ABSTRACT
Food chemistry, a major aspect of food science, deals with the composition and properties of food and the chemical changes it undergoes during handling, processing, and storage. Food chemists are typically concerned with identifying the molecular determinants of material properties and chemical reactivity of food matrices and how this understanding is effectively applied to improve formulation, processing, and storage stability of foods. Many chemical and biochemical reactions can alter food quality or safety. In fabricated foods, the composition can be controlled by adding approved chemicals, such as acidulants, chelating agents, flavors, or antioxidants, or by removing undesirable reactants, for example, removing glucose from dehydrated egg albumen. The societal obligations of food chemists include good job performance, good citizenship, and guarding the ethics of the scientific community, but fulfillment of these very necessary roles is not enough. Scientists have greater obligations to society than do individuals without formal scientific education.
