Science Meets Food | The Official Blog of IFTSA |Science Meets Food

28 January

The Supernatural Rise from the Dead – Ghost Kitchens

By Alexander J. Taylor Someone needs to call up a paranormal investigator, because we have a new wave of spooky-fueled activity coming to a not-so-local restaurant near you! With the ongoing pandemic, the restaurant and hospitality businesses have...

delivery-app, Ghost kitchen, local food, pop-up restaurant Food Trends Leave a Comment

20 January

Understanding Butter vs. Margarine Controversy

By Emanueli Backes I am sure at some point in your life you have heard someone give their – unscientific – opinion on how eating margarine or butter is good or bad for your health. In fact, there...

butter, fat, hydrogenation, interesterification, lipid, margarine, oil, spreadability, trans fat, triacylglycerol Education & Experiments, Food Technology, Health & Nutrition, Ingredients Leave a Comment

13 January

Food Science — The Best Major You’ve Never Heard Of

By Abbey Thiel People are usually surprised to find out I’m a food scientist. Mostly because they didn’t know being a food scientist was ever an option. Since food science is a largely unheard-of field, even after introductions...

career, food science, industry, job, salary, undergraduate major Career Development Leave a Comment

06 January

Do Your Genetics Affect How You Taste?

By Jacob Webster-Jones People follow different dietary patterns for many reasons such as environment, culture, availability, and marketing. However, there is a growing body of literature that links genetics to how we perceive different tastes and sensations. The...

bitter, chemesthesis, genetics, salty, sour, sweet, Taste, umami Sensory & Consumer Science 2 Comments

30 December

Enzymatic Browning: Advancements in the Food Industry

By Emanueli Backes The problem with enzymatic browning Think back to a time when you ate an appetizing apple. After a few moments of eating the first bite, the exposed area you just bit begins to darken. You’re...

browning inhibition, cold pasteurization, enzymatic browning, high-pressure processing, polyphenol oxidase, PPO, quinone Food Chemistry, Food Technology Leave a Comment

23 December

Pursuing a Graduate Degree in Food Science for Non-Food Science Students: Part Two

By Karin Cho Welcome back to the second part of “Pursuing a Graduate Degree in Food Science for Non-Food Science Students”. For part one, please go to this post (https://sciencemeetsfood.org/graduate-degree-in-food-science/). In part two, I’ll be sharing my experience with...

advisor, degree, education, food science, Graduate school, MS, PhD, Research Career Development, IFT & IFTSA Leave a Comment

16 December

The Science Behind the Perfect Cutout Cookie

By Abbie Sommer I’ve been on a quest for the perfect cut out cookie recipe for the holidays. In my mind, the perfect cutout cookie is a light golden brown with sharp edges. It should retain its shape and...

butter, cookie, cutout cookie, flour, gluten, melting point, shortening, sugar, viscosity Food Chemistry, Food Trends, Ingredients Leave a Comment

09 December

The Science Behind Air Fryers

By Mary-Ann Chen If you’ve ever ordered a side of French fries with your burger, munched on a corn dog while roaming through a theme park, or dug your teeth into the craggly skin on a fried chicken sandwich,...

air fryer, convection, deep frying, fried food, heat transfer, Maillard reaction, rapid air technology Food Chemistry, Food Technology, Food Trends 1 Comment

02 December

“Tea Drunk”: The Calming Effect of Consuming Tea

By Ming Yin Kwong Growing up, I was told that coffee was an acquired taste exclusively for adults. And when my parents told my 12-year-old self that I could not drink coffee, I just ended up drinking it behind...

caffeine, calming effect, catechin, coffee, L-theanine, matcha, stress reducer, Tea drunk, theanine Food Chemistry, Food Trends, Health & Nutrition, Research Leave a Comment

25 November

Spent Grains: Beer Waste to Pancakes

By Jacob Webster-Jones What do pancakes, mushrooms, and biofuel have in common? This may seem like a setup to a bad joke but actually they can all be produced by using a waste product of the brewing industry. You...

beer, spent grains, sustainability, waste product Food Technology, Ingredients Leave a Comment