The Science of Food

July 24, 2025

Saffron: The duplicitous golden spice

Humans have always displayed enormous ingenuity when it comes to short-changing their fellow man. Modern tech companies, with their opaque terms of service and relentless data farming, are a great recent example of this but to capture the eternal nature of man’s duplicity we need look no further than our daily repast. Since antiquity we… Continue reading

antioxidants, botany, food fraud, saffron, spice

antioxidants, art, carotenoids, crocin, Food, food fraud, food science, nutrition, picrocrocin, recipes, saffron, safranal, spice, terpenes
July 17, 2025

Vitamin D and human individuality

In a world that seems hell bent on pigeon-holing us into convenient advertising demographics it is worth remembering that almost every single one of us is completely unique. Thanks to sexual reproduction and genetic recombination each of us is an experiment in what can be achieved with the raw clay of the human gene pool.… Continue reading

genetics, nutrition, vitamins

diet, dietary supplements, epigenetics, Food, food science, genetics, health, nutrition, rickets, sunlight, vitamin D, vitamins
July 14, 2025

Bacterial growth or how not to kill your dinner guests

There is an old Indian parable of a king who wanted to reward a wise man who had invented chess. The wise old man asked for rice but had an unusual stipulation when was asked how much rice he wanted. He requested a single grain of rice to be put on the first square of… Continue reading

bacteria, food safety, meat

bacteria, bacterial growth, death phase, diet, Food, food poisoning, food safety, food science, health, lag phase, log phase, meat temperatures, nutrition, stationary phase, wellness
July 8, 2025

Oxygen, electrons and Scottish chefs: How understanding redox reactions could save you from a bollocking

Many years ago I was working in a restaurant in Scotland and in an effort to save myself some time I prepped a stack of apples we were using as a garnish hours before we needed them. Thinking I’d done something clever I was radiating smugness until a coworker pointed out that the apples would… Continue reading

antioxidants, chemistry, redox reactions

antioxidants, biology, chemistry, food chemistry, food science, free radicals, health, iron, oxidation, oxidative stress, oxidising agent, redox reaction, reducing agent, reduction-oxidation reactions, Science
June 30, 2025

Trophic shadows and the tyranny of the energy pyramid

Ernest Rutherford, famous physicist and 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson, allegedly divided all the sciences into physics and stamp collecting. As a chemist I try not to take this comment too much to heart. Rutherford was from New Zealand after all. I’d also note that he received his Nobel Prize in chemistry, not physics. Who’s… Continue reading

chemistry, ecology, Food, food systems

agricultural, ecology, energy pyramid, environment, food science, food systems, hunter/gatherer, malthus, nature, photosynthesis, physics, plants, sustainability, trophic levels
June 18, 2025

Is Pork a Red Meat? The Science Behind Meat Colour and Myoglobin

Is pork actually red meat? Discover the science of muscle fibers, myoglobin, and haem to find out why the classic “other white meat” marketing campaign got it wrong. Continue reading

chemistry, meat, pork, proteins, steak

biochemistry, chemistry, chicken, chicken breast, cooking, diet, fast twitch muscle, fitness, Food, food science, haem, health, muscle, myoglobin, nutrition, pork, red meat, slow twitch muscle, steak, white meat
June 10, 2025

Eugenics and Genetic Diversity: What Bananas Can Teach Us

Discover why the Cavendish banana is vulnerable to extinction. Learn how genetic diversity, polyploidy, and monoculture shape modern food security and biology. Continue reading

bananas, genetics, infectious disease

agriculture, allele, bananas, biology, Cavendish, chromosome, evolution, food science, genetic diversity, genetics, Gros Michel, health, inheritance, Science
May 29, 2025

Why Bacon Causes Cancer (And Why I Still Eat It): The Science of Nitrites

Is bacon as dangerous as cigarettes? Explore the food chemistry of nitrites, NOCs, absolute risk, and how to safely enjoy cured meats in moderation. Continue reading

bacon, cancer, cell biology, chemistry, health, nutrition, processed meat, steak, vegetable

bacon, bowel cancer, cancer, chorizo, colorectal cancer, diet, DNA, Food, food science, haem, health, IARC, N-nitrosamines, N-nitroso compounds, nitrates, nitrites, nitrosation, nutrition, processed meat, S-nitrosothiols, wellness
May 20, 2025

The Science of Slow Cooking: How to Tenderise Tough Cuts of Meat

Discover the science of slow cooking tough cuts of meat like brisket, chuck, and shank. Learn how to break down collagen into gelatin for tender results. Continue reading

proteins, steak, tough cuts

actin, braise, brisket, collagen, connective tissue, Food, food science, health, meat, myosin, nutrition, slow cooking, stew, tough cuts, travel
May 11, 2025

What Are Ultra-Processed Foods? (And Are They Really Bad for You?)

What are ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and are they as dangerous as headlines claim? Unpack the Nova classification system, health risks, and food science. Continue reading

nutrition, salt, ultra-processed foods

diet, Food, health, insulin, insulin resistance, junk food, microbiome, Nova classification, nutrition, ultra-processed foods, wellness
May 1, 2025

Everything you ever wanted to know about cream (the food not the band)

Discover the food science of cream! Learn how milk fat globules create whipped cream, clotted cream, and sour cream, plus how to fix curdled sauces. Continue reading

chemistry, dairy, emulsifier, emulsions, fats, fermentation, milk, pasteurisation, raw milk

#cooking, baking, butter, clotted cream, cream, creme fraiche, dairy, fats, Food, health, medieval, milk, milk fat globules, milk snow, sour cream, triacyglycerol, whipped cream
April 22, 2025

Why Most Nutrition Science is Wrong (And How to Spot Flawed Diet Claims)

Confused by conflicting diet advice? Discover why most nutrition science relies on observational studies, their major limitations, and how to spot bad health claims. Continue reading

health, nutrition, Science

confounding factors, diet, Food, food science, health, nutrition, nutrition science, observational studies, p-value hacking, Science, wellness
April 9, 2025

The Science and Flavour of Mushrooms: Their Culinary Chemistry Explained

Discover the fascinating science of mushrooms—from cellular chitin and heat tolerance to umami chemistry, aroma compounds, and expert cooking tips. Continue reading

fungus, MSG, mushrooms

botrytis, botrytis cinerea, button mushroom, chanterelle, cooking, corn smut, Food, food science, fungi, fungus, Huitlacoche, hypha, hyphae, lenthionine, MSG, mushroom, mushrooms, mycelium, nature, shiitake, Ustilago esculenta, Ustilago maydis
March 31, 2025

Quick Bite: How salt enhances the flavour of our food

In my recent post on MSG and our taste perception I was going to include a bit about salt and how it works as a flavour enhancer but, as usual, I went on a bit so I couldn’t fit it in. So I wanted to do this short post while it was all fresh in… Continue reading

Bitter, MSG, salt, Sweet, Taste, Taste buds, Taste perception, Umami

#cooking, flavour enhancers, Food, food science, health, MSG, nutrition, salt, Taste, Taste buds
March 30, 2025

What Is Umami? The Science Behind the Fifth Basic Taste

Discover the science of umami. Learn how taste receptors, glutamic acid, and MSG interact on the tongue to create the savory 5th basic taste. Continue reading

Bitter, Sweet, Taste, Taste buds, Taste perception, Umami

Bitter, evolution, flavour, Food, food science, monosodium glutamate, MSG, salt, Science, sour, Sweet, Taste, Taste buds, Taste perception, Umami