Flavor: The Science of Our Most Neglected Sense by Bob Holmes starts with an ode to flavor in the Introduction to the book, and he takes us on a voyage through the science of what makes food delicious or not. At the outset, the author clarifies that flavor is not a single sense but rather the combination of taste and aroma. He does not stop … Continue reading Review of Flavor by Bob Holmes

I am pleased to introduce another of my former students as a guest columnist. I taught Jordan in Food Chemistry and served as his academic advisor. He had strong opinions on various aspects of food science which may be why we were able to get along so well. He reviewed the chapter on food safety in my book In Defense of Processed Food and made … Continue reading Genetically Modified Organisms: We’ve Been Making Them Forever

Let me start out with a disclaimer. I am not a molecular biologist. I am not really a plant scientist, although I played one as a researcher for 31.5 years at the University of Georgia (and I have some published papers to prove it!).1-2 My only formal education in plant science included an undergraduate course in Botany and a graduate class in Postharvest Physiology. Dr. … Continue reading My personal journey with GMOs

Finally, an “unbiased” and “fair and balanced” look at GMOs or so we are promised on the back cover of Food Fight: GMOs and the Future of the American Diet. Mackay Jenkins introduces us to the world of GMOs from the viewpoints of both molecular biologists and anti-GMO activists. He provides a peek into some genetic-engineering projects that went well and others that did not. … Continue reading Review of Food Fight by Mackay Jenkins

In my almost 70-year lifespan I have experienced major changes in where we bought our groceries. I grew up in the Fifties in a little town with a single grocery store and a corner store. The grocery store had about four aisles with no meat or fresh produce—all processed food. There was a separate meat market down the street. We grew our own fresh fruits … Continue reading Reimagining supermarkets

When my wife and I returned to our island home after Irma had come and gone, we sought out a local Publix supermarket on the mainland in the early evening. After passing two closed stores, we found one that was open. It was an eerie scene as many of the shelves were empty. Shoppers were looking desperately for anything they could find to replace the … Continue reading Food chains

by Shane Hamilton, The York Management School, University of York A few years ago, I was reading Trucking Country and was impressed at the author’s grasp of food distribution in America. I did some research on the qualifications of the author and was surprised to learn that Shane Hamilton was located just across campus at  the University of Georgia in the History Department. We met … Continue reading Why Supermarket Power Matters

Anyone interested in where their food comes from, how it gets to the grocery store, and how these stores operate should read Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America. To illustrate how grocery chains operate, the author focuses on a family-owned chain with 22 stores operating out of Cleveland. We are presented with a brief history of grocery store/retail food operations and how … Continue reading Grocery by Michael Ruhlman

Once upon a time, but not that long ago, very few Americans were overweight or obese. Moms stayed at home to prepare meals for their loving husbands and adoring children. Going to a restaurant to eat was only for a special treat limited to a few times a year. As a child of the 50s and 60s, I grew up in that age. The obesity … Continue reading Whatever happened to the concept of a balanced diet?

It gives me great pleasure to introduce another very bright student I had the privilege to teach at the University of Georgia. Sara Yang graduated from UGA, went on to work in the food industry, and is now doing graduate work in ways to improve the general acceptability of plant-based diets to a wider range of the population. Although my diet is primarily designed around meat … Continue reading A rational plant-based diet