4. Food Science and Service

Food Chemistry — Quiz

Test your understanding of food chemistry with 5 practice questions.

Practice Questions

Question 1

The 'water activity' ($\text{a}_\text{w}$) of a food product is a critical parameter for its microbial stability. A food with an $\text{a}_\text{w}$ of 0.75 would typically inhibit the growth of:

Question 2

Which of the following chemical modifications to starch is primarily used to improve its cold storage stability and reduce syneresis in food products?

Question 3

The formation of 'acrylamide' in certain carbohydrate-rich foods during high-temperature processing (e.g., frying, baking) is a concern due to its potential carcinogenicity. This reaction primarily involves which two components?

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the 'salting out' phenomenon in protein chemistry, as applied to food processing?

Question 5

The 'Strecker degradation' is a chemical reaction that contributes significantly to the aroma and flavor profiles of many cooked foods, often occurring concurrently with the Maillard reaction. This reaction involves the degradation of which class of compounds?