Food science experiments serve various purposes, such as developing new foods, testing marketability, creating new recipes, and researching nutritional effects. Food manufacturers test foods to meet nutritional criteria or create new products. Chefs and home cooks experiment with different cooking methods and ingredients. Research-oriented experiments include studying the effectiveness of diets and the accuracy of food labeling. Science projects and fairs also provide opportunities for food science experiments.
Food science experiments can be characterized in several ways. One way is for their purpose. Food science experiments may be performed with the intention of developing new foods, testing the market, creating a new recipe, or discovering nutritional effects. Food science experiments are also done as science projects or science fair projects to learn about food and to research various aspects of food science.
Food manufacturers test foods to make sure certain nutritional criteria are met or to test their marketability. For example, a manufacturer may experiment with creating a low-fat version of a food they currently offer either a low-salt version, a version with wheat flour instead of white flour, or an organic version. In each case, the manufacturer must determine the success of the substitution in terms of nutrition and taste.
Alternatively, a food manufacturer may want to test an entirely new product, such as a new flavor of an existing product to ensure it is appealing. This may involve detailed blind tests against competitors or with different possible product versions, both within the company and with consumers. Tests can cover not only the food experience, such as taste, texture and smell, but also the name and packaging.
Individual chef recipe testing is another type of food science experiment in which different cooking methods are involved, cooking at different temperatures and times, trying different amounts of various ingredients, and/or incorporating ingredients into different orders. This type of recipe testing is done by restaurant chefs creating new dishes to serve and by cookbook writers concocting an original recipe. Everyday home cooks in their everyday kitchens do food science experiments when they try some new approach, ingredient or variation in their cooking and see how their families react.
Food science experiments in the service of research can take many forms. For example, in early 2009, New York Times reporter Harold McGee asked the question “How much water does pasta really need?”, answering his question on how to “green” pasta in an article of this name. cooking pasta using less water and less energy. Nutrition-oriented research into the effectiveness of a particular diet for a particular purpose, the healthiness of a particular regimen, the accuracy of food labeling, the value of various dietary supplements, etc. US FDA (Food and Drug Administration). School science projects and science fairs provide another setting for food science experiments of this kind.
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