Contemporary Issues in Food Science

Molecular Gastronomy, ala Simpsons

– December 1, 2011

I’ll admit it – making fun of molecular gastronomy creations is like shooting fish in a barrel. Leave it to the Simpsons, however, to provide such a funny (and timely) parody of the foodie craze. Marge and the kids are not only totally taken by various exotic foods, but, just like us, they also start “blogging their own food blog”. The entire episode, which aired just 3 weeks ago, can be viewed at this hulu site (The Food Wife, Season 23; Episode 5). Or, if you want to watch only the food-related clips, they can be viewed here. Just for fun, let me know (leave a comment) if you can identify the many celebrity “chefs” that appear in this episode.

Reconditioned food

Prof

– November 28, 2011

Using dinner leftovers as part of another meal is a common practice to most people. Indeed, this past weekend, leftover turkey was probably used in countless ways. The food industry also must deal with leftovers, such as when a small amount of some ingredient somehow did not get used up in the production run. Or perhaps a batch of cheese sauce was a bit too salty to include in a formulated product. What the food industry does is not unlike what the home cook does – they simply use that material in the next large batch of product. There is even a name for this practice – it’s called re-work, and it’s commonly done. There are, however, occasions where re-work is not done, especially when it’s to cover up a food safety defect or to re-use a spoiled food product. The latter scenario evidently occurs now and then, as described in this article. As noted, some of these so-called reconditioned foods deserve the “ick” label.

A Raw Deal

Prof

– November 15, 2011

Access to raw milk in the U.S. is generally restricted to those individuals that either live on farms or that live in communities where locally-produced raw milk is available. However, California is one of several states that permit sale and distribution of raw milk directly to consumers. How much longer this arrangement will last is not so clear, especially if incidents like the one reported in this news story continue to occur. In this latest outbreak, five children became ill with E. coli O157:H. Three of the victims suffered from hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can lead to kidney failure and even death. As we discussed in class, adults certainly have the choice to eat whatever they wish, but I am not sure these children were so happy with the choices made on their behalf

Safest Food in the World?

Prof

– November 6, 2011

Just as soon as the latest food poisoning outbreak is confirmed, rest assured a government or industry official will announce, despite this bad news, that the U.S. food supply is the “safest in the world”. This claim is not only offered without any proof, but would also get quite an argument from many other countries. The U.S. certainly has excellent surveillance and public health systems in place, but we are also a country that legally permits pathogenic bacteria to be present in a wide array of raw foods, including poultry, pork, and other products. Our outbreak rate is routinely higher than several other countries. Indeed, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, an international economic organization of 31 countries, considered the U.S. in 4th place, behind Denmark, Australia and Britain in food safety ranking. Given that the recent Listeria outbreak in cantaloupe has become the most deadly food poisoning outbreak in U.S. history (up to 29 deaths), the “safest food in the world” mantra is hardly reassuring.

As American as baseball and apple pie

Prof

– October 30, 2011

Americans love their sports – perhaps even more than they like eating. Watching sports and eating are certainly among our favorite cultural experiences. Often, in fact, we do them together at ballparks, stadiums, and arenas. There are several foods that are particularly associated with watching sports. Hot dogs are by far the most popular, with more than 22 million eaten at major league ballparks this past season. Peanuts are number two, followed by pizza, cotton candy and cracker jacks (not sure about the apple pie).

And while I know that food is often the main attraction for some spectators, for the real fan, it’s what happens on the field that matters. In case you haven’t been paying as much attention as your Prof, who spent countless Saturdays during his early years cheering for his St. Louis Cardinals from the centerfield bleacher seats, this past week was indeed, all about the game.

Brooke's Corner

Is Pizza a Veggie?

Brooke

– November 16, 2011

Pizza Time!

CNN posted an article today titled, Is Pizza a Vegetable? uncovering new bill unvaled by Congress this week. This new $182 dollar spending bill would deny funding of the “new – and healthier – school meal nutrition standards the Department of Agriculture proposed earlier this year.”

The new bill would prevent the funding of adding more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low fat milk. All these things sound like positive changes to me, but unfortunately it looks like they might be far from reality and time soon. This would also mean that the high levels of saturated fat, sodium and starchy potatoes would remain in the school lunches. At a time when childhood obesity is at its highest, why would congress consider cutting an improvement in the school lunch programs, and begin consider pizza being served as a vegetable? What are your thoughts, should this $182 spending bill cut an improvement in school lunches?

USDA looks to get more meals to kids in the summer

Brooke

– September 14, 2011

Student Backpack Programs

Have you ever thought about what the children who rely on meals at school do when they are out of school for the summer? Before now, I had not truly thought about this concept. Yes, students in need can receive a free meal at school each day during the school year, but what are they doing when they go home for the weekend, winter break, or even more importantly, summer.

An article titled USDA looks to get more meals to kids in the summer published by USA Today reveals the extreme need that children have for food during the summer when they are away from school and do not receive their free daily meals. The article explains the impact a weekly backpack full of food can make for a child in need. This article hits particularly close to home for me because I am from the Kansas City area. I know there are many areas though out the world where children receive their only meal of the day at school, but when they are out of school they struggle knowing where their next meal will come from.

The innovation of programs like the backpack program described in this article allow students the opportunity to eat even when they are away from school. I could very easily see food scientist working with the USDA in the future on this program to develop simple meals that would travel well and meet the needs of young children who maybe are not receiving all of the nutritional foods they need while away from school.

What are you thoughts?

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