Thursday, December 5, 2013

Food and Science

While watching a video about a food scientist at NASA, i noticed a few videos about food and science. These are videos about lectures at Harvard University and i found them interesting. I only saw two hours of these videos, but i'll check the rest out another time.

Food and Science | Lecture 1 (2012)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ft0cwxjBKE

Food and Science | Lecture 2 (2012)

Michele Perchonok: Food Scientist at NASA

http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/Day-In-The-Life/Michele-Perchonok.aspx

Michelle is a food scientist at NASA and this upcoming award winning video is all about her and her profession: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wAC-ST77Ow

Sustainability

http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/World-Without-Food-Science/Sustainability.aspx

In a world without food science, much of the food produced would be lost to spoilage and waste. Food scientists work to conserve resources during the entire chain of production. They make sure land and water are conserved and protected as a crop is grown and as a food product is made. They create packaging that is reduced, recycled and reusable to minimize waste. They place food production plants in areas where food can be transported and distributed efficiently.

Here's a video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqTJdDBQtvw

World Without Food Science


World Without Food Science™ is a public education campaign created by the Institute of Food Technologists to generate awareness of the role that food science plays in ensuring a nutritious, safe and abundant food supply.
This awareness initiative is designed to help the public understand where their food comes from so they can make informed decisions about the food they eat every day. As part of this effort, IFT provides practical consumer tips at www.iftfoodfacts.org.


History of Food Science


Nurtured by the Institute of Food Technologists, food science and technology has evolved over many decades into a multidisciplinary field that has been instrumental in the development of a safe, affordable, and abundant food supply. Learn how our food science profession has advanced the science of food and benefitted humankind through three historic publications:
A Century of Food Science 
Booklet published in 2000 covering developments in food technology and the food industry.
Food Technology magazine’s 50th Anniversary 
Article on the 50th anniversary of Food Technology magazine (1997).
IFT's 50th Anniversary Issue 
Complete September 1989 issue with a variety of food technology review and history articles.

What Is Food Science & Technology?

http://www.ift.org/knowledge-center/learn-about-food-science/what-is-food-science.aspx


Food Science

Food science draws from many disciplines such as biology, chemical engineering, and biochemistry in an attempt to better understand food processes and ultimately improve food products for the general public. As the stewards of the field, food scientists study the physical, microbiological, and chemical makeup of food. By applying their findings, they are responsible for developing the safe, nutritious foods and innovative packaging that line supermarket shelves everywhere.

Food Technology

The food you consume on a daily basis is the result of extensive food research, a systematic investigation into a variety of foods’ properties and compositions. After the initial stages of research and development comes the mass production of food products using principles of food technology. All of these interrelated fields contribute to the food industry – the largest manufacturing industry in the United States.

Experiment 3: Enzymatic Browning of Apples

http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/K12-Outreach/Food-Science-Experiments/~/media/Knowledge%20Center/Learn%20Food%20Science/Enzymes%20in%20Food%20Systems/StudentGuideAPPLES.ashx

pdf link to directions

Experiment 2: Determining Changes in Plant Pigments with Blanching

http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/K12-Outreach/Food-Science-Experiments/~/media/Knowledge%20Center/Learn%20Food%20Science/Enzymes%20in%20Food%20Systems/StudentGuidePIGMENTS.ashx

pdf link to directions

Experiment 1: Testing for Catalase Activity

http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/K12-Outreach/Food-Science-Experiments/~/media/Knowledge%20Center/Learn%20Food%20Science/Enzymes%20in%20Food%20Systems/StudentGuideCATALASE.ashx

pdf link to directions

Experiment 7: Effect of Refrigerated Storage on Color Formation in French Fries

http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/K12-Outreach/Food-Science-Experiments/~/media/Knowledge%20Center/Learn%20Food%20Science/Experiments%20in%20Food%20Science/StudentGuideREFRIGERATION.ashx

