Scientia Publishing House – Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania

Analitikai kémia élelmiszermérnököknek [Analytical Chemistry for Food Engineers]

This book was written for the students of the Faculty of Miercurea Ciuc of Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania (Cluj-Napoca). We hope that this book will be used also by the students of the prospective branch for foodstuff and environmental engineering, and even maybe this will provide help also for the students of the new branches during their studies. In writing of this book, we had to have regard to the traditions of the faculty, that is, the analytical methods contained in this book are associated with the materials taught in the framework of other subjects. Thus, our intention was to write a book that students could use during the practical teaching of several subjects.

The book starts with a brief qualitative chemical analysis followed by classical quantitative chemical analysis, discussed in more length. In these chapters, students can gain knowledge on the course of the qualitative and quantitative analysis, acid-alkalimetry, the oxidation reduction as well as the precipitation titration methods, and, finally, on determinations based on the formation of complex compounds. The authors then describe the theoretical foundations of ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrophotometry and the separation methods, the theoretical basis of chromatography, electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing, which are extremely important in the analysis of foodstuffs. Following these chapters, the methods developed for the determination of the main foodstuff components are dealt with. At the beginning of this part, after determination of the moisture contents, determination of mineral components and different spectroscopic methods are discussed.

Afterwards, determination of the nitrogen-containing substances, more closely, determination of the protein contents, protein fractions, and amino acid composition of proteins are treated. We place emphasis on the most expensive foodstuff component, the proteins, and we try to discuss every method that is suitable for protein quality evaluation. Subsequent to the determination of fat contents and fatty acid composition, examination of crude fibre and fibre fractions is treated. Among the nitrogen-free extractable substances, we determine the sugars and starch and examine the properties of various sugar-containing preparations as well. We devote special attention to the determination of provitamins and vitamins as well as to mycotoxins. As a closing compilation, at the end of most chapters, there are sections of Selected Chapters, in which specific foodstuff analytical methods are discussed.

During the course of writing the book, we tried to compile the chapters in such a way that the students have the possibility also to carry out the discussed examinations based on the instruments of the Department of Foodstuff Science. We tried to build the individual chapters upon each other so that the students can get advance from the simpler examinations to the more complicated ones, obtaining knowledge on the most important steps of the foodstuff analysis. Finally, we wish to gratefully thank our reviewer, Professor Béla Kovács, PhD, and chemical technician Judit Stanics for the conscientious typing and constructing of the chemical formulae. Any errors that still may be found in this book are exclusively due to the authors. Readers of this book are kindly requested to draw attention to these errors.