in-depth knowledge of the current national and European regulatory framework governing advanced categories of food products, such as enriched foods, dietary supplements, and Novel Foods, in terms of labeling, nutritional aspects, and nutrition and health claims. The acquisition of this theoretical knowledge is aimed at understanding the chemical, nutritional, and health-related characteristics of food products and critically evaluating their regulatory compliance.

- To understand the chemical and functional properties of nutraceutical products and the mechanisms governing the bioaccessibility of bioactive substances (with a particular focus on polyphenols). The goal is to integrate chemical-food competencies with the biological and pharmacological foundations typical of the CTF curriculum.

- To develop practical laboratory skills for the chemical-analytical characterization of complex food matrices, including botanicals and agro-industrial by-products, through the application of basic extraction techniques and analytical and instrumental methodologies (UV-Vis spectrophotometry, liquid and gas chromatography, SDS-PAGE electrophoresis). the practical activity is oriented toward integrating the previously discussed theoretical aspects to implement advanced experimental and instrumental skills.

The integration of theoretical aspects with laboratory experimentation aims to stimulate an aptitude for innovation and problem-solving, while also fostering the maturation of professional independent judgment and the ability to clearly and effectively communicate analytical, nutritional, and regulatory data to both industry experts (companies, regulatory bodies) and the non-specialist public.

To get the most out of this course, it is recommended that students have a basic understanding of the topics covered in the courses Food Chemistry, Applied Biochemistry, Methods of Pharmaceutical Analysis 1, and Methods of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2.

Theoretical Lectures (24 hours): traditional lectures integrated with in-class discussions of specific case studies, aiming for an interactive approach with the students. The discussion of case studies is designed to ground the students' understanding of the topics in a critical manner. This will enable them to independently apply the acquired knowledge, under the guidance of the instructor.

Laboratory (64 hours): practical sessions where theoretical and regulatory concepts are applied to various food matrices (used as study models). Students will perform analyses by following and interpreting the provided protocols. They must record the steps taken in their laboratory notebook, perform the necessary calculations to express results in the correct units of measurement, and complete the analytical reports.

Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), or Special Educational Needs (SEN) can request specific services and tools by contacting the Career Development and Coordination and Student Services Staff and by consulting the dedicated page on the University website: https://uniupo.it/it/servizi/servizi-studentesse-e-studenti-condizione-di-disabilità-e-dsa.
Students with disabilities, SLD, or SEN, after contacting the University Staff, can contact the professor in charge of the course regarding the specific exam modalities and teaching aspects.

Assessment of student learning includes an in-course exam covering all topics addressed during lectures (including safety regulations). Assessment is based on a written exam consisting of multiple-choice questions, the resolution of calculation exercises, and, finally, open-ended questions. The first part, featuring multiple-choice questions, will assess basic knowledge; the resolution of numerical problems will assess independence in managing and processing analytical data, as well as basic knowledge of food analysis; the open-ended questions will evaluate, in addition to general knowledge of the topic, the depth of study, skills, and soft skills achieved. In particular, the ability to understand the topic to be developed, the ability to connect different aspects of the program, and the ability to have an overview of the requested topic will be assessed. Each multiple-choice question, exercise, or open-ended question will be assigned a score proportionate to its level of difficulty, for a total of 33 points.

