Happy New Year Everyone! In this first WDFS episode of the new year and the new season on Food Science Careers, we start out talking about the many different types of job in the food science universe. Are you into tech? There are jobs out there. Interested in food safety? Absolutely. Like the business or marketing aspects of food? Yes, there are jobs there, too! We outline eleven different career directions. Regardless of the path you choose you will face personal and professional challenges. We...
Jan 13, 2023•45 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Dr. Minliang Yang will be joining NC State as a professor focused on sustainability in January 2023. Her research focuses on techno-economic and life cycle analysis in sustainability. Taking in all aspects of sustainability from economic and social impacts to carbon footprints, Minliang shares her research and outlook for North Carolina at NC State with us. WDFS Host Keith is now an educational television star! Check him out here on Sci NC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NSN5k8tiDI Send us a t...
Dec 31, 2022•27 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Adam Yee, a food scientist, entrepreneur, and host of the My Food Job Rocks!, shares his hot takes on startups, alternative proteins, supply chain, and worldwide travel. His recent travels have taken him to Asia where he has done some exploring. He takes some time while in Raleigh, NC to chat with us about podcasting, alternative proteins and the food business considerations when it comes to sustainability. During the podcast, we hear the buzziest of sustainability buzzwords, like "hype-cycle", ...
Dec 16, 2022•50 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Dr. Josip Simunovic, NC State research professor, entrepreneur, and science fiction fan, takes us along on his journey into microwave and aseptic processing, two technologies that are making food safer, more stable, and more nutritious in North Carolina and around the world, all without the need for a refrigerator or a freezer. As the tale unravels, we hear about the colleagues and mentors he has worked with along the way. Send us a text Got a questions for us? Email us at wolfingdownfoodscience...
Dec 02, 2022•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 5
Drs. Helen Joyner and Ty Wagoner, both alumni of NC State and employees of Perfect Day, join us to discuss precision fermentation in the food industry. Precision fermentation can create products, like specific milk proteins, without a cow being involved in the process at all. We discuss sustainability, the challenges of marketing a very different type of food product, and discover that cows are big Lou Reed fans. Send us a text Got a questions for us? Email us at wolfingdownfoodscience@gmail.com...
Nov 18, 2022•37 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Dr. Jeremiah Johnson, an NC State University professor, is pretty excited about what he does. It’s not surprising since it is making a difference in the current state of energy usage and decreasing the carbon footprint. By using buildings as batteries and examining the entire lifecycle of things like rentable scooters in urban areas, Jeremiah is finding more efficient and better ways to utilize the resources we have. Check out Jeremiah’s website: http://www.jxjohnson.com/ Send us a text Got a qu...
Nov 04, 2022•30 min•Season 4Ep. 3
It’s been called the world’s dumbest problem. Food waste is an environmental problem that is juxtaposed by the amount of hunger in the world. Dr. Lisa Johnson joins us to discuss food waste and loss. With about a third of the food at the farm lost, her research, which is focused on food loss at the farm level and how to reduce it, is important to solving the problem. For more information, check out Lisa’s website: https://lisakjohnson.com/ Send us a text Got a questions for us? Email us at wolfi...
Oct 21, 2022•48 min•Season 4Ep. 2
We are back from a long break with the question: What is sustainability? We are missing the amazing Teresa Risoli, but the show must go on. Best of luck in all future endeavors Teresa! Sustainability is our focus for season 4. We went to our very own NC State University students to ask how they defined sustainability in the food industry in this introductory episode. There are some great guests lined up for this season! Stay tuned! Got a questions for us? Email us at wolfingdownfoodscience@gmail...
Oct 07, 2022•14 min•Season 4Ep. 1
t's summertime! We thought it would be a great time to rebroadcast some of our most downloaded episodes. For this one we go all the way back to the beginning. We hope you enjoy! Is preservative a four letter word? We find out what preservative means to a food scientist discussing the balance of food quality with safety through preservation. Is a compound synthesized in a lab inherently bad for our health or do those same compounds occur naturally in our foods? From bacon preserved with celery to...
Aug 19, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 13
It's summertime! We thought it would be a great time to rebroadcast some of our most downloaded episodes. We hope you enjoy! One of the most frequent concerns consumers have are the chemicals in our food. Today, we discuss the various types of chemicals and why they are present. Some food ingredients have chemical BOGO (buy one get one free) properties, such as providing both flavor and preservation effects. KEY WORDS: Additives, GRAS, Prior-Sanctioned Substances, Foods vs Supplements, Direct vs...
