Module manager: Dr Darren Greetham
Email: D.Greetham@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
FOOD2032
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module covers the chemistry and biochemistry associated with the structure and function of food proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and low molecular weight components. It will include the biochemical reactions and processes happening in food on a molecular level to understand the functionality of nutrients.
Building on any prior understanding of the biochemistry of food components, students will gain a broader understanding of the chemical structures, function, relevance to food and their molecular diversity in food, this module aims to:
• Explore the macromolecular interactions and reactions found in food biochemistry.
• Consider the fundamental chemical reactions underlying food biochemistry.
• Explain the roles of representative enzymes in bioprocessing of nutrients and food components.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Explain the biochemical food components and the classes of nutrients and their roles.
2. Explain enzyme action and how enzymes are involved in acting on nutrients producing food properties.
3. Evaluate laboratory data on analytical chemistry.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. Laboratory skills in food chemistry and biochemistry
2. Problem solving
3. Communication including data evaluation, technical report writing and presentation of data
4. Digital creating and communication
5. Collaboration
6. Time management, planning and organisation
7. Critical thinking
8. Personal management
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Practical | 4 | 3 | 12 |
| Seminar | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Private study hours | 157 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 43 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
General feedback is given during taught sessions.
Practice problems in a similar format to the exam are posted online. Then over several sessions the lecturers spend time going through them step by step rather than just giving the students the answers. Further practice calculations are posted online with a step to step guide on how to answer them.
The Module Leader has open office contact hours where students can pop in and ask questions. Students are also encouraged to contact all academics if there is a problem with understanding and 1 to 1 sessions are arranged.
Formative feedback will follow summative assessment pieces such as student performance in presentations for polyphenol oxidases (within a small group). Seminar series has been written to give feedback to the students on how to write effective lab reports and to undergo some peer observations and interactive feedback sessions with the teaching team.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Group work | 20 |
| Coursework | Coursework | 20 |
| Coursework | Online Time-Limited Assessment | 60 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Students needing to repeat the assessment or who are unable to participate in the group presentations will be offered an alternative assessment which will be an individual presentation based on one of the other laboratory practicals in the module. Learning outcome 5 will not be assessed in the resit but will be covered in other assessments within the programme.
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 30/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team