Which Science Disciplines Play a Part in Food Science
Food Science applies various scientific principles to ensure a safe food supply. According to Gastronomy and Food Science, the field was traditionally defined as the science that probes the nature of foods and the changes that occur in them naturally due to handling and processing. Through the changing times, food science evolved into a discipline that addresses the current challenges for humankind, such as nutrition security, food safety and defense, and sustainability (Smithers, 2018).
To create and maintain a safe, abundant, and wholesome food supply, food science applies basic science and engineering principles. It combines several disciplines to advance our knowledge of foods and transform them into safe, convenient, nutritious, healthy, and tasty products.
Probing the relevant specializations such as chemistry, engineering, and food microbiology is the key to understanding food science (Potter and Hotchkiss, 1995). Here are some major science disciplines that sustain, improve, and advance the food science field.
Chemistry
Food chemistry tackles the different chemical processes and interactions between biological and non-biological components of food. Simply speaking, this elucidates the changes that foods go through during processing and storage (Kumar et al., 2016).
Information about chemical structure and relevant reactions is necessary to address food science issues like longevity and quality deterioration over time. It also gives insights into technology that can enhance food products, improve their nutritional value, and increase their shelf life.
Microbiology
Food microbiology is beneficial both for improving product design and maintaining food product safety. Several microbes, including bacteria, molds, and yeasts, are employed for food production. Some are even used as critical ingredients in food products like wine, beer, bakery, and other dairy products.
However, the growth of microbes can also cause spoilage and can even be pathogenic to consumers. Microbial growth is one of the leading causes of food loss at present.
As such, microbiology is of the utmost importance for the safe production, processing, preservation, and storage of food products. It informs us about the technology, hygienic strategies, and traceability which are essential factors to improve food quality and ensure food safety (Lorenzo et al., 2018).
Food Processing
Food processing is a science that probes how unprocessed food ingredients are transformed into transportable, storage-resistant food products that consumers like.
Food processing transformed basic cooking into advanced food technology through the discovery of novel technologies that contribute to food health and quality. These developments also paved the way for the shift from conventional process methodologies to gentler, non-thermal food processing (Knorr and Watzke, 2019). This novel method of food production increases shelf life and improves palatability by preserving most of the amino acids present in the food.
Food Engineering
Food engineers apply scientific principles and mathematics to provide economical solutions and solve the social and commercial needs in food science. This includes product design, food processing optimization, and development. Food engineering is involved in the whole food production process, from design to testing to maintaining food quality.
Genomics
Nutritional genomics is a relatively new scientific field that applies high throughput genomics such as transcriptomics (the study of the complete set of RNA), proteomics (proteins), and metabolomics (metabolites) to improve the nutritional sciences and food technology.
In the past, genomics was used in the agricultural sector to manipulate plant biosynthetic pathways to produce the desired characteristics of plant food ingredients.
Over the years, genomic technologies have contributed to improvements in food safety, processing, and quality. Further, it led to new health management concepts, such as personalized nutrition. This advanced health management is the process of customizing the individual's diet based on their genomic information to improve health and prevent diseases (Brown and Van der Ouderaa, 2007).
Sensory Science
Sensory food science combines several disciplines for the scientifically sound and systematic sensory evaluation of food. The field paved the way for developing new methods to understand consumer responses to food and trends in food production, processing, and consumption (Tuorila and Monteleone, 2009).
Food Science Is a Multi-Disciplinary Field
The multidisciplinary field of food science allows us to have safer, more storage-resistant, nutritious, and better-tasting food products. These improvements are made possible by the combined efforts of scientists from various disciplines.
But aside from rigorous research and development, testing is also critical factor to ensure food safety and quality. The Eurofins network of laboratories employs more than 200,000 analytical methods to improve food safety and quality beyond industry standards.
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