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Tag: Food Science

Science in Your Shopping Cart

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Grocery cart
Photo: USDA Flickr

Your grocery shopping cart is full of science! And USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists are busy bringing new ideas with food that no one has ever thought of before.

“Science in Your Shopping Cart” is a program to help consumers learn about a wide range of advances in convenience foods, improving shelf life, better nutrition, new flavors and more. They have several ways to communicate their work. They include

Do you know of students interested in Food Science? The Kansas State University Food Science Institute is here to help them discover the possibilities.

 

What are Emulsifiers?

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

Ice CreamIf you grew up in the ‘70s, do you remember lava lamps? Those mesmerizing colorful blobs of wax slowly moving around in water never mixed together. That is because they naturally repel each other. But if an emulsifier was present, they would combine into a new type of lamp! In foods, emulsifiers help combine many ingredients into tasty foods we enjoy.

Emulsifiers are natural or man-made. Plant-based emulsifiers include pectin, starch, carrageenan and locust bean gum. Other foods that emulsify ingredients include egg yolks, mustard, salt and vinegar. A couple examples of emulsified foods include mayonnaise and ice cream.

Many emulsifiers are classified as hydrocolloids. They provide structure, texture, flavor and improve shelf life. They are deemed as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Some hydrocolloids can also be good sources of fiber, lower cholesterol, and improve insulin functionality.

Source: Food Insight, May 7, 2021

 

Meet George Crum—Inventor of Potato Chips

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Potato chips
Photo: USDA Flickr

During the month of February, we celebrated Black History month. There are several Black scientists that contributed to the food industry and food science. One of those people was George Crum, who invented potato chips by accident!

George Crum, who was born as George Speck in 1824, grew up in Saratoga Springs, NY. He became a chef at the Saratoga Springs Moon Lake Lodge resort. A customer ordered French fries, but thought they were too thick and salty. So Chef Crum started over. He sliced potatoes very thin and fried them until hard and crunchy. As the saying goes, “the customer is always right” and the potato chip was born. Some say Chef Crum’s sister Kate, who worked as a prep cook, also played a role in this crunchy invention.

Chef Crum went on to open his own restaurant, called Crum’s House, and his crunchy potato chips were a staple on every table.

Source: IFT Brain Food: The Official IFT Blog

 

Let’s Bake Popovers!

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

popoverThere has been a lot of baking going on this year. And, many are new bakers who have time to experiment while being at home. Have you tried popovers? Here are some tips.

Popovers are leavened with steam to create a large cavity inside. The oven heat sets the outside to trap the steam and allows it to expand. The inside also remains moist while the outside gets crisp.

Bread flour can give more volume. Warm milk also helps improve oven spring, that initial rise at the beginning of baking. Lowfat milk also produces a crispier crust. Use a popover pan or muffin pan. A cool pan, greased lightly, allows the popover batter to stick to the sides and helps improve the base of the finished popover. If the pan is warm, the popover tends to have a shrunken base.

Popovers take less time to make than rolls. Add a drizzle of honey or a dollop of your favorite jam and you have a great addition to breakfast, brunch or snack.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated

 

The Science of Volatile Aroma

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

aromaYour nose can detect many aromas from a wide variety of flavorful molecules in food. Those aromas signal something wonderful to eat, or not.

Volatile molecules evaporate from the food, travel through the air, then enter your nose or mouth. These molecules are very small and light to travel easily. These volatile molecules are accentuated with heat. Cold food typically has less aroma than hot food. For example, the smell of fresh green beans is less than cooked green beans.

It also depends on the type of molecules in the food that produce distinct aromas. Diacetyl smells like butter. Acetic acid is in vinegar. Some molecules are odorless such as citric acid.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated

 

What is Syneresis?

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

syneresis in yogurtHave you opened a carton of yogurt or sour cream and found a watery layer that separated out? Some call it “weeping,” but it is technically called syneresis. Simply put, the gel lets go of some of the liquid. Why does this happen?

Foods like yogurt, sour cream, pudding, even ketchup are gels. During storage, the structure tends to contract and looses its power to hold in water. Some gels are looser when hot, but tighten up when cooled. This can also result in water loss. Gelling ingredients, such as xanthan gum, can help control syneresis, but can also result in a stiff, rubbery final product. Ice crystals on ice cream is another form of syneresis.

So don’t cry over syneresis! Shake the ketchup bottle, stir the sour cream and you’ll never know it wept!

Source: Cook’s Illustrated, February 2017

 

Food Science in Action Competition

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

Do you know a budding videographer? The Institute of Food Technologists is having a video competition for K-12 students. This year’s theme is “Serious Ink: Know What’s on Your Food Label!”

The goal is to improve label literacy through a 1– to 5-minute video to help consumers understand food package labels.

There are three categories, Elementary school (K-5), Middle school (6-8), and High School and above (9-12, higher education.)

Submit your video by May 11, 2020. Information and how to submit a video can be found at www.ift.org/news-and-publications/scientific-journals/journal-of-food-science-education/jfse-food-science-in-action-competition.

 

Scholarships in Food Science

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Food science students at Kansas State University have been awarded many of these IFT Scholarships.

Do you have a student interested in food science? There a great scholarships available to help curb the financial burden of college expenses.

The Institute of Food Technologists offers Feeding Tomorrow tuition scholarships for incoming freshman, current undergraduate students, and graduate students.

The Institute of Food Technologists also offers students travel scholarships to attend the Institute of Food Technologists Annual meeting.

Applications for scholarships are open now! Learn more at www.ift.org/community/students/scholarships.

 

Food Science in Action Competition

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

The Institute of Food Technologists is sponsoring a Food Science in Action competition for K-12 students. The theme is “Serious Ink: Know What’s on Your Food Label!”

To help improve food label literacy, students create a 1– to 5-minute video to help consumers understand food and beverage package information.

Be creative and original! Details can be found at www.ift.org/news-and-publications/scientific-journals/journal-of-food-science-education/jfse-food-science-in-action-competition.

Entries are due May 11, 2020.

 

The Power of Food Colors

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

Consumers often eat with their eyes first, then their taste buds. This statement is even more true in today’s social media world as bright, colorful food is frequently shared and liked on many social media platforms.

In the U.S., consumers age 18-24 say social media pictures influences their food choices. On Instagram, 52% of users say they learn about new food trends. What drives these choices? Colorful food. Food product developers now test food colors for visual appeal on a smart phone camera and with other camera functions such as filters.

Food color additives are moving to natural sources. This is a challenges as colors from plants are not as stable as artificial color additives. Factors such as heat, acidity, storage conditions, light and others can degrade the color vibrancy.

Source: Food Technology, October 2019

Reference to any specific commercial products, process, service, manufacturer, or company does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation. Paid for by Kansas State University