What is Food Science?

You have probably done plenty of experiments with food already - but how can you use those experiments and results to study food and how it works to fuel our bodies?

Quick Glance: Let's Eat!

The study of Food Science pertains to the development of food products and processes, the preservation and storage of foods, and the assurance of food safety and quality.

From the beginning of time, humans have been involved with food. From cavemen hunting and gathering food to early settlers preparing the Thanksgiving feast. Food has changed over time and has been modified from its earliest origin. By genetically modifying many of our crops, it can make them more resistant to disease and drought. However, these changes over time have not always been healthy. Other changes we see are the move to more convenient pre-packaged foods. These foods can oftentimes be loaded with calories, sodium, and fat.

Explore: What Would the World Be Like Without Food Science?

“Food commonly eaten for more than 150 years should be innocent until proven guilty, and food invented in the last 150 years is guilty until proven innocent.”
― Miles Hassell MD

Food Science involves many various aspects of science. It takes an array of the science fields to understand and provide the best food quality experience. A Food Scientist is someone who is involved in all aspects of this process, from the point of animal and crop production to the time of food consumption. This includes developing new and improved foods, analyzing food for its nutritional value and safety, and researching better ways to preserve food. Food Science includes chemistry, engineering, microbiology, law, biochemistry, statistics, nutrition, physics, and horticulture animal science.

Food Research

Extensive research, investigation into a variety of foods’ properties and compositions are part of the food we eat every day. The initial stages of research and development produce mass production of food products using principles of food technology. The food industry is the largest manufacturing field in the United States.

Watch the video below to learn how food has evolved and what the food science industry has to do with it.

So what is Food Science? Challenge

Try the challenge below to test your knowledge.

Takeaway: What Is Your Takeaway?

Food Science is the study of all things that are consumed by the human body for Nutrition purposes. From start to finish!

With all of the advances in the field over the past decade, Food Scientists could-

Replace a harmful food additive with a natural and safe alternative
Discover new packaging that keeps foods longer and is safer for the environment
Examine and determine how nutrients change in different temperatures
Or even discover a new plant or animal source food source. What could it be?? Is it even on planet Earth?

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