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Category Food Science Basics
Understanding food production, whether it’s at home are in a factory, starts with science. Once you have a grasp on some of the more basic science concepts, which you can find below, a whole new world opens up!
How to Draw Molecules & Structural Formulas for Food Components
Imagine having the pages of a book, but having no clue in which order they should go. Or having a recipe with only an ingredient list, no instructions on how to make the food. Or having an IKEA cupboard, with…
An Introduction to Food Rheology – the Flow of Material
Within the food industry it is very important to understand how your food will behave. Will it be deformed (too) easily (a muffin), will it flow through a pipe (a pasta sauce), will it stay on your product (caramel topping…
What Is Extraction? – the Theory and How It’s Applied to Food
After writing about making your own extracts (vanilla & orange/lemon) and how to use these it is time we start talking more hard core science. What is extraction from a chemists perspective? And is there something we can calculate here?…
How to Determine the Nutritional Value of Food
Ever read the labels on your food products? If yes, ever wondered how they come to the nutritional values stated on these labels? Or what they mean? Whereas people tend to think these are hard fixed numbers that have been…
An Introduction to Good & Bad Microorganisms in Food
Food Science is at the heart of this blog, however, in most cases we’ll be applying food science, assuming you’ve got a basic understanding of the food science concepts. Realizing that not everyone knows these basics, we’ve got a series…
An Introduction to Chemical Reactions (in Food)
Why does red cabbage turn blue, purple or pink in different liquids? Why does a steak turn brown when heated? Why can an oven bake muffins? Why does a higher temperature oven burn your carrots more easily? All of this…
Atoms & Molecules – Introducing proteins, carbohydrates & fats in food
When you zoom in on your food, what will you see? First thing you’ll notice is the detail in all the complex structures of food. Zooming in closer you’ll probably run into some cells. When you ‘look’ even closer though…
Phase Diagrams Explained – Demystifying Ice Cream
When you’re eating your ice cream, your caramel or a nice piece of fudge you might not realize that you’re actually consuming a scientifically highly complex product! The interactions between concentrations of sugar and water combined with temperature make for…
Why Does Caramel Stay Soft in Ice Cream? (Caramel Freezing Point)
Not too long ago I got a question from someone who wanted to know the freezing point of caramel. Thinking about it, caramel in ice creams are just about always soft… This got me interested, because answering this question allows…
Food Chemistry – What Is the Maillard Reaction?
(Dis)colouration of foods is a well beloved topic of food chemists. Colour pigments are highly complex, as are the reactions to form them. Browning especially, is a favorite. It’s interesting because there are various chemically completely different ways to turn…
The Ideal Gas Law in Food – How Foods Expand and Shrink
Have you ever made souffles? Have you experienced that thrill when they rise high in the oven? Looking so beautiful and light? But to be heavily disappointed when they sink down again once they’re cooling down outside of the oven?…
Chemical Formulas in Food – Explained
Ever wondered which molecules make your bread turn brown? Or what molecules might sit in a pear? Or what exactly fats and carbohydrates are? Ever wondered what molecules are nutritious and which aren’t? All of the answers to these questions…