Introduction to the Physical Chemistry of Foods

This book provides an introduction to the physico-chemical basis and mathematical description of notions such as distillation, crystallization, sublimation, protein denaturation, emulsions, kinetics, enzymatic activity, and rheology. It lays the foundations in explaining the texture of ice cream, the foaming of beer, and the stability of milk, correlating fundamental physico-chemical concepts such as freezing, distillation, (re)crystallization, foaming, emulsification, aggregation and clarification to their applications in the fields of processing, microbiology and bioavailability of foods. Special attention has been paid so that the content is easily accessible by readers with basic background knowledge of physics, mathematics and chemistry.

Christos Ritzoulis studied chemistry at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and food science (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) at the University of Leeds. He has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and as an analyst at the Hellenic States General Chemical Laboratories. Today, Christos is a senior lecturer of food chemistry at the Department of Food Technology at TEI Thessaloniki, where he teaches food chemistry and physical chemistry of foods.