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Honeycombing My Way Through the Science of Food

It all started with butter cookies.

The summer before seventh grade was eventless, and for a fidgety twelve-year-old like

myself, having nothing to do was basically like going through Hell. From the top shelf of my

dusty bookcase, I picked up Vivienne Bolton’s 365 Things to Make and Do (a book that was

handed down to me by my older sister the moment I had learned to read). After entertaining

myself with bottle cap snakes and paper accordion dragons, I decided to use the last of the

supplies available to me for one final project: butter cookies. I was not allowed to use our tiny

toaster oven without parental supervision, so my mother joined me, watching in amusement as I

struggled to measure the ingredients. The cookies came out subpar. They tasted like sugar

cookies would, that is, if you had added twice the prescribed amount of butter and flour, and not

enough sugar. But I was inspired. I upgraded to chocolate chip cookies shortly afterwards and

that was the sole extent of my skills until eighth grade. At that point, I decided to step out of my

comfort zone and make crȇpes and authentic chocolate mousse for my French class. From then

on, my repertoire just kept growing and growing as I moved on to more advanced recipes such as

Crème Brulée and éclairs. But I never gave a second thought to why adding eggs to a recipe gave

the product structure, or why my choux pastry puffed up in the oven. Well, I did not give it much

thought until my sophomore year Honors Chemistry class.

Somewhere in the middle of the year, my chemistry teacher, Mr. Taylor, assigned to his

Honors Chemistry classes a 750-word essay on anything involving thermochemistry. As I was

browsing the Internet for a subject, nothing stood out to me: Engineering? Made and still makes

absolutely no sense to me; Refrigerators? At least half the class was doing that; Power plants?

Boring. After about an hour of browsing, I finally found a simple article on how honeycomb

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candy is made through chemical processes. As I was reading the article, I realized that when it

came down to it, cooking and baking is Chemistry: why a specifically-made slimy, viscous liquid

turns into a fluffy cake; why soda is fizzy; and why my pastry dough puffed up. After I had

finished and turned in my essay, I decided to do some additional research to quench my

curiosity, where I came across molecular gastronomy – a subdiscipline of food science that

explores the chemical and physical transformations of food that happen in cooking – and as

pretentious as I find this practice to be, I have to admit that it’s fascinating. The making of these

ridiculous-sounding foods was a beautiful blend of science, creativity, and artistry.

While I do not plan on making deconstructed chicken nuggets for a living, I realize that I

have a genuine interest in seeing how the foods we make and eat come to be, how I can use

science to improve the flavor, and how we can enhance their nutritional value. Which leads me

to ask: How has food science and technology – and innovations within it – impacted the overall

quality, security, culture, and future availability of food?

The concept of quality can be seen in many different ways such as flavor or how healthy

the food product is. The culture of food can be analyzed differently as well whether it be through

the scope of religion or the scope of the daily routine of any given person. Food security is an

ideal situation where all people have access to safe, nutritious food at all times, and the future

availability of food plays largely into food security.

There are many ways to view the efforts to improve the quality of food and there are

many ways to go about improving the quality of food. According to an article written in 2009 by

Dr. A.R. Peters, a veterinary pharmaceutical researcher, there are some that view quality as

objective measurements, such as the fatness or leanness of meat, there are others who consider

organoleptic – the aspects of food that are experienced through the senses – factors such as

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flavour when looking at quality, and there are those who look at both. Treatments such as beta-

agonists – a relaxer for the muscles surrounding the airways – reduce the fat-content and increase

the protein content of carcases, which in turn could affect the eating quality as there is a subtle

positive relationship between fatness and eating quality. While there are concerns surrounding

such treatments due to poor communication between the researchers and the general public,

agricultural advances such as these greatly improve the quality and utility of many of the meats

and poultry that we consume. Another way food quality is improved is through methods of

preservation, which helps maintain food quality for longer periods of time. Over time, humans

have learned many methods such as fermentation to preserve their food, which, in the early days

of settlement, allowed them to move further from their original settlements. Modern science has

added to the list of methods of preservation with breakthroughs such as: pasteurization; food

irradiation with gamma rays; vacuum packaging to create an oxygen and moisture-free

environment less likely to sustain harmful microorganism growth; and recombinant proteins that

preserve frozen dairy products (Davies). Research in the methods of food preservation are also

essential in the search for global food security.

