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Quick Bite: Ultra-processed foods give you lung cancer? Maybe not
In the past I’ve been critical of both observational studies and the reporting of these studies in the media and yesterday the Independent published an article called “Food that makes up more than half of western diets linked to lung cancer” which really pushed my buttons. The title is clearly link-bait and it had me… Continue reading
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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
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A requiem for bacon
On October 26, 2015 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) broke my heart. I know this sounds dramatic and maybe even a little silly. International research agencies don’t go around breaking peoples’ hearts. How can I justify this outrageous statement? Well it was on this day that the IARC issued a press release… Continue reading
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What are ultra-processed foods and why are they coming to get me?
Anyone with even a cursory interest in food and nutrition must have noticed that ultra-processed foods are having a big moment in the media. Barely a day goes by why without some article like “Every Bite of Ultra-Processed Foods May Increase Risk of Early Death, Study Says” or “Ultra-processed foods are silently altering your metabolism,… Continue reading
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Everything you think you know about nutrition is probably wrong
Are you confused about what we should be eating? Bewildered by contradictory dietary advice? Overwhelmed by dietary fads and loud-mouthed influencers? Well you are not alone. Over the past five decades endless cycles of contradictory nutrition advice and dietary fads have left most people in a state of utter confusion about what constitutes a healthy… Continue reading
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Starch and Gelatinisation in Everyday Cooking: The Science of Thickening
Learn how starch gelatinisation and retrogradation work in cooking. Discover how amylose and amylopectin ratios affect sauce thickening, roux browning, and leftover texture. Continue reading
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The Science of Pasteurisation: Raw Milk Safety vs. Health Claims
Is raw milk safer or healthier than pasteurised milk? Explore the history of dairy hygiene, germ theory, and what the latest scientific studies actually say about raw milk risks vs. health claims. Continue reading
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The Science of Milk: Emulsions, Lactose, and Casein Chemistry
Discover the complex chemistry of milk—from fat globule emulsions and lactose intolerance to casein micelles and how dairy behaves in the kitchen. Continue reading
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Quick bite: The secret life of vegetables
As Harold McGee points out in his book, On Food and Cooking, plants are essentially chemical factories. Plants are famously stationary and lacking any motive power must interact with the external world, for the most part, through a dazzling array of chemicals that they synthesise from basic chemical elements. The same plant will simultaneously produce… Continue reading