The Science of Food

July 28, 2025

Quick Bite: How to avoid death by Listeria

An outbreak of Listeria in Ireland is a good reminder of how dangerous this particularly nasty bacteria is to our food supply. The species that infects humans, Listeria monocytogenes, is abundant in soil, stream water, sewage and on plants which means it can easily contaminate our food and become a real danger in items that… Continue reading

bacteria, food safety, Listeria

#cooking, Food, food poisoning, food safety, food science, health, Listeria, nutrition
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
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
February 4, 2025

Understanding Emulsions II: Mayonnaise and The Science of Emulsification

Discover the food science behind mayonnaise emulsions. Learn how egg yolk LDLs act as emulsifiers, the role of oil-in-water ratios, and immersion blender tips. Continue reading

chemistry, cholesterol, eggs, emulsifier, emulsions, Food, lipid, mayonnaise, micelle, oil, proteins, Science, vinaigrette

#cooking, cholesterol, eggs, emulsifier, emulsion, Food, food science, HDL, LDL, lipid, mayonnaise, micelle, recipe, recipes, salads, Science

Quick Bite: How to avoid death by Listeria

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

Quick Bite: How salt enhances the flavour of our food

Understanding Emulsions II: Mayonnaise and The Science of Emulsification