The race to find effective and sustainable sources of food have been jump-started by

predictions of the future global population. The 2009 World Summit on Food Security

recognized that “To feed a world population expected to surpass 9 billion in 2050, it is estimated

that agricultural output will have to increase by 70 percent between now and then.” Projections

such as these have set the food science industry into a frenzy to find more nutritious and hardier

crops, but even the world today is in need of such advances as “Half of the global population

consists of people who are living on less than $2 per day” (Raven). Despite their bad reputation,

genetically modified organisms (GMOs) prove to be beneficial in the fight against global hunger

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as they create bigger yields which create “more efficient use of land, less uses of herbicides and

other pesticides” (“Benefits of GM Food”). This means that these crops result in a lower

production cost which also means a lower price for consumers. Dr. Jamie Reeves, Senior Project

Manager of tomatoes and broth at Del Monte Foods Inc. believes that “GMO's are good and have

helped lower pesticide usage, helped keep certain crops alive that are challenged with disease

(papaya in Hawaii) and helped bring essential nutrients to people in foreign countries (golden

rice).” Not only are GMOs more efficiently produced than other crops, they are preserving

challenged fruit and vegetable species and they providing nutrients to people at a lower price.

While some of these points may only seem to pertain to third-world countries, food science has

also – most likely without their knowledge – affected the lives of the modern-day first-world

country citizen.

The building is much larger than it looked on the outside. Many wanting to attend the

Diablo Valley Farmer’s market would glance by the “Del Monte Foods Inc.” sign without a

second thought, but more goes on within the facility than one would expect. The laboratories

were lined with analytical equipment that looked as though they came from the nineties, and

while the equipment looked outdated, they are still as effective as they were twenty-or-so years

ago. There is a huge storage facility as well as a large business sector with cubicles filled with

the latest products that need to be researched and tested. There was a dull, sour odor wafting

throughout the vast laboratories – most likely originating from the microbiology lab – and due to

the tropical storm raging outside, the room was warm and stuffy. But the most fascinating part of

the whole laboratory was one cabinet with glass doors; the cabinets were lined with what looked

like dozens of completely unrelated products and brands of food but in reality, they were each a

trophy for the Del Monte Food Inc. labs. Each food product had an outbreak linked to them and

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it was the laboratory’s job to trace the outbreak back to its source. Without fail, the labs solved

every case and they are still asked to investigate outbreaks to this day.

Food science has played a huge role in how convenient and safe food is for the average

consumer today. Most people can get their week’s worth of food – or possibly more than a week,

thanks to preservation methods – from their local grocery store, which is often less than five

miles away from their home. While ramen or ready-made meals are often not eaten for their

health benefits, foods scientists are working hard to make these foods healthier and more

nutritional as well as convenient. Professor Bob Rastall, at the University of Reading, discusses

the importance of food science and technology for the average consumer:

While there is an increasing demand for convenience foods such as ready meals and bags
of salad to fit in with our busy lives, we are all more aware of the risks of too high
consumption of salt and saturated and trans fats. Food scientists are needed to find that
difficult balance between reformulating food products to reduce levels of salt, saturated
fats and trans fats while ensuring their functional roles within food products are not lost.
(“Why do We Need Food Scientists and Technologists?”)

As every human being needs to eat and drink to survive, every person needs a food source that is

safe and pathogen-free. Cliff Coles, a food scientist with more than fifty years in the food

processing industry and Principal Scientist at Del Monte Foods Inc. said on the topic of pathogen

testing that “the way to identify foodborne pathogens was very slow. Now we do DNA testing.

So in fifty-something years we’ve gone from biochemical testing to specifically DNA testing.”

This means that over the years, pathogen testing has become faster and more effective due to

advances in food technology. This allows for overall safer foods distributed to the global

population and faster answers to food-related outbreaks. There are also many deeper roots of the

effects of advances in food science and technology, roots so deep, they have affected our very

culture.

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In the ancient days of hunter-gatherers, the search for food led to nomadic lifestyles,

following their source of sustenance with the seasons. With a few thousand years came

settlement and early civilizations, and a couple of millennia later people live relatively sedentary

lifestyles, often living in the same city for most of their lives. The average American can thank

the ultimate advancement in food science, the Agricultural Revolution, for that. Most of the

people of the world are no longer spending days at a time looking for food to ensure the survival

of themselves or their bloodline. Due to its convenience and wide availability, food has become

very powerful social tool as people often eat meals together to strengthen relationships, and for

many, it is now an activity of leisure rather than an act of pure survival (“The Joy of Food”).

Food science has also brought about questions regarding the dietary restrictions that come with

certain religious affiliations. Principal Scientist of Del Monte Foods Inc, Cliff Coles, is also

involved in a program that is pioneering lab-grown meat. There was a question of: If the pork did

not actually come from a pig, is it Kosher? He brought this question up to multiple rabbis and the

overwhelming answer seemed to be “yes”, which would mean that the future could have Kosher

bacon on supermarket shelves. That being said, food science still has a long road of development

ahead of it to further change the lives of people around the world.

As the issue of food security slowly approaches, there has been a mad scramble to

address the many points of the problem, and bring more food scientists into the field. The

Weatherhead Center for International Affairs for Global Food+ 2017 summit discussed the

planet’s rapidly changing food supply chain in a set of presentations and open discussions.