Jul 29, 2022•30 min•Season 3Ep. 12
It's summertime! We thought it would be a great time to rebroadcast some of our most downloaded episodes. We hope you enjoy! Teresa’s tomato molded, but why? How do molds and other spoilage microbes get to your food and spoil appearance, texture, flavor? Turns out, they are EVERYWHERE. In this episode, we describe the sources for spoilage microbes and how to deal with them. Got a questions for us? Email us at wolfingdownfoodscience@gmail.com Please take a minute to help others find our podcast b...
Jul 18, 2022•24 min•Season 3Ep. 11
The award winning nutrition educator, Dr. Sarah Ash, Professor of Nutrition at North Carolina State University, joins us on WDFS to discuss nutrition through the years and educating 30,000 (nope that's not a typo!) nutrition professionals. Looking at nutritional history in the US sheds light on modern day nutrition practices. Find out why moderation is the motto for Sarah! Got a questions for us? Email us at wolfingdownfoodscience@gmail.com Please take a minute to help others find our podcast by...
Jun 21, 2022•27 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Colin Kay at the Plants for Human Health Institute was a part of the team that was recently awarded a $20 million 5-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) Metabolomics and Clinical Assays Center (MCAC) award as part of the NIH Nutrition for Precision Health (NPH) initiative, within the NIH’s" All of Us" Research Program. The program aims to inform more personalized nutrition and health recommendations. Ever have so much information coming at you that you don’t know where to start? Colin joins ...
Jun 03, 2022•43 min•Season 3Ep. 9
AND NOW FOR A DOSE OF HUMILITY… Part 2! We are continuing our discussion about stuff we don’t know about nutrition! The USDA is constantly examining nutritional research to modify their guidelines. For the humble nutritionist part 2, we are discussing the second set of 5 topics the USDA has under way. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/work-under-way/view-proposed-scientific-questions Foods and Beverages Together Parents and Children: Diets and Development Diets and Disease Prevention New Foods a...
May 20, 2022•30 min•Season 3Ep. 8
AND NOW FOR A DOSE OF HUMILITY… Humility Contest! We are discussing stuff we don’t know about nutrition! The USDA is constantly examining nutritional research to modify their guidelines. For the humble nutritionist part 1, we are discussing the first 5 topics the USDA has under way. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/work-under-way/view-proposed-scientific-questions First 5 Topics Showing Humility in Nutrition Meal Timing Early Food Exposures Sources of Saturated Fat Sources of Sugar Beverages Go...
May 06, 2022•23 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Have you ever thought about nutrition as a series of tiered services? There’s the basic plan which includes essential nutrients (not everyone gets this basic level, eg. Vitamin D). The basic plan takes into account which nutrients our bodies make and those that they cannot. The premium plan includes those non-essential nutrients. In reality that premium plan is something we are still trying to figure out. And how about an ultra-premium plan? Does that include things like specialist doctors, nutr...
Apr 18, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Vitamine to Vitamin... we THOUGHT we had it all figured out with macronutrients. It turns out the little things are important. How were vitamins discovered? Where did vitamin F go? And what’s up with so many B vitamins? We discuss the discovery of vitamins and examine folic acid and iodine to see the type of public health effects that fortification can have. The discovery of vitamins History of US Iodine fortification and supplementation Folic acid food fortification When it rains it pours: The ...
Mar 25, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Reading ingredient labels is tough! Today we will decipher what some of those ingredients are with respect to which macronutrient category they fit into . Got a questions for us? Email us at wolfingdownfoodscience@gmail.com Please take a minute to help others find our podcast by leaving a rating and comment on your podcasting app! Send us a text Got a questions for us? Email us at wolfingdownfoodscience@gmail.com Please take a minute to help others find our podcast by leaving a rating and commen...
Mar 11, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 3
What do all the food labels tell us about the nutrition, health benefits, ingredients, and enjoyment of our food? How regulated is that food label? Today we talk about the nutrition label and the difference between romance language and legally regulated nutritional claims. Got a questions for us? Email us at wolfingdownfoodscience@gmail.com Please take a minute to help others find our podcast by leaving a rating and comment on your podcasting app! https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition...
Feb 24, 2022•22 min•Season 3Ep. 2
We are back! This season we will be discussing nutrition through the lens of food science! You know that feeling you get when someone you care about gives you a box of chocolate? According to the paper ‘Stress Exposure, Food Intake and Emotional State’ indicates that occasional consumption of a sweet, indulgent treat can positively impact stress levels. Valentine’s Day chocolates have some interesting health benefits. In this episode, we will explore some of the nutritional benefits of these Val...
