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
July 24, 2025

The Saffron Scam: Food Fraud and How to Spot Fake Saffron

Discover why saffron is the world’s most expensive spice, its 3,000-year history of food fraud, the chemistry of its unique flavor, and how to test for purity. 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: Why One-Size-Fits-All Nutrition Fails

Explore how human genetic variation and nutrigenomics affect vitamin D requirements. Discover why one-size-fits-all daily intake guidelines don’t work. Continue reading

genetics, nutrition, vitamins

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

The Science of Bacterial Growth: How to Keep Your Food Safe and Avoid Food Poisoning

Discover how exponential bacterial growth affects food safety. Learn the science of cooking temperatures, D-values, and storage tips to protect your guests from food poisoning. 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
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
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
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
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