Nutrition Section
General Introduction
The period from food production to consumption is a very complex process. Processing of food began 2 million years ago when our ancestors discovered cooking. This was followed by fermentation, drying, curing and salt protection in prehistoric times. Technologies based on this experience form the basis of today's modern food processing methods. In recent years, the development and improvement of this basis is dealt with with the approach that considers protecting the nutritional and quality characteristics of food as the primary objective. Today's foods are healthier, nutritious, safe, delicious, diverse and more easily accessible compared to the foods in the previous periods. The process of food from production to consumption includes agricultural production, harvesting, supply of raw materials, storage, food processing, transportation, distribution, service, home preparations. This success in today's food science and technology has been achieved with the combination of many disciplines. These disciplines are biology, chemistry, nutrition, physics, microbiology, engineering, materials science, toxicology, biotechnology, genomics, computer science. With the cooperation of all these disciplines, difficult problems such as eliminating nutrient deficiencies or increasing food safety, can be solved.
In nutritional science, which is an interdisciplinary field, getting to know food, applied food processing methods and having information about the effects of these methods on food components provide the advantage to inform consumers and food industry about food consumption models and eating habits and guiding them. Therefore, food engineers who take nutrition education can be active in eliminating common prejudices and misunderstandings in food, food processing and health, can optimize food processing by identifying food components and bioactive components sensitive to these processes, enrichment of foods with vitamins and minerals and bioactive ingredients, increase the bioavailability of nutrients and bioactive components, prepare food formulations that will reduce the risk of disease positively affect health. In addition, they will graduate with the ability to prepare food and/ or food formulations for health problems such as diabetes, celiac, and hypertension.
Members
Assist Prof. Dr. Şebnem Şimşek
Research Assistants
Ar. Gör. Dr. Hülya İlyasoğlu Büyükkestelli
Useful Links
The International Food Information Council ificinfo.health.org/index2-4.htm
USDA: Food and Nutrition Service www.fns.usda.gov/fns
US Government Healthfinder www.healthfinder.gov
FDA Search www.fda.gov/search.html
USDA Search www.usda.gov/search/index.htm
About.com: Nutrition nutrition.about.com
Arbor Nutrition arborcom.com
USDA Dietary Guidelines www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/dga
American iabetes Association www.diabetes.org
International Food Information Council ificinfo.health.org/infofsn.htm
American Diabetes Association www.diabetes.org
NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center http://www.osteo.org
The International Food Information Council Ificinfo.helath.org/index.htm
Mayo Clinic Nutrition Center www.mayohealth.org/mayo/common/htm/dietpage.htm
WIN: Weight Control Information Network www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/win.htm
National Institute of Health www.nih.gov/od/oar