Feb 11, 2022•22 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Just in time for Christmas: Fruitcake! When you think of fruitcake, do you think doors stop that will be around for years on end OR a delicious energy packed cake? We walk through many versions of fruit cake and the food science that makes this wonder last so long on our shelves! Send us a text Got a questions for us? Email us at wolfingdownfoodscience@gmail.com Please take a minute to help others find our podcast by leaving a rating and comment on your podcasting app!...
Dec 25, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Eggnog and its Latin American counterparts, such as rompope and coquito, have been making the season bright for centuries. Versions of the recipe date back at least to the mid-1600s. Recipes usually consist of milk, sugar, egg yolks, spices, and rum, bourbon or other high octane alcohol. Everyone knows what an egg is, but today we answer the question everyone (or maybe no one) has been asking: what's nog? Send us a text Got a questions for us? Email us at wolfingdownfoodscience@gmail.com Please ...
Dec 17, 2021•20 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Gingerbread has a long and storied history. In fact, it may have been the inspiration for the witch's house in Hansel and Gretel. In this episode, we discuss types of gingerbread, a bit of its chemistry, and then get sidetracked with the great molasses flood of 1919. If you are in the area, check out the gingerbread competition going on at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. https://www.romanticasheville.com/gingerbread.htm https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-gingerbread/ https...
Dec 10, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 13
In this Food Science by the Fireside, we talk about how to avoid two disasters: dry turkey and (even worse) food poisoning. Special guest and food safety expert Dr. Ben Chapman joins us to discuss how to properly prepare a turkey using sous vide. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/import/Salmonella-Compliance-Guideline-SVSP-RTE-Appendix-A.pdf Send us a text Got a questions for us? Email us at wolfingdownfoodscience@gmail.com Please take a minute to help others find our podcast by leav...
Nov 24, 2021•39 min•Season 2Ep. 12
How did PSL get started? Did you know you can get PSL Ramen noodles!? Yes all the fascinating information and more about pumpkin spice latte, the flavor marketing phenomenon. Join us for a quick chat! Referenced articles https://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiemcgrath/2018/10/31/inside-the-600-million-pumpkin-spice-industrial-complex/?sh=5f81c71e1b95 https://www.bhg.com/recipes/seasonal/pumpkin-spice-history/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin_Spice_Latte Send us a text Got a questions for us? Ema...
Nov 12, 2021•16 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Did you know that a carrot and a glass of milk have about the same amount of water? So why is the texture so different? We jump into how the structures in these foods create incredibly different structures. Send us a text Got a questions for us? Email us at wolfingdownfoodscience@gmail.com Please take a minute to help others find our podcast by leaving a rating and comment on your podcasting app!...
Nov 05, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Professor and evolutionary biologist, Chris Vineyard, joins us on the podcast today to talk about the evolution of chewing and how that relates to our texture preferences. We learned about how jaws have evolved and if some of our human tendencies spread to other species as well. Chewing goes back for billions of years and Chris has a look into the timeline. Got questions or comments? Email us! wolfingdownfoodscience@gmail.com Transcript: On the way... Send us a text Got a questions for us? Email...
Oct 29, 2021•34 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Texture is iconic. It's why we love some foods and reject others. Texture is vitally important to make gluten free and meatless meat products acceptable to the general public. One of the ways we get to these textures is by forming long fibers or by adding air to make puffy products. One thing that may get missed is that texture can make foods LOUD. Humans tend love loud foods and crinkly packaging. Find out about the iconic structures that form the foods you love. Got questions or comments? Emai...
Oct 22, 2021•40 min•Season 2Ep. 6
The dairy aisle is one big happy family of milk with all kinds of textural variations. Yogurt, cheese, and ice cream are all offspring of a single ingredient: milk! There are great textural transformations that happen when food scientists go through the process of turning milk into these three different food products. This episode, we talk about these wondrous milk derivatives and how these siblings are producing such different structures and tastes. Got questions or comments? Email us! wolfingd...
Oct 08, 2021•41 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Ever think about how much water could be in any given food? In fact, water concentration can make or break some of our favorite food textures! Food scientists are always interested in how much water is in our foods and how its presence affects textures like gelatin gels and taffy. TRANSCRIPT: Click here! Send us a text Got a questions for us? Email us at wolfingdownfoodscience@gmail.com Please take a minute to help others find our podcast by leaving a rating and comment on your podcasting app!...
Oct 01, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 4
