0 or 4 credits
Fall 2026 Lecture Laboratory Lower Division
Introduction to the fundamentals of food sourcing and science to gain an understanding of how and why we process, prepare, and store foods in a certain way based on their chemical and physical composition. The course format consists of three 50-minute lectures in person lectures and one 3-hour, in-person lab per week.
Learning Outcomes1Characterize the physical, chemical, and functional properties of diverse food ingredients, and assess how these attributes affect food preparation, cooking methods, and final product quality.
2Demonstrate competence in culinary techniques and sensory analysis, applying food safety protocols and recipe standardization to evaluate food quality and kitchen practices.
3Apply food service purchasing and procurement principles and factors to formulate decisions related to product, quantity, price, and supplier management.
4Analyze the influences on food purchasing and procurement decisions, such as ethical and environmental considerations, global supply trends, and consumer trends and preferences.
5Integrate principles of food procurement and food science to optimize purchasing decisions, product selection, and inventory management.
Prerequisites
made by Purdue students.