Encapsulated Aromas: Chemistry of Flavour Spheres

After passing the course, the student will be able to:

1. Predict the shape of molecules, distinguish between their shapes and properties, and predict their properties based on their structure and composition.
2. Distinguish between intermolecular interactions.
3. Identify and analyse the formation and application of inclusion complexes and assess the stability of inclusion complexes.
4. Distinguish flavours and aromas in food systems, identify key compounds, and apply isolation, modification, and improvement methods.
5. Apply the principles of diffusion in simple processes and predict the movement of molecules in different media.
6. Compare gel-based products, design and test gels using different gelling agents (e.g. agar, gelatin, pectin), emphasising mechanical, thermal, and sensory properties.
7. Apply spherification techniques for encapsulation.
8. Evaluate basic and advanced spherification methods to create encapsulated flavour systems with functional and aesthetic goals in modern gastronomy.

• The shapes of molecules and molecular polarity, types of intermolecular forces (the effect of molecular polarity on behaviour, biological receptors, sense of smell and taste).
• Application of inclusion complexes such as cyclodextrins in trapping volatile aroma compounds, protecting them from degradation and controlling their release.
• Molecular basis of flavours and aromas, focusing on how chemical structure influences perception and how these compounds interact with encapsulation systems.
• The role of diffusion in the controlled release of encapsulated flavours, examining how molecular movement affects the sensory experience over time.
• The use of hydrocolloid gels in flavour encapsulation, emphasising their structural properties and ability to stabilise and slowly release aromatic compounds.
• Hands-on experience with spherification techniques, learning how to create edible spheres that encapsulate flavours using gelation chemistry at the molecular level.

All students meet with the instructors in virtual classes, combined with individual and team work that students conduct autonomously. All learning materials are available on the e-learning platform.

The exam consists of an oral presentation of the results of one's own research and a written exam. The final grade is the arithmetic mean of the grades of the oral presentation and the written exam.

1. M. Brenner, P. Sörensen, D. Weitz: Science and Cooking: Chemistry Meets Food, From Homemade to Haute Cuisine, W. W. Norton & Company, 2020, ISBN 978-0-393-63492-1.
2. R. Burke, A. Kelly, C. Lavelle, H. This vo Kientza: Handbook of Molecular Gastronomy: Scientific Foundations, Educational Practices, and Culinary Applications, CRC Press, 2021, ISBN 978-1466594784.
3. H. This: Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor, Columbia University Press, 2006, ISBN 0231133138.
4. P. Walstra: Physical Chemistry of Foods, CRC Press, 2002, ISBN 978-0824793555.
5. A. D. Buckingham, A. C. Legon, S. M. Roberts: Principles of Molecular Recognition, Springer, 1993, ISBN 978-94-010-4959-7.

A university elective course is not a constituent part of a study programme. It may be enrolled in and attended by students of all constituent units of the University of Zagreb as well as students on exchange.