The Science of Food

Malcolm Gladwell on spaghetti sauce

Tipping Point author Malcolm Gladwell gets inside the food industry's pursuit of the perfect spaghetti sauce -- and makes a larger argument about the nature of choice and happiness.

Link to full screen version of talk here

Organic Nutrient Quality

May 14, 2009

Current data from on and between farm comparisons conducted over several growing seasons suggest that there is no simple answer to the organic vs. conventional comparison. The effects of the cultivation system are often obscured by other environmental and genetic factors. However in all the research reported, the organic cultivation system performed as well as the conventional system. Thus, organic produce is not likely to be inferior to that produced by conventional methods [MORE].

J. Lynne Brown, Professor of Food Science, Penn State University 

More on nutritional aspects of organic food from the Institute of Food Technologists: Scientific Status Summary - Organic Food

Burning issues in food science - Freezer burn!

The scope of the term freezer burn varies widely in both scientific and lay literature. In the narrowest use of the term, freezer burn describes only the loss of moisture (also termed as dehydration or desiccation) from the surface of frozen foods over time during frozen storage, yielding an opaque dehydrated surface. In the broadest use of the term, freezer burn describes both the dehydration and associated degradation in color, texture, and flavor that can occur on the surface of frozen foods, over time during frozen storage. These undesirable quality changes are exemplified by the toughening and discoloration of the surface of meat and poultry products, such as color changes in beef from red to brown and in skinless chicken breasts from pink to tan; the shriveling of the surface of frozen foods, shown in for frozen green beans; and the occurrence of lipid oxidation, which negatively impacts food flavor. Freezer-burned food is safe to consume from a microbial perspective, but is of poor eating quality. If the freezer-burned area is not too extensive, you can simply cut the affected portions off before or after cooking. [MORE]

Trans Fat: When Zero Isn't Really Zero

NPR Morning Edition, March 26, 2009

Here's a question to challenge your nutrition literacy: How much trans fat is likely in a package of cookies that are labeled as having zero grams per serving?

"I would say zero!" said Joanna Robinson, of Washington, D.C., who was grocery shopping this week during her lunch break. "I'd trust the label."

But other shoppers were more skeptical. "More than zero," said Guy Powell.

How To Spot Trans Fat

The way to know if a packaged food contains trans fat is to scan the ingredient label for oils labeled as "partially hydrogenated."

Food manufacturers have relied on hydrogenated oils to add shelf life to products and also to make ingredients stick together better. The process of adding hydrogen molecules to vegetable oils makes them thicker [MORE]

Audio version [Listen Now]

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils and Trans Fatty Acids
Prepared by J. Lynne Brown, Penn State professor of food science.

Other Penn State Food Science Department health and wellness fact sheets.

Fish Health Claims May Cause More Environmental Harm Than Good, Researchers Say

ScienceDaily (Mar. 17, 2009) — The health benefits of fish consumption have been over-dramatized and have put increased pressure on wild fish, according to a new research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). In an innovative collaboration, medical scientists from St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto have teamed up with researchers from the University of British Columbia’s Fisheries Centre and author Farley Mowat to closely examine the effects of health claims with regard to seafood [MORE].

The joy of soy: The controversial history of the soybean – and the uncertain future of tofu

Though it was domesticated more than 3,000 years ago, the editors of the recently published "The World of Soy" state that  hardly any other food plant is as modern as the soybean - or as controversial [MORE].

Did Marco Polo bring pasta from China?

Long before paper, gunpowder and the compass, the Chinese had invented yet another staple of human civilization. A coil of dry noodles, preserved for 4,000 years, sat beneath an overturned earthenware bowl at an archaeological site in northeastern China. In 2005, archaeologists discovered the spaghetti-like tangle, effectively settling the score about whether the Chinese, Italians or Arabs began producing pasta first. But as any gourmand worth an ounce of orzo will quickly tell you, there isn't a grain of truth to Polo as the pasta pioneer.

Read the article from How Things Work here

Is HFCS a source of mercury in the American diet?

The average American consumes about 50 grams of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) per day. Preliminary studies have revealed that products containing high amounts of HFSC also contain mercury, a toxic metal contaminant. "Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar," was assembled by health and environmental researchers. More on the study here.

The Corn Refiners Association responds to the charges by stating that the study is outdated. There is likely to be more on this story in the future. 

March 27, 2009 Update."New findings challenge studies linking mercury to HFCS - CRA"

Results from third-party testing conducted on high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from all the production facilities in the US and Canada show that no quantifiable levels of mercury were detected in any of the samples analyzed, claims the CRA.

According to the Corn Refiners Association (CRA), the North American manufacturers of commissioned independent testing and expert review following recent reports alleging mercury findings in the food and beverage ingredient. [MORE]

Probing question: Is plastic dangerous?

Sipping water from a bottle after a workout, microwaving a container of leftovers for lunch, giving the baby a bottle of milk: We use plastic every day, without even thinking about it. But numerous reports have suggested that exposure to bisphenol-A, an organic compound present in many food and beverage containers, could actually be damaging to our health. Is plastic dangerous? [MORE]

Update June 2009 

Study shows BPA may leach from plastic bottles abstract

In a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, Harvard School of Public Health researchers found that participants who drank for a week from polycarbonate bottles showed a two-thirds increase in their urine of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA). The study, according to its authors, is the first to show that drinking from polycarbonate bottles increases the level of urinary BPA.

Unpasteurized Milk: A Continued Public Health Threat

 Although milk and dairy products are important components of a healthy diet, if consumed unpasteurized, they also can present a health hazard due to possible contamination with pathogenic bacteria. These bacteria can originate even from clinically healthy animals from which milk is derived or from environmental contamination occurring during collection and storage of milk.

Pasteurization is the most effective method of enhancing the microbiological safety of milk. The consumption of milk that is not pasteurized increases the risk of contracting disease from a foodstuff that is otherwise very nutritious and healthy. Despite concerns to the contrary, pasteurization does not change the nutritional value of milk. Understanding the science behind this controversial and highly debated topic will provide public health care workers the information needed to discern fact from fiction and will provide a tool to enhance communication with clients in an effort to reduce the incidence of infections associated with the consumption of unpasteurized milk and dairy products.[MORE]

Foodborne disease outbreaks attributed to unpasteurized milk - 1993 -2006

(click image to magnify)