Tag Archives: food

Did hot dogs save us from colon cancer? [Food Science]

After 1978, two strangely related things happened: a new set of regulations for processed meat limited the amount of nitrite used in hot dogs, forcing manufacturers to add ascorbate or erythorbate instead. And the following that year, there was a majo… Continue reading

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Did hot dogs save us from colon cancer? [Food Science]

After 1978, two strangely related things happened: a new set of regulations for processed meat limited the amount of nitrite used in hot dogs, forcing manufacturers to add ascorbate or erythorbate instead. And the following that year, there was a majo… Continue reading

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10 Stubborn Food Myths That Just Won’t Die, Debunked by Science [Nutrition]

Every other week, new research claims one food is better than another, or that some ingredient yields incredible new health benefits. Couple that with a few old wives’ tales passed down from your pare… Continue reading

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Why does eating a spoonful of this powder turn sourness to sweetness? [Food Science]

Miraculin is a special protein that makes people perceive sour tastes as sweetness instead. At least, for a limited time. Now we know why it works.
Taste adventurers will be interested in a little chemical named miraculin. It was used in West Africa a… Continue reading

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HOWTO bake an apple pie with no apples

Stephany Aulenback tried out a recipe for “Chemical Apple Pie,” a beloved science experiment that uses cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate) to trick the human tongue into tasting apples, though no apples are, in fact, used in the pie. The pie taste… Continue reading

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The Flavor Of Your OJ Is A Chemically-Induced Mirage

There’s a dirty secret in your glass of orange juice. Even though it says “not from concentrate,” it probably sat in a large vat for up to year with all the oxygen was removed from it. This allows it to be preserved and dispensed al… Continue reading

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Wine Hack: 8 Simple Signs that Your Wine is Bad

Ever been unsure whether the wine in your glass is OK to drink?
I certainly have.
But after a few wayward years spent working as a wine maker in some of the most beautiful wine regions in the world, I’ve come to realize that it’s not as difficult a… Continue reading

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The tasteless aim of the war on salt

Why are health campaigners so down on the white stuff when all the evidence suggests it isn’t bad for us? Continue reading

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Potato chips — the other natural way to get stoned [Food Science]

Scientists have found out why people can put the brakes on eating sugar, but will go through an entire bag of potato chips, followed by a plate of fries. It turns out that fats get us stoned.
As much as extra desserts are blamed for the national wais… Continue reading

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How does cling wrap cling? [Materials Science]

Plastic wrap hangs on to everything it touches like grim death. Find out how it manages to glom on to nearly every surface in a kitchen.
There is a debate about what is more the more responsible substance to use: cling wrap or aluminum foil. In this … Continue reading

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10 Food Additives That You’re Eating . . . Right . . . Now. [Daily 10]

When it comes to our eating habits, we’ve been living in the future for quite some time. Compared to food of the past, ours is sweeter, its colors are brighter, and (if it’s bread) ultra-fluffly-er. Find out about all the neat things that you’re eatin… Continue reading

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47% Of Supermarket Meat Tainted With Staph

47% of supermarket meat tested around the country in a recent survey had evidence of being tainted by Staphylococcus aureus, which causes most staph infections in humans, including food poisoning and skin infections.

The research w… Continue reading

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Magic Metal Beans Keep Your Coffee Hot For Hours

I would trade a cow for these magic beans. Seriously. “Coffee Joulies” are a new invention that are stainless steel “beans” that keep your coffee at the perfect temperature for several hours. Hours.

How do they work? Their Kicksta… Continue reading

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Lawsuit: Campbell's "Regular" And "25% Less Sodium" Tomato Soup Both Contain 480mg Of Sodium

Here’s a trick question: How much sodium does Campbell’s “25% less sodium” tomato soup contain compared to regular Campbell’s tomato soup? Would you believe that both contain 480 mg? And that the first one costs more? Four NJ housew… Continue reading

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There’s a scientific reason why a pinch of salt makes things sweeter [Food Science]

Ever wonder why salted chocolate and caramel taste even better than unsalted? Or why adding a pinch of salt to cookies makes them sweeter? A group of researchers has found evidence that it’s because you have intestinal cells in your taste buds.

That’… Continue reading

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Superbugs in Canadian chicken? Yes, and US too

CBC News, the Canadian national TV network, has caused a stir in the food-blog world with the results of a nationwide investigation that found antibiotic-resistant bacteria contaminating supermarket chicken. In its words:
Chicken bought at major super… Continue reading

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The Blueberries In Your Food Could Be Fake

Here’s something to choke on. The “blueberries” inside that muffin or cereal you love so much might not actually have ever been blueberries. Instead, they are a composite of sugars and starches that have been dyed blue. Check the la… Continue reading

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Why do we describe spicy food as being "hot"? [Food]

Chili peppers are served at the same temperature every other ingredient in a curry. Why, then, do we universally describe them as tasting hot? Mass synesthesia? Or something else?
There are plenty of instances in which people associate unlike things. T… Continue reading

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Supercook: recipe search by ingredients you have at home

(via Delicious/tsangal)

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Airplane food tastes bad because your brain can’t handle the noise [Mad Science]

For as long as there have been hack comedians, humanity has pondered the question: “What’s the deal with airline food?” Well, science has figured it out: airplanes are just too damn loud for food to taste good.Generally speaking, it’s not just that air… Continue reading

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