Harvard correspondent, Deborah Blackwell, wrote “The succinct presentations covered a

dynamic range of topics, including childhood obesity, food waste, gastronomical archeology, the

American Farm Bill, veganism, economic values, and food security around the world” which

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only scratches the surface of what issues research in food science has to address. Today, interest

in food science is slowly gaining more traction as the urgency of the world hunger problem as

well as the sustainability of food is gaining more attention from the media. Three years ago,

popular science and technology Youtube channel, Vsauce2, highlighted the invention of the

edible water bottle. This water bottle, named Ooho, was inspired by a molecular gastronomy and

was targeted towards fixing the global plastic water bottle pollution crisis as these “bottles” were

edible/biodegradable, cheap to make, strong, and hygienic (Peters, “This Edible Blob”). The

exposure the Ooho got from Vsauce2 heightened interest in the subject of food science enough

for curious viewers to look further into molecular gastronomy and other disciplines of food

science. Though many have found interest in the field of molecular gastronomy, the future of the

battle on world hunger through the scope of food science has gotten less attention from the

general public. Many effective efforts have been made in the past and today, but seeing as

though starvation all over the world is still a prevalent issue, more efforts and discoveries have to

be made in food science to catch up and keep up with the exponentially growing global

population. A scientific review written by members of the Institute of Food Technologists wrote

this regarding the role of food science in feeding the world:

Although scientific and technological achievements in the 20th century made it possible
to solve further advancements are needed to resolve the challenges of sustainably feeding
the growing future population in industrialized and developing nations alike (Floros, John
D. et al., “Feeding the World Today and Tomorrow”).

Food science and technology has a limitless amount of room to grow and better the lives of those

in need as well as the average consumer.

Innovations in food science and technology have most definitely positively impacted the

quality, security, culture surrounding, and future availability of food. The findings within this

paper document just a fraction of what food scientists have achieved and these findings mark

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what needs to be done to ensure the survival of the human race. Over the decades, even

centuries, our food has been improving in quality through human innovations and our food

supply has miraculously been able to keep up with our growing populations. Innovations in food

science have brought about changes in our very culture and these innovations are crucial to the

future survival of the world. But this discipline has a very long way to go and can still do so

much more. As the years go by, the world will see breakthroughs that people today could not

have dreamed of seeing, and who knows? Maybe the solution to global hunger is closer than we

think.

Works Cited

“Benefits of GM Food:” GMO - Benefits, University of California Santa Cruz,

classes.soe.ucsc.edu/cmpe080e/Spring05/projects/gmo/benefits.htm.

Blackwell, Deborah. “Focus on the Future of Food.” Harvard Gazette, Harvard University, 3

Oct. 2017, news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/02/focus-on-the-future-of-food/.

Coles, Cliff. Food Scientist. Personal Interview. 4 April 2018.

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Davies, Bryan Thomas. "Food Preservation." Biotechnology: In Context, edited by

Brenda Wilmoth Lerner and K. Lee Lerner, Gale, 2012. In Context Series. Student

Resources in Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/PGPAJU874352169/SUIC?u=wal55317&xid=0c1b2

49c. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018.

“DRAFT DECLARATION OF THE WORLD SUMMIT ON FOOD SECURITY .”

World Summit of Food Security, p. 2.,

www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/wsfs/Summit/Docs/Declaration/WSFS09_Draft_Declar

ation.pdf.

Floros, John D., et al. “Feeding the World Today and Tomorrow: The Importance of Food

Science and Technology.” Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety,

Blackwell Publishing Inc, 26 Aug. 2010, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1541-

4337.2010.00127.x/full.

“Joy of Food.” National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic,

www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/joy-of-food/.

Peters, A R. “Improving Food Quality through New Technology.” The Veterinary Record., U.S.

National Library of Medicine, 2 June 1990, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2195756.

Peters, Adele. “This Edible Blob Is A Water Bottle Without The Plastic.” Fast Company, Fast

Company, 15 Dec. 2015, www.fastcompany.com/3028012/this-edible-blob-is-a-water-

bottle-without-the-plastic.

Raven, Peter H. "Genetically Modified Food Is an Ethical Answer to World Hunger."

Genetically Engineered Foods, edited by Nancy Harris, Greenhaven Press, 2003. At

Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

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http://link.galegroup.com/apps/do/c/EJ3010259219/OVIC?u=wal55317&xid=fb5e9528.

Accessed 13 Mar. 2018. Originally published as "GMOs and Science: What Have We

Learned?" AgBioWorld, Sept. 2004.

Reeves, Jamie. Food Scientist. Personal Interview. 13 April 2018.

“Why Do We Need Food Scientists and Technologists? – University of Reading.” University of

Reading, University of Reading,

www.reading.ac.uk/15/research/ResearchReviewonline/featuresnews/res-

featurefoodscience.aspx.

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