pdf link to directions

Experiment 6: Effect of Curing on Meat Color

http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/K12-Outreach/Food-Science-Experiments/~/media/Knowledge%20Center/Learn%20Food%20Science/Experiments%20in%20Food%20Science/StudentGuideCURING.ashx

pdf link to directions

Experiment 5: Oxidative Rancidity in Potato Chips

http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/K12-Outreach/Food-Science-Experiments/~/media/Knowledge%20Center/Learn%20Food%20Science/Experiments%20in%20Food%20Science/StudentGuideRANCIDITY.ashx

pdf link to directions

Experiment 4: Effect of Roasting on Color, Flavor, and Texture of Peanut Butter

http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/K12-Outreach/Food-Science-Experiments/~/media/Knowledge%20Center/Learn%20Food%20Science/Experiments%20in%20Food%20Science/StudentGuideROASTING.ashx

pdf link to directions

Experiment 3: Effect of Emulsifiers on Process Cheese

http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/K12-Outreach/Food-Science-Experiments/~/media/Knowledge%20Center/Learn%20Food%20Science/Experiments%20in%20Food%20Science/StudentGuideEMULSIFIERS.ashx

Pdf link to directions

Experiment 1: Effect of Heat and pH on Color and Texture of Green Vegetables

http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/K12-Outreach/Food-Science-Experiments/Enzymes-in-Food-Systems-Experiments.aspx

This is the pdf link to the experiment and its basically everything a student needs to do in order to complete the experiment and get a result.

How Does Diet Affect Your Body Temperature?

http://www.education.com/science-fair/article/does-diet-affect-body-temperature/

Research Questions:

  • Can diet change basal body temperature?
  • Which foods can change the temperature of my body?
Certain elements in a diet are believed to be able to increase a person’s basal body temperature and, as a result, improve metabolism. This experiment will evaluate whether simple diet modifications are truly able to increase body temperature.

Materials:

  • Basal thermometer
  • Coconut oil and other temperature-elevating food you identify in your research
  • Notebook for recording and analyzing results

Experimental Procedure:

  1. Record your basal body temperature each morning when you wake up. Be sure to take your temperature before getting out of bed. Record temperatures for approximately 2 months to get an accurate view of your average basal body temperature.
  2. Research diets believed to increase basal body temperature. For example, you should be sure to drink plenty of fluids, cook with coconut oil, increase protein intake, and eat complex, high-fiber carbohydrates.
  3. Follow your new diet for approximately 2 months.
  4. Record your basal body temperature each morning for the duration of the experiment.
  5. Analyze your results. Do you notice changes in your body temperature after beginning your new diet? How quickly do changes take place? Does your temperature return to its starting level when you stop the diet?

An experiment is coming its way

Some info: i want to do an experiment on "Is a denser fruit healthier?"

http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

1. The World's Healthiest Foods are the Most Nutrient Dense

The World's Healthiest Foods have been selected because they are among the richest sources of many of the essential nutrients needed for optimal health. We used a concept called nutrient density to determine which foods have the highest nutritional value.
Nutrient density is a measure of the amount of nutrients a food contains in comparison to the number of calories. A food is more nutrient dense when the level of nutrients is high in relationship to the number of calories the food contains. By eating the World's Healthiest Foods, you'll get all the essential nutrients that you need for excellent health, including vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, essential fatty acids, fiber and more for the least number of calories. 

But according to another student who has made a prezi on this same experiement, results are different.


Basically, his/her results were that denser fruits were not healthier. 

So, who to believe? the internet or someone who has done their math homework on all this? I'll just have to find out myself soon enough. 


Choose fruits and vegetables as a nutrient-dense food

Eat fruits and vegetables as a nutrient dense food to get many of the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy, without adding lots of calories.


Fruits and vegetables are a primary food choice when you are looking to buy nutrient dense foods (foods high in nutrients and low in calories).