Theoretical Lessons
Regulation 1169/2011. Labeling. Substances that cause allergies or intolerances.
Nutrition Facts Panel and related specifics. Reference intakes, conversion factors for energy calculation, expression and presentation of the Nutrition Facts Panel.
Additional information to be included on the label. Listing and designation of ingredients.
LARN and Guidelines for Healthy Eating.
“Voluntary” food labeling: Traffic Light System, Nutriscore, Nutrinform BATTERY.
Regulation 1924/2006: scope of application, definitions of claims. Nutritional claims and health claims: description, categories, and examples. Consultation of the European database on health claims.
Novel foods and related regulations (258/97 and 2015/2283).
Dietary supplements: sector-specific regulations (Directive 2002/46/EC and Regulation 1170/2019), definition, and general characteristics.
List of other nutrients and other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect.
Food supplements based on probiotics and prebiotics.
Use of botanicals in food supplements.
Ministerial Decree of August 10, 2018: description of Annex 1 and Annex 2.
Herbal products.
Foods: Nutrition and Well-being—General Principles for a Balanced Diet, Gut Microbiota.
Considerations on Macronutrients: Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats, Vitamins, and Minerals; Role of Fiber; Resistant Starch.
Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load.
Nutraceutical Compounds and Functional Foods.
Polyphenolic compounds: general characteristics and bound polyphenols; bioaccessibility and metabolism of polyphenolic compounds; effect of processing.
Methods for the analysis of food products.
Water content determination: heating and Karl Fischer methods. Protein determination: total nitrogen (Kjeldahl and Dumas), principles, equipment, safety regulations, correction factors. Extraction of the protein fraction; SDS-PAGE electrophoresis; one- and two-dimensional urea-PAGE. Lipids: Soxhlet extraction; Gerber method for lipids in milk and dairy products. Methods for assessing lipid quality: acidity, peroxide value, and p-anisidine value. Olive oils. Esterified fatty acids (GC). Sugars: reducing sugars using the Fehling method; sucrose using a polarimeter (Clerget), refractometry, and Brix degrees. Fiber: composition, crude fiber, detergent-extracted fiber, and dietary fiber (total, soluble, and insoluble). Ash determination. Enzymatic analysis: significance, sample preparation, methods, and operating protocols. Extraction of bioactive components from food matrices. Tests to evaluate the antioxidant activity of foods. Application of instrumental analyses (HPLC, GC, atomic absorption) to food analysis.

Laboratory
The analytical methods described in the theoretical lectures will be applied to the analysis of various types of food matrices—including fortified foods, botanicals, and byproducts of the agro-industrial food supply chain. Case studies will include milk, ω-3-fortified milk, lactose-free milk and cheese, etc., as well as botanicals such as red grapevine leaves and byproducts such as cocoa bean hulls.
In particular, the laboratory activities will focus on:
- Sample preparation.
- Analysis of the centesimal composition: moisture, protein, ash, lipids, starch, and total dietary fiber.
- Enzymatic analysis: determination of lactose in lactose-free foods.
- Preparation of extracts from plant matrices and agro-industrial by-products using ultrasound-assisted extraction.
- Characterization of bioactive substances: total polyphenol content, total flavonoids, total procyanidins and anthocyanins; total chlorophyll and carotenoid content.
- Evaluation of the oxidation process (peroxide value, oxidation index) and antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS methods).
- Chromatographic analysis (HPLC-DAD) for the characterization of bioactive compounds (polyphenols, methylxanthines).
- Chromatographic analysis (GC-FID) for the characterization of fatty acids (following methylation).
- Electrophoretic analysis (SDS-PAGE) for the characterization of the protein profile.
- Principles of statistical analysis for data validation: descriptive statistics, correlation and regression, multivariate analysis (Principal Component Analysis).

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• Outline the national and European regulatory framework on labeling, nutritional profiles, and claims, defining the characteristics of different categories of food products (with particular reference to enriched foods, dietary supplements, and Novel Foods).
• Understand the chemical-functional properties of nutraceuticals and the factors governing the bioaccessibility of bioactive substances in food matrices, with particular reference to polyphenols.
• Describe the main laboratory procedures and analytical techniques for the determination of nutritional parameters, the preparation of extracts from food matrices and by-products, the characterization of bioactive substances, and the evaluation of their antioxidant properties.
• Apply extraction and instrumental techniques (UV-Vis spectrophotometry, liquid and gas chromatography, SDS-PAGE electrophoresis) in the laboratory to characterize complex food matrices, botanicals, and supply chain by-products.
• Process experimental data to define nutritional labeling parameters and evaluate the composition and functionality of special foods and high value-added by-products.
• Independently evaluate the regulatory compliance and chemical-nutritional profile of different categories of food products.
• Integrate chemical-food concepts with biological and pharmacological foundations (typical of CTF course) to formulate critical judgments on the quality of health food products.
• Solve operational problems related to analytical variability and the critical issues of the agro-food and nutraceutical supply chains.
• Present analytical, nutritional, and regulatory data derived from experimental activities in a clear and scientifically rigorous manner.
• Employ technical language to communicate effectively with both industry experts (pharmaceutical/food companies and regulatory bodies) and a general audience (consumers).
• Independently update their knowledge regarding the evolution of European regulations, new ingredients and protocols for their use, and analytical instrumental technologies.
• Transfer theoretical knowledge into laboratory practice, developing a critical attitude oriented toward process and product innovation.