I graduated with a degree in food technology. Several years later, the term food science was proposed – and applied sort of. Today we have food science; food science and technology; Nutrition and Food Science; — and an assortment of nomenclatures such as food processing, food engineering, culinary arts, Institute of Food Technologists, etc., etc. In olden days, chefs and cooks were just that – … Continue reading I was a food technologist: A chronicle from teen-age to new age by Aaron Brody

Feast your eyes on this plate of perfectly roasted chicken. What’s your reaction? There’s no right or wrong reaction, just please keep this in mind, how you react is an indicator of how you relate to food. Cooks think flavor first. Home cooks or chefs focus on that delicious crispy skin anticipating the tender flavorful meat beneath. Dietitians on the other hand think nutrients first. … Continue reading Healthy meals as viewed by a cook and a dietitian by Linn Steward

In August 2019, KFC trialed Beyond Meat vegan chicken nuggets at an Atlanta location and sold out in five hours, selling the equivalent amount as it normally does of regular popcorn chicken in one week. As of October 2019,  24 chains have adopted “meat 2.0”, or plant-based meats from Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods. Now, more than ever, is the time of the plant-based diet. … Continue reading Veganism: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly by Erica Kenney

  With all the discussion of ultra-processed foods and healthy diets appearing in books and on the internet lately, I felt that I needed a refresher course in nutrition. I was interested in whether my knowledge of basic nutrition was still valid or if I had become hopelessly out of date. The last course in nutrition I had was over 40 years ago! With this … Continue reading Nutrition Made Clear from The Great Courses

Most of the health problems associated with the American diet could be eliminated by cooking our own meals and avoiding processed foods, especially ultra-processed ones. Or so we are told! But cooking at home may not be as easy as it sounds, particularly for families who are poor, have limited access to supermarkets, or have some form of disability. The knock against ultra-processed foods is … Continue reading Meals—Cooking at home with industrial ingredients

When we think about food and microbes, we tend to think in terms of an outbreak causing illness and maybe even death. Frequently, such nefarious pathogenic microbes are confused with others that produce objectionable odors, flavors or textures. Less well known, but gaining respect are the probiotics. Inspired by Molecules, Microbes and Meals I have chosen three probiotics as Microbes of the Week, which may … Continue reading Microbes of the Week: Lactobacillus gasseri: Bifidobacterium bifidium, Bifidobacterium longum

American food is full of chemicals, and I am not limiting my statement to ultra-processed foods with ingredients that are hard to pronounce. All food is composed of chemicals. Whole foods do not have an ingredient list, but, just the same, they are composed of chemicals. For example, a total of 51 chemical compounds have been isolated and identified that have a direct impact on … Continue reading Molecule of the Week: Sorbitol

I am pleased to introduce another wonderful book about food science, Molecules, Microbes and Meals by Alan Kelly. Like Future Foods by Julian McClements, Kelly’s book presents a more positive outlook on the topic than my book, In Defense of Processed Food. I can’t help but feel overjoyed at the emergence of these two books and wish that I had been as bold and less … Continue reading Molecules, Microbes and Meals: The Surprising Science of Food

I had just moved from the sunny South to a new campus up North to start my doctoral program. My wife and I needed help getting furniture for our unfurnished campus housing. A tall, fellow student offered to organize help. Little did I imagine that the guy who was instrumental in getting us moved in would, one day forty years later, become President of the … Continue reading A message to the President-Elect of IFT

History is full of buddies who became frenemies and eventually just stopped talking to each other. Such a dilemma is highlighted in a show tune and a rock song. As a graduate student in food science I remember fondly my discussions with members of the opposite sect. Such friendly disagreements were engaged on two different campuses within departments that combined both fields. At one of … Continue reading Why can’t food scientists and nutritionists be friends?