The Science of Food

Breakthrough in salt technology

Two Indian scientists have developed round salt granules. Why is is this a food technology breakthrough? Cubical salt crystals have flat faces that can make pouring difficult.  The new crystals have more sides that allow the crystals to flow freely. Thus anti-caking additives that can cloud solutions are no longer needed [MORE]. 

What is salt? (Salt Institute) Sodium chloride or common salt is the chemical compound NaCl, composed of the elements sodium and chloride. Salt occurs naturally in many parts of the world as the mineral halite and as mixed evaporites in salt lakes [MORE].

Salt (or more correctly sodium) is a problem for some people. What are the technological options for reducing sodium levels in food while still making it taste good?  Experts suggest 1) use salt substitutes, such as potassium chloride, 2) replace salt wtih extracts, nucleotides, and monosodium glutamate, and 3) change the physical form of the salt so that it is more taste bioavailable and therefore less is needed [MORE].

Probing Question: How do microwaves cook food?

Think about it -- most people don't go through an entire day without using a microwave oven. But how does it work? What actually happens when a person "nukes" yesterday's pizza or pops a bag of popcorn in the microwave? And does the term "nuking" mean there's really radiation inside that box?
Acording to Penn State professor Swamy Anantheswaran, microwaves do most of their work on the water in food. "Water molecules constitute what are known as 'dipoles. A dipole is sort of like a bar magnet, with a positive pole and a negative pole. The oven's electromagnetic field oscillates as it passes through the water molecules in the food, changing the polarity of the field and causing the dipole/water molecules to flip themselves in order to be aligned with the new polarity." Heat is created by the resulting friction of the water molecules reversing direction millions of times a second [MORE].

Click here for interactive demonstration of how microwaves increase the energy of water molecules.

And check out Wikipedia's overview of the science and techology of microwave cooking.

Colloidal particles and the structures of foods

Foods, especially processed ones, are nearly all composed of small particles.  For example, milk is a suspension of particles of protein and fat suspended in an aqueous medium.  There are also huge numbers of emulsions, creams and textured products whose properties depend on the structures and interactions of various microparticles.  We may even regard the textures of fruits, vegetables and meats as arising from the interaction of particles (cells) within a matrix.  In many processed foods, the particles are rather small, having, typically, diameters of the order of 1 μm or less.  This brings them into the realm of what is known as ‘colloidal’ particles. [MORE]
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Scientists explain the ‘Cheerio Effect’

You may or may not have pondered why your breakfast cereal tends to clump together or cling to the sides of a bowl of milk. Now there is an easy explanation. In a study that appears in the Sept. 15 issue of the American Journal of Physics, the "Cheerio Effect" is explained using three basic concepts from physics: buoyancy, surface tension and the meniscus effect [MORE].

Also, see this Wikipedia article entitled "The Cheerios Effect"