Food Technology

The main research activities of the section deals with the characterization of food product and processing with particular regard both to traditional and innovative food products. The development and the optimization of food processing are research topics common to the units of Food Technology/Engineering and Oenology. The units are experienced in the study of functional foods and in the evaluation of the effect of processing and storage on functional properties.

Antioxidant activity researches
The antioxidant activity research is aimed to the investigation of the influence of processing on the antioxidant activity of foods. The studies are mainly focused on the food systems as a complex matrix in which the influence of the technological procedures adopted during processing is generally the result of different events that can take place consecutively or simultaneously. The evaluation of the influence of the food system composition and its heterogeneity and heterophasic nature, on the antioxidants content and their effectiveness is also under investigation. The antioxidant activity is tested by several methods, measuring the oxidative stability, radical scavenging activity, the chain-breaking activity and antioxidant power by electrochemical analysis. New methods are under development.

Role of polyphenols on   colour development and antioxidant activity of wine
During red wine processing many chemical changes of the phenolic fraction could occur depending on the wine making technology and storage conditions, the main aim of the research is to investigate the effect of technological practices on the colour and antioxidant activity of red wines. Particular attention is given to the effect of processing on the chemico-physical changes in sweet wines obtained from cooked musts. During the must heat treatment necessary for the production of this kind of wines, the concentration and polymerization of the phenolic fraction as well as the starting of Maillard and caramelisation reaction lead to the development of brown coloured compounds. The main aim of the research activity is to study the effect of these phenomena on the colour and antioxidant activity of sweet wines.

Plant biodiversity exploitation for functional food
The valorization of marginal varieties, belonging to different vegetables species, can allow to recover genetic resources with a positive impact on the preservation of biodiversity. This aspect is of considerable importance in the case of species rich in nutrients, vitamins or antioxidant.The research is aimed to characterize the chemical and physical properties of raw plant material from marginal varieties and to investigate the influence of processing on their functional properties and on the quality characteristics of processes foods obtained from these varieties.

Processing of starch based food products
This research activity consists of four different topics: I) process optimization of cereal products with particular attention on pasta cooking and gluten-free bakery products formulation and cooking, II) ethanol liquid-vapour partition in bakery products, III) extrusion-cooking of   products obtained from non-conventional flours from marginal productions with possible functionality, IV) processing of traditional and innovative chestnut and chestnut flour products in order to improve the prime material use in the food industry with possible positive effects on the agricultural sustainability of rural areas.

Effect of smoking on qualitative characteristics of food of animal origin
Research on the effect of smoking on the chemical composition and sensory properties of matured muscle foods (raw ham). The research is aimed to investigate the evolution of some chemical processes which occur during maturation, with particular regard to proteolysis and lipolysis which are particularly influenced by the smoke components. The quality characteristics are monitored both during maturation and on finished products.


Effect of the physico-chemical properties of food matrices on the liquid-vapour partition of volatiles
The release of volatiles aroma compounds from foods and their sensory perception depend on many factors among which their concentration and the matrix properties: composition, moisture, macromolecules (e.g. starches and proteins), lipid phase, dispersion state and rheology. In this context the partition of some volatiles added to matrices with different composition (model systems and creams) is under investigation. The study is carried out combining conventional analyses (HSGC and GC-MS) with electronic nose analysis and sensory analysis.

Optimization  of production lines aimed to improve the chemical and sensory characteristics of wines
This research activity is aimed to investigate the technologies which permit to better preserve the compounds which affects the aromatic, rheological and antioxidant properties of wines.
Treatments aimed to maintain low rH during wine-making, aging on lees, micro-oxygenation and wooden barrel storage are under study. To the purpose of this research, different processing variables as prime material load, processing time and physical parameters (pressure and temperature) are considered in order to find the best combination for the compositional and sensory profile of wines.

Reduction of the use of additives and chemicals in wine making processes in order to achieve toxicological safety
This research activity is aimed to investigate the technologies which permit to limit or to avoid the use of sulfites which are known to have a negative effect on human health. Physical treatments with heat and permo-selective membranes are under study to this purpose.
The use of co-adjuvants extracted from plants (except from cereals) is also under investigation, since they could replace the co-adjuvants of animal origin which could confer allergenes to wine products.

Compositional and sensory characterization of wines from autochthonous grape varieties and optimization of wine-making processes aimed to improve their specific characteristics
This study implies an in-depth analysis of the volatiles and non-volatiles compounds present in autochthonous grapes and of their characteristic ratios. A further monitoring of the evolution of these compounds during ripening is carried out. This resiluts of this research will permit to individuate the proper processing technologies as a function of the final destination of the products.

Food Science & Technology- 1^st level

• Intoduction to Food Technology & Marketing (2 credits)
• Food Technology I (Unit Operation) (7 credits)
• Food Technology II (Processing) (8 credits)
• Sensory Analysis of Food (3 credits)
• Physical analysis of Food (3 credits)
• Packaging Technology (3 credits)
• Technology of Cereal Products (3 credits)

Viticulture & Oenology - 1^st level

• Oenology I (12 credits)
• Oenology II (6 credits)
• Food Technology (Unit Operation) (7 credits)
• Sensory Analysis (3 credits)

Food Science & Technology- 2^nd level

• Food Technology I
• Technology of Oil & Fats - Formulation of Foods (3 credits)
• Food Technology II
• Shelf-life calculation & Prediction - Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies (3 credits)
  

Master
Management and Local Development of Natural Parks and Protected Areas (1^st level)  

• Neri L., Dimitri G., Sacchetti G. (2010). Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of cured chestnuts from three sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) ecotypes from Italy . Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 23: 23-29.

• Di Mattia C.D., Sacchetti G., Mastrocola D., Pittia P. (2009). Effect of phenolic antioxidants on the dispersion state and chemical stability of olive oil O/W emulsions. Food Research International , 42: 1163-1170.

• Rocculi P., Cocci E., Romani S., Sacchetti G., Dalla Rosa M. (2009). Effect of 1-MCP treatment and N₂O MAP on physiological and quality changes of fresh cut pineapple . Postharvest Biology and Technology , 51: 371-377.

• Sacchetti G., Di Mattia C., Pittia P., Dino Mastrocola (2009). Effect of roasting degree, equivalent thermal effect and coffee type on the radical scavenging activity of coffee brews and their phenolic fraction . Journal of Food Engineering, 90: 74-80. Erratum, 91: 372.

• Sacchetti G., Di Mattia C. Pittia P., Martino G. (2008). Application of a radical scavenging activity test to measure the total antioxidant activity of poultry meat . Meat Science , 80: 1081-1085.

• Sacchetti G., Cocci E., Pinnavaia G.G., Mastrocola D., Dalla Rosa M. (2008). Influence of processing and storage on the antioxidant activity of apple derivatives . International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 43: 797-804.

• Pittia P., Sacchetti G. (2008). Antiplasticization effect of water in amorphous cell foods. A review . Food Chemistry, 106: 1417-1427.

• Piva A., Di Mattia C., Neri L., Dimitri G., Chiarini M., Sacchetti G. (2008). Heat-induced chemical, functional and physical changes during grape must cooking . Food Chemistry , 106: 1057-1065.

• Martuscelli M., Savary G., Pittia P., Cayot N. (2008). Vapour partition of aroma compounds in strawberry flavoured custard cream and effect of fat content . Food Chemistry , 108 (4), 1200-1207.

• Pittia P., Furlanetto R., Maifreni M., Tassan Mangina F., Dalla Rosa M. (2008). Safe cooking optimisation by F-value computation in a semi-automatic oven . Food Control , 19: 688-697.

• Cocci E., Sacchetti G., Vallicelli M., Angioloni A., Dalla Rosa M. (2008). Spaghetti cooking by microwave oven: cooking kinetics and product quality . Journal of Food Engineering, 85: 537-546.

• Masino F., Montevecchi G., Arfelli G., Antonelli A. (2008). Evaluation of the combined effects of enzymatic treatment and aging on lees on the aroma of wine from Bombino bianco grapes . Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry , 56: 9495-9501.

• Santonico M., Pittia P., Pennazza G., Martinelli E., Bernabei M., Paolesse R., D'Amico A., Compagnone D., Di Natale C. (2008). Study of the aroma of artificially flavored custards by chemical sensor array fingerprinting . Sensors & Actuators B. Chemical , 133: 345-351.

• Di Mattia C., Sacchetti G., Seghetti L., Piva A., Mastrocola D. (2007). 'Vino cotto' composition and antioxidant activity as affected by non enzymatic browning . Italian Journal of Food Science, 19 (4): 413-424.

• Pittia P., Nicoli M.C., Sacchetti G. (2007). Effect of moisture and water activity on textural properties of raw and roasted coffee beans . Journal of Texture Studies, 38 (1): 116-134. Erratum, 38 (4): 536.

• Sartini, E., Arfelli, G., Fabiani, A., Piva, A. (2007). Influence of chips, lees and micro-oxygenation during aging on the phenolic composition of a red Sangiovese wine . Food Chemistry , 104: 1599-1604.

• Arfelli G., Sartini E., Corzani C., Fabiani A., Natali N. (2007). Impact of wooden barrel storage on the volatile composition and sensorial profile of red wine . Food Science and Technology Inte rnational , 13 (4): 293-299.

• Mrkić V., Cocci E., Dalla Rosa M., Sacchetti G. (2006). Influence of drying conditions on bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of dried broccoli (Brassica oleracea, L.) . Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture , 86:1559-1566.

• Pittia P., Anese M., Manzocco L., Calligaris S., Mastrocola D., Nicoli M.C. (2006). Ethanol vapour pressure in bakery product s . Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 21: 3-7.

• Girotti S., Fini F., Bolelli L., Savini L., Sartini E., Arfelli G. (2006). Chemiluminescent determination of total antioxidant capacity during winemaking . Luminescence, 21 (4): 233-238.

• Sacchetti G., Pittia P., Pinnavaia G.G. (2005). The effect of extrusion temperature and drying-tempering on both the kinetics of hydration and the textural changes in extruded ready-to-eat breakfast cereals during soaking in semi-skimmed milk . International Journal of Food Science & Technology , 38: 135-143

• Pittia P., Mastrocola D., Nicoli M.C. (2005). Effect of colloidal properties of oil-in-water emulsions on liquid-vapour partition of ethanol . Food Research International , 38: 585-
• 594.

• Mastrocola D., Sacchetti G., Pittia P., Di Mattia C., Dalla Rosa M. (2005). Rehydration of dried fruit pieces in aqueous sugar solutions: a review on mass transfer and final product characteristics . Italian Journal of Food Science , 17: 243- 254

• Gardini F., Zaccarelli A., Belletti N., Faustini F., Cavazza A., Martuscelli M., Mastrocola D., Suzzi G. (2005). Factors influencing biogenic amine production by a strain of Oenococcus oeni in a model system . Food Control , 15: 609-616

• Martuscelli M., Gardini F., Torriani S., Mastrocola D., Serio A., Chaves-López C., Schirone M., Suzzi G. (2005). Production of biogenic amines during the ripening of "Pecorino Abruzzese" cheese . International Dairy Journal, 15: 571-578.

• Sacchetti G., Pinnavaia G.G., Guidolin E., Dalla Rosa M. (2004) Effects of extrusion temperature and feed composition on the functional, physical and sensory properties of chestnut and rice flour based snack like products. Food Research International, 37(5): 527-534.

• Del Carlo M., Sacchetti G., Di Mattia C., Compagnone D., Mastrocola D., Liberatore L., Cichelli A. (2004) Contribution of the phenolic fraction to the antioxidant activity and oxidative stability of olive oil. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 52: 4072-4079.