Food Microscopy (1560) (May 11 - 15, 2015)

This course was developed for scientists and technicians in the food and allied industries who are called upon to study food ingredients in new product research and development, quality control, competitive analysis and cases of suspected contamination. The lessons and experiments are designed to introduce the student to:

1. The proper use of stereo, polarizing, phase contrast and fluorescence microscopes.

2. The microscopic anatomy of plants used as food.

3. The microscopic histology of meat, bone and other animal protein sources.

4. The microscopical and microchemical characterization and identification of proteins, lipids, starches, gums, spices.

5. Characterization and identification of spray-dried products and additives (e.g. gluten, soya protein, etc).

6. Localization of food constituents in finished products such as sausage, dough, baked goods, chewing gum, jam